What Parents Should Know

CTE dual credit 

Career and Technical Education (CTE) dual credit classes are offered in partnership with community and technical colleges. CTE dual credit classes are taught at the high school or skills center. The classes integrate academics with technical skills to help students prepare for advanced education and careers. Students earn high school and college credit for successfully completing the same class. 

Tech Prep classes available at Juanita are: Digital Design, American Sign Language, Yearbook, Marketing, Life & Finance, Architecture Design/CAD, Mechanical Engineering I & II, Biotechnology, Material Science, Photo, and Child Development. For more information, visit the Career Center or go to: https://www.ctesers.org/ 

 

WANIC - Washington Network for Innovative Careers 

WANIC is a unique schooling program that gives you access to hands-on learning while earning high school and college credits. Skills Centers offer high-quality, tuition-free technical and professional training for high school juniors and seniors. These year-long, Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are based on industry standards and prepare students for career and college readiness. Courses include:  

• Nursing 

• Medical Careers 

• Fire & EMS 

• Automotive Tech 

• Dental Careers 

• DigiPen Art & Animation 

• DigiPen Music & Sound Design 

• DigiPen Video Game Programming 

• Baking & Pastry 

• Aviation (coming in 2023) 

Find out more on their website and meet with your counselor to discuss your readiness. 

WANIC Summer School 

WANIC offers 3-week courses during the summer for rising 9th-12th grade students. Students earn a .5 credit for these classes. Registration opens in April. 

Running Start 

Running Start allows 11th and 12th-grade high school students to take college-level courses at community and technical colleges. Students can earn both high school and college credits through this partnership between the K-12 and community college systems. Link to more info: /fs/pages/3720 

 

WorkSite Learning 

Earn high school credits for working! Learn more here or view the PDF here.

WorkSite Learning is an exciting program that connects knowledge and skills you’ve learned in the classroom to careers and your future. You must be 16 and have taken a qualifying CTE class. Learn more at shorturl.at/ktVX8 

Employed scholars 16 years of age and older, may be eligible to earn credit for working. 

POSSIBLE CREDIT EARNED PER WORK HOURS 

360 hours of work = 1.0 Credit          

180 hours of work = .5 Credit 

Contact jaadams@lwsd.org to sign up or learn more.

Where to submit you application

For 4 year schools students will create an account on commonapp.com or . This site allows them to organize their applications for up to ten schools, keeping track of essays, requesting letters of recommendation, and organizing deadlines without having to fill out their home address and other basic information for every application.

 

What you will need:

Basic information including address and high school information

Unofficial transcripts which can be download through skyward

Personal Essay

Support essays which are specific to individual schools

Letters of recommendation from 3 Teachers or community supports outside of the family

 

Common App - Connecting Applicants with 4-Year Colleges 

Application Guide for First Year Students 

Common App You Tube Channel 

About Common App 

 
 

MyCoalition - Helping Underrepresented Students Apply for College (offers fee waivers) 

Coalition Application 

Coalition Counselor 

About MyCoalition 

 

When looking into local community colleges like Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Bellevue College, and Cascadia College, you’ll use this application portal: https://apply.ctc.edu/user

What you will need:

Basic information including address and high school information

Optional essay

 

Community & Technical Colleges- For Those Staying Local and Attending 2-Year Schools

Create your account here

 

Essays 

 

Your personal statement is an essay –usually around 500 words – that you write to show a college admissions committee who you are and why you deserve to be admitted to their school. You may be asked to provide several shorter supporting essays on various topics. Here’s a simple guide to writing a quality essay: 

• A good topic will show how you’ve grown because of something that has happened in your life or because of an experience/ club/ job 

• Focus on your strengths and values 

• This is not the place to share your life story, instead focus on one core part of your life 

• Your story should talk about you, not someone who inspired you 

• Don’t worry about cliches, they are cliches for a reason 

• Please use paragraphs!! 

For more tips and references: https://www.collegeessayguy.com/ 

 

Letters of Recommendation 

A letter of recommendation for college admission is a short letter typically written by a teacher, counselor, or mentor highlighting your strengths and potential contributions to a school. A recommendation letter can help your application stand out, especially when it highlights your skills, accomplishments, and positive attitude toward education. Some colleges will ask for two or three letters of recommendation during the application process others won't require any. 

Teachers need as much time as possible to complete a recommendation letter. They often have many recommendation letters to write, along with lesson planning and grading. Tips include: 

• Waive your right to view recommendation letters on your application forms. Admission officers will trust them more if you haven’t seen them. 

• Let teachers know the deadline for each college and ask them about their preferred turnaround time. 

• Bring in multiple different opinions/ people who will be able to highlight your different strengths. 

• Utilize your connections in- and outside of school. 

