| by Howard and Matthew Greene Annie was always a dedicated student. She just took more time to complete her assignments, and sometimes she needed extra help from her teachers to understand their instructions. She learned best by combining verbal cues with well-organized notes, notes she went over carefully to make sure they covered classroom material fully. Identified in her early elementary school years as having a learning difference that qualified her for some instructional support and extra time on assignments, she persevered, worked hard, maintained a positive attitude, and in the tenth grade, "graduated" out of her high school's resource support center. That is, she no longer received extra help at school. She had developed strong personal learning strategies and the self-confidence to do it on her own. She was knowledgeable and assertive enough to know when to go to a teacher with a question. She did a lot of community service to give back to her school and younger kids in her town, played sports, and took a standard college-prep curriculum. We first met Annie in the beginning of the eleventh grade as she was starting to think about college admission. She and her mom were concerned about standardized tests, on which Annie had never performed well, finding a college that would be challenging but not too much so, and negotiating the complex and confusing application process, including essay writing. We encouraged Annie to keep working hard, since her solid A and B grades in her standard collegebound curriculum would be the primary factor in her admission process. We reassured her that there are many colleges that offer academic support for students with learning or attentional difficulties, and she began the process of researching and visiting colleges that seemed appropriate. Gradually we helped her narrow her list to about ten schools, including several that did not require SATs. For some, she submitted a graded paper to supplement her own essays. In that writing, she developed an excellent discussion of her particular learning differences, meeting her own challenges, developing responsibility for her actions and choices, and then providing support for other students through her athletic and service activities. When she looked into colleges, she and her mother made sure to check out their academic support programs. When she visited campuses, she tried to meet with the coordinators of these services. She was open in her writing and in her conversations with admission interviewers. Annie first developed a strong sense of herself and what she wanted and needed in a college environment and program. She then developed a list that fit her interests and abilities. In the Spring of her senior year, Annie found herself carefully reviewing her many college acceptances, selecting those schools that seemed most appropriate, and revisiting the campuses to evaluate social life, campus environment, academic support, and curricular offerings. She chose the best school for her, knowing that she had presented an honest portrait of herself, and that she had found the right match for her interests and abilities. Steve suffered from a degenerative muscular disease which had confined him to a wheelchair for many years. He had difficulty maneuvering physically, and required such classroom accommodations as a note taker or tape recorder for lectures and use of a computer for tests. Most important, Steve needed a campus that was accessible for students in wheelchairs, a dorm room on the first floor, and the opportunity to take most of his classes in buildings with elevators, ramps, and facilities for those with physical disabilities. He was especially interested in finding a college with excellent art facilities that were also accessible to him. On top of his demanding curriculum, good grades, and strong test scores, Steve presented a compelling personality and passion for the arts to the admissions committee. Before his campus visits, Steve called the colleges to make sure there were at least some accommodations and facilities that fit his needs. At the colleges, Steve made sure to explore many aspects of the physical campus layout, to talk with coordinators for students with disabilities, and to ask admission officers about other students on campus facing challenges similar to his own. In some cases, he encountered colleges enrolling no other physically handicapped students, but which were willing to make the accommodations necessary for him. In other instances, he saw schools that were beginning to improve their compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but, due to many older campus dorms and other buildings, were going to take quite some time to make their facilities fully accessible. Steve and his parents also realized that a campus in or near a city, and perhaps reachable on a main train line, would help them with transportation to and from the school. After careful consideration, Steve found the right university for him, applied Early Decision, and was admitted. The admissions committee was no doubt impressed by his courage, persistence, and talents, in the face of a significant disability. Students with physical or learning disabilities, or attention disorders, face unparalleled access to higher education in America today. Numerous colleges offer comprehensive learning support programs, special support services, or at the least, offices to handle minimal accommodations, such as extended time for testing. As Annie could tell any of her peers who have heard that a learning difference will prevent them from going to college, don't you believe it for one second! She knows that her hard work and her openness about her strengths and academic needs helped her find appropriate schools and gain admission to them. Steve would say the same about his careful search for colleges that met his physical, as well as academic and personal interest needs. The ADA has opened many opportunities for students with disabilities. While sometimes you might be a trailblazer at a particular college, it is more likely that once you begin to talk with others on campus – students, admission officers, and coordinators for academic or disability support programs – you will find many students who share your needs. We suggest that in addition to following the Ten Steps admission process, you add to your "to do" list the following:
© 2003 by Howard R. Greene and Matthew W. Greene. All rights reserved. This article can be found online at http://www.pbs.org/tenstepstocollege/focus_main.html Copies of the Greenes' Kit is available by visiting shop.pbs.com or by calling (800) 344-3337. Close Window |