Picking Colleges

Colleges and universities in the US do not follow a single pattern. You have real choices when picking a college. When you take the time to explore alternatives, you
• Discover exciting options that you never dreamed exist
• Understand better what suits you
• Apply only to schools you know you like
• Become a stronger candidate

Many students and parents are unaware of the richness and range of possibilities. You may think the only major differences among colleges are size, location and how hard they are to get into. Your assumptions can needlessly limit which schools you consider.

For example, do you believe
• Curriculums are basically similar. The first two years you fulfill requirements in subjects such as science, humanities, social science, and then you pick a major.
• It will cost more to go to a private school than a state school.
• State schools are very large.
• With SAT scores below 1500 there is no point applying to an Ivy League school?

Consider this!

• Many colleges have absolutely no required courses or subjects other than your major. You choose whatever you wish from the catalog, as much or as little math or history as you like, or none at all. (Check out Amherst, Vassar, Brown.)
o Some schools go even further to allow each student to design his own education. Students “contract” individual programs of study with faculty mentors. Rather than emphasize preset courses and content, you focus on independent reading, research projects, tutorials, internships or field work. (Check out Hampshire College, New College of South Florida.)

• Many private universities generously assist students from families of low and moderate income. Some provide merit scholarships regardless of financial need. Your tab could be lower than at a public institution.
o A notable example: parents with incomes below $40,000 are no longer expected to contribute to the cost of their child’s education at Harvard.

• Some state schools have fewer than 5,000 undergraduates. Among them are Fort Lewis in Colorado, University of North Carolina, Asheville, Purchase College, State University of New York, Evergreen College in Washington State.

• Admissions officers at selective, private institutions often have more discretion than their state counterparts. Rather than fill entering classes with valedictorians and students with 1600 SAT scores, they look for applicants who distinguish themselves with their accomplishments, commitments and interests, and personal characteristics.
o Your essay, resume, and interview, and recommendations can be decisive.
o Do not necessarily write off a school because 95% of students have SAT scores higher than yours!

Interview: High School “To Do” lists

More from student interviews on High School "To Do" Lists:

Sam:

In high school I wish I had known how to set a schedule for myself. In high school it was you got up in the morning, I got up 5 minutes before I had to leave for school, went to school, every single class was run on a bell schedule, and then I came home, did my homework, hang out with my friends, and that was my day. In college it is … I drive to school so I commute in, so it was the having to learn how much time to schedule for myself to get to school so I don’t show up late at school. It’s the freedom of saying well, yes my schedule today is I must be at class at 11 o’clock, however I’m really, really tired so I think I’m gonna sleep in. It’s the homework is no longer scheduled in after school because your classes can run back to back all day, or you can have 3 hours here, 3 hours there. So it’s the making a time for yourself to sit down and get what you need to get done, done.

James:

You definitely want to be able to take notes while a professor is talking, your teacher is talking, so you need to practice taking notes in class and finding out the best way that you learn before going to college because once you get into that environment, you can be put in a lecture room and you have to … it’s better to figure out the best way for you to get information before going to college instead of getting there and having to learn from there.

Maria:

I wish my disability support service worker - love her to death, she was a great woman - would have told me more about how to speak to professors or teachers or maybe taking me along when she went to tell my teachers what I had, just so I would have felt more comfortable explaining what my disability was and how it’s supposed to be dealt with because I really only had the explanation from my mom and then reading the wording in the disability support services letter that I got to help me to formulate how I was gonna tell a professor, well these are my accommodations and this is what I need. So I would have liked in high school for someone, I guess who is in that area at the high school, to have explained to me well, this is how you can go up to your teacher or professor in the future.

Jenna:

Once I hit my junior year, I wanted to become a more well rounded student so I started participating in a lot of different organizations, I started volunteering because a lot of colleges love seeing someone who is out there volunteering, someone who’s out there in an organization or working. It’s not always all about having the highest grades, but more colleges focus on a well rounded student, someone who takes charge in life, participates, and can improve their school by participating in a lot of activities; and at the end of my junior year once I started getting the applications together, I started focusing more on my school work. I knew that college was gonna be a little bit more intense, especially in the classes so I asked teachers for help, asked them what could I do to improve in this area before I get to college.

Amy:

By taking classes in high school that challenged me, I was able to deal a lot easier with the workload; just because I knew what I was getting myself into and I already knew what I needed to do in order to succeed. One of the other things I did was start learning how to get a rapport with your teachers in high school, because high school teachers tend to be a lot more approachable than college professors do, and if you’re already in the habit of talking to your teacher, of asking them questions, going in after class, going in before class, it’s a lot easier to pick those habits up when you’re in college.