 

Requesting Transcripts 

Complete the online transcript request form for current students. This form is available on the JHS counseling webpage. Read the form carefully for directions, 2 -3 days advanced notice. For Common Application, Coalition, & Send Edu: your counselor will upload your transcript! However, you must add your counselor to your application once you begin. There is no need to request a transcript for these applications.  

 

Official Transcript: These are sealed in a JHS envelope. Do not open these transcripts. You must place the sealed JHS envelope in your own mailing envelope to send to the schools or scholarships of your choice. You can find their mailing addresses on their websites. Check your school email for pick -up info!  

 

https://jhs.lwsd.org/counseling/transcript-requests 

 

Unofficial Transcript or PDF: These are electronic or hard copies of printed transcripts. Use Skyward to see and download an unofficial report on your transcripts. Go to ‘’profile’ and select ‘ unofficial transcript’ the download as a PDF. Photo instructions for downloading unofficial transcripts can be found on the online Transcript Request Form on the JHS counseling webpage. 

 

More and more students are getting burnt out from school or excited by entrepreneurial opportunities they see online. Believe it or not there are many jobs in the trades that require no college and still bring home an impressive paycheck. Below I’ll cover a few strategies and mindsets for working with a student who isn’t interested in pursuing further education.

 

Remind them that college life is a whole different ball game.

The atmosphere in college is so starkly different from highschool that many students who are resistant to college simply don’t understand. You are able to choose your classes from a huge array of options, picking when they are and even get to see if you’d like the teacher by using sites like www.ratemyprofessors.com . While they still may have to take a math class, they can choose between options like business math, aviation math, engineering math, statistics, and geometry. There are also a lot less classes each term, many universities conceded 4 classes to be a full time schedule. 

College is also about the social life and having an easy transition out of the house, living with other people their age in dorms. There are also options for students who don’t want to move away by taking classes at community colleges or online.

 

Low stakes, low effort sample of college life.

If the process of apply to college is too stressful, community colleges have your back. There is no essay required and a 100% acceptance rate. It shouldn't take any more than an hour to apply. 

With the possess being easy and local, you may encourage your student to sign up for one term of classes. During this term I suggest taking one class they are really passionate about, one that is a challenging topic while not being a dreaded class, and at least one that supports community engagement. Hands- on classes like sports, art, and mechanics are a great way to gain a sense of belonging. With this spread of classes the student will get a good idea of what college life would be like and may be prompted to continue. Even if they choose not to, the classes will stay on their academic record and be transferable to any other college or university if they ever choose to return.

 

Explore non-college education paths

There are many training programs across industries. If college itself is the problem you can explore coding academies, apprenticeships in industries like welding and carpentry, or beauty school. 

Check out this book for apprenticeships and unions in the construction industry www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/FAS/PurchasingAndContracting/Labor/ApprenticeshipGuidebook.pdf

 

Gap year

Gap year programs are very popular with students in school during the pandemic. Many feel they haven't had a chance to really explore their interests and don’t want to commit to a path yet. This can work incredibly well when done properly. 

First, make a plan for what will happen after the gap year is over. Are they intending to work, go to school, more across the country? By giving the gap year an official end date students are more likely to stay committed to exploration without wandering.

Next decide what the goal of the gap year program is. Will they be trying to start a business, go abroad, or build work experience? Brouse gap year programs online to get an idea of all the options available to you.

Set a budget and help your student understand what it feels like to become financially independent. Some students need to understand what it feels like to live paycheck to paycheck in order to get the motivation they need to pursue a path that will make them a higher income. We want our students to experience this in a safe way that allows them to grow, instead of being trapped in the poverty cycle. Therefore spend time working with them on determining what they will pay for over the next year. Will they pay for the program, buy their own food, pay car insurance, or simply not get spending money from you?

You have so many choices when it comes to college. Visit the campus and take a tour in order to find out more about a college. We suggest you start local, even if your student isn’t interested in a specific school, it will start to flex the decision muscles and give you a vocabulary and a point of reference for examining schools later on. When a college isn’t close to home, take an online tour. More information on college tours is below.

 

Things to consider:

Public vs Private-  Private schools are more focused on the individual with smaller class sizes and more specialized programs, though they can be harder to get into. While they have a higher sticker price, many offer financial aid to help though this often includes loans.

Public schools are larger and more diverse, they offer more clubs and activities outside of class. Their rates are often much cheaper though they usually offer less financial aid. Some students may find it difficult to receive the necessary support and can fall behind. 

Location- You will likely get your first job and start building your life wherever you go. Consider how far from downtown the campus is and how far you are from home.

Size- Small campuses have more 1:1 attention and individual opportunity while larger colleges can afford other opportunities outside the classroom.

Degree and programs- How does its program compare to other schools? Are you admitted directly into a program or do you have time to decide on your major? How many years will you attend? What do they offer for hands-on experience?  Do they offer internships after graduating? 

Price- How much is the school with living expenses included? Will the school offer you an additional financial aid package?

Community- Who’s already attending this school? What clubs and groups already exist? What’s the campus culture?

Support- Different schools offer more academic and mental health support than others. 

Check out this site for more details into different supports to look for: https://compass.wsac.wa.gov/module/hs-student-supports

 

 

Now that you know that, here’s three sites to start browsing to make your list:

● https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search

● https://www.princetonreview.com/college-search

● https://www.wiche.edu (WUE offers discounted rates on out-of-state colleges in the pacific northwest.  Search among hundreds of undergraduate degrees offered at the WUE rate of 150% of resident tuition (or less) by 160+ public colleges and universities across the West.) 

Types of colleges 

2-Year 

A two-year college is often a community college that offers programs where students can earn an associate’s degree in two years or even a certification in one year or less. Two-year colleges can also be technical schools that specifically focus on career training, such as welding, carpentry or mechanics. After earning an associate’s degree at a two-year college, many students choose to enter the workforce, but some choose to continue their education at a four-year college. Here are some benefits of choosing a two-year college: 

• Affordability 

• Smaller classes 

• Flexibility in class times allowing you to work and attend simultaneously 

• Supportive community resources 

 

4-Year 

A four-year college is often a college or university that offers a variety of degree programs for students to earn their bachelor's degrees. Some students can also earn their master's degree after their bachelor's at many four-year colleges. A master's program usually takes two years to complete, and students typically need their bachelor's degree to qualify. 

Two common degree programs are Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.). A B.A. program usually includes studies in humanities, such as English, history or philosophy. A B.S. program has a technical, medical or scientific focus, with majors in Chemistry, Physics or Biology. In either program, students typically take general education courses for their first two years and major-specific courses for the final two years. Here are some benefits of choosing a four-year college: 

• Campus life 

• Clubs and activities 

• Course variety 

• Independence 

Click here for more information on 2 year vs. 4 year colleges 

 

 

College visits

Before you go, here's a checklist to help you get orginised: https://blog.collegeboard.org/college-campus-tour-checklist 

Online tours and info sessions help bridge the gap when students can’t check out a campus in person. Here's some places to try a virtual campus visit.  

• Explore and save colleges through https://www.youvisit.com/collegesearch/ 

• The Washington GEAR UP program has information about visiting campuses in person or virtually. There are several resources through the "Visit A Campus" link. https://gearup.wa.gov/students/visit-a-campus  

• GEAR UP also offers a series of virtual campus visits. These video presentations highlight colleges across the state, including a number of public and private four-year universities and two-year community and technical colleges.   

• For schools with no virtual tours available, consider doing an online scavenger hunt. Use the form to research, compare choices, and find a good fit.   

• College Fairs- Each year Lake Washington schools host multiple college fairs where you can meet and talk with college representatives, then compare various colleges based on those conversations. Come to the College and Career Center to learn about college fairs. We also invite representatives from various colleges to Juanita in to give individual presentations to our students. Request a school visit or sign up for a future visit! 

The best way for students to identify their career interests is through getting experience in a wide variety of work settings so they can identify what works best for them. For example, many majors lead to careers that have both customer facing roles and internal roles. Some jobs are more physically intensive, some have tight deadlines, and others require intense networking.

 

Here are some ways to try different fields with your student:

• Find volunteering opportunities related to their interests, like judging a board game competition, helping at a coding workshop, or spending a day with Habitat for Humanity.

• Get involved in community events, help set up neighborhood art walks, church events, small music venues, board game competitions, or have them mow a neighbor's lawn.

• Have them start an entry level job, even if they end up quitting after a few months.

• Join a sport or club. If there aren't any through Juanita explore https://www.meetup.com

• Take a community class. We are surrounded by many community colleges, art & dance studios, and park & rec events. If money is tight, don't be afraid to email and ask about a discount for the program, many have created scholarships so that everyone can participate.

• Get involved with the PTSA to find out about upcoming events.

• Ask your student and their friends! There are many things we don’t see on social media, some of which are activities that your student might be afraid to ask to participate in. Sometimes opening up the conversation and letting your student know how much money is available in the budget for career exploration will help them to keep their eyes out for ways they want to get involved. Don’t forget to offer to drive or pitch in for gas money for free events.

 

Remember, even if they don’t enjoy their experience, this gives them valuable insight into what they may want to avoid in a job. Ask questions after the student has had time to rest. You may want to ask things like:

“You were excited to do ___, did it meet your expectations?”

“Did you like the people you were working with?”