High School "To Do" List - Senior

Senior-year tasks

* Meet with your school guidance counselor early in the year to discuss your plans.
* Continue to develop your advocacy skills and to polish study skills.
* Learn about what faculty members in college will expect from you.
* Continue exploring possible college majors that are consistent with your career goal and your strengths and interests.
* Figure out how you learn best and how this will help you in college.
* Find out how to get accommodations in college. It’s a very different process from high school!
* Role-play talking with professors about your accommodations.
* Explore assistive technology that you may need in college.
* Research the resources in your state to find a college preview event for students with disabilities. If your community has this type of event, plan on attending.
* Role-play college interviews with counselors, family members and teachers.
* Finalize your “Going To College” portfolio so that it contains at least the following:
o Copies of your psychological and educational evaluations
o Transcripts
o ACT or SAT scores
o Your medical records (if appropriate)
o A writing sample or other work samples related to your choice of a major
o Your letters of recommendation from teachers and employers
o The current list of academic accommodations and auxiliary aids and services you may need in college (be sure to include assistive technologies)
* Visit colleges (start early in the year):
o Visit the college Web site and look at the admissions office to see when college tours are offered.
o Be prepared when you visit colleges to write or talk about your experiences.
o Admissions officers will provide information about admissions procedures and financial aid opportunities.
o Take your “Going To College” portfolio with you to share with disability service providers, if appropriate.
o Evaluate the disability services, service provider and staff.
o Talk with college students receiving disability support services about their experiences.
* Compare the various colleges and think about living in the campus community (e.g., housing, social activities, classrooms, leisure activities, services for students with disabilities and athletic activities).
* Apply to two or more of your preferred colleges — choose one that is a “reach” or your “dream” school, one where you expect to be accepted and one where you KNOW you can be accepted.
* Prepare your applications carefully, paying close attention to the instructions and deadlines. Be neat. Be accurate.
* When accepted, consider attending the pre-admission summer program (if available). It will be worth your time and ease the process when classes start in the fall.
* Take the SAT again, if appropriate.
* Send a thank you note to the individuals who wrote you recommendation letters.
* If not done in your junior year, contact the vocational rehabilitation counselor to determine your eligibility for DRS services while in college.

High School "To Do" List - Junior

Junior-year tasks

* Continue your involvement in school- or community-based extracurricular activities.
* Continue exploring assistive technology.
* Focus on matching your interests and abilities to the appropriate college choice.
* Research the resources in your state to find a college preview event for students with disabilities. If your community has this type of event, plan on attending.
* Look for college campuses that have majors in which you might be interested and the kind of campus community in which you would like to live.
* Identify the appropriate academic adjustments and auxiliary aids and services that you will need in the postsecondary setting.
* Keep a current list of the academic adjustments and auxiliary aids and services you use in high school in your “Going To College” portfolio.
* Consider taking a course to prepare for the SAT or the ACT test.
* Research how to get accommodations on the SAT or ACT.
* Take the SAT or ACT in the spring. Consider taking them more than once.
* Establish a possible career goal (you can always change your mind).
* Think about a possible college major consistent with your career goal and your strengths and interests.
* Learn time management, organizational skills, study skills, assertiveness communication, stress management and test-taking strategies which will help you get good grades.
* Learn how to set short-term and long-term goals.
* Learn how to advocate for yourself — not everyone will understand your disability or be sensitive to your needs.
* Gather information about college programs that offer the disability services you need (you may want to add these to your “Going To College” portfolio).
* Speak with college representatives who visit your high school and at college fairs.
* Visit campuses and especially service providers to verify the available services and how to access them. Or if you can’t visit the campus, take a virtual tour on the college’s Web site. Make sure to check the disability support services section of the college’s site to understand what you need to do to receive academic services and supports.
* Consider people to ask for recommendations — teachers, counselors, employers, coaches, etc.
* Investigate the availability of financial aid from federal, state, local and private sources.
* Investigate the availability of scholarships provided by organizations, such as corporations, labor unions, professional associations, religious organizations and credit unions.
* Continue saving for college.
* Contact the vocational rehabilitation counselor who serves your school to determine your eligibility for vocational rehabilitation's services.
* Invite the VR counselor to attend your planning meeting.
* Make sure that the documentation of your disability is current. Colleges usually want current testing based on adult norms, usually less than three years old when you begin college.