“Is there any aspect that you did enjoy doing?”

“What would have made the whole thing more enjoyable?”

“What was your highlight?”

 

College prices have gone through the roof in the last few years, but fear not, there are many ways to make college more affordable without sacrificing your students future options.

 

Community College to University Pipeline- Earning an Associates Degree

Our local community colleges, Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Bellevue College, and Cascadia College, are all excellent places to get started. They offer low priced classes that meet the ‘general education credits’ these are the core math, science, and english classes that will transfer to any school in washington. These classes are offered in a wide variety of times which can allow your student to go part time. For example, they may take 2 classes which meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, this leave the other days open for a part time job. Or they may register for only evening classes which they could attend after work.

Your student can earn a two year degree, also called an associates degree or AAOT (Associate of arts transfer degree) this already increases their job opportunities and gives them a pay bump. Even if your student only earns a few credits, they will stay with them and be eligible to transfer to another school even 40 years later. Any classes they take at a community college will count towards their bachelors degree. Therefor taking 1 year of classes at a community college means only needing to take 3 years of classes at a university.

Your student will also benefit from smaller class sizes and less intense classes than typical university classes. They will also be living at home which is a major financial advantage at very least.

 

WUE- Western Undergraduate exchange

WUE is a tuition saving program for out of state schools. Use their search tool to look for your students' majors and sort by price. There are many schools in everywhere from Hawaii, Alaska, Montana, New Mexico, Arizona, California and more that charge significantly less through this program. 

Keep in mind, you must apply through the WUE program before the schools deadline, usually January 1. Additionally, some schools choice to have only a limited number of majors eligible for WUE, so if you see a school you’re interested in, double check the majors and programs available. Tuition prices verify by school and may be anywhere from $2000- $15,000 with the most common being about $5000
 

 

Scholarships and WASFA/ FAFSA

Net Price Calculator find out how much college is going to cost and resources that will help you get there. 

Scholarships 

A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criterial such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. 

Scholarships are posted on the CCC Teams page and can also be found at the links below: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/scholarship-search 

https://www.goingmerry.com/ 

https://www.niche.com/?ref=colleges 

Washboad.org 

• Student Services - Scholarships Page 

• Washington State Opportunity Scholarship 

• Education USA 

• Xello 

• How to Apply for Financial Aid 

• Washington College Grant 

• WCG Informational Videos 

• Plan Your Future 

• College Bound Scholarship 

• Passport to Careers 

• The Washboard.org 

• Fast Web 

• Scholarships | GEAR UP (wa.gov) 

Scholarship Nomination Form: 

Juanita High School is occasionally asked to nominate senior students for scholarship opportunities.  Eligibility criteria for these opportunities vary widely so don't assume that you won't qualify! Students who would like to be considered for nomination opportunities should submit the Juanita High School Scholarship Nomination Form.  Juanita High School evaluates submissions against the nomination scholarship criteria and asks the best-qualified student(s) to move forward with the nomination process. 

https://forms.office.com/r/VAu2HXwr6Q 

 

FAFSA/ WASFA 

Should you complete a FAFSA or a WASFA? 

If you are unsure if you should complete a FAFSA or a WASFA, complete the WASFA Eligibility Questionnaire. 

 

FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid 

To apply for federal student aid, such as federal grants, work-study, and loans, you need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). Completing and submitting the FAFSA is free and easier than ever, and it gives you access to the largest source of financial aid to pay for college or career school. 

In addition, many states and colleges use your FAFSA information to determine your eligibility for state and school aid, and some private financial aid providers may use your FAFSA information to determine whether you qualify for their aid. 

https://studentaid.gov/h/understand-aid/how-aid-works 

 

WASFA - Washington Application for State Financial Aid 

A person should complete the WASFA if they are undocumented or do not qualify for federal financial aid because of their immigration status. The WASFA can also be used in limited circumstances by other select applicants who cannot or choose not to file a FAFSA. 

People who complete a WASFA are applying only for state aid. If you are eligible for federal aid, you should complete the FAFSA in order to maximize financial aid awards. 

 

 

What is Work-Study? 

If you’re looking for another way to help pay for college, Federal Work-Study may be a great option for you. Work-tudy is a way for students to earn money applied directly to fund school through part-time on- (and sometimes off-) campus jobs. The program gives students an opportunity to gain valuable work experience while pursuing a college degree. This is a great opportunity as many work- study jobs are flexible with your college schedule when a normal job would not be, some allow you to work on homework or give you access to networking opportunities in your field. 

However, not every school participates in the Federal Work-Study Program. Schools that do participate have a limited amount of funds they can award to eligible students. This is why it is so important for students to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form as early as possible, as some schools award work-study funds on a first-come, first-served basis. 

The PSAT is a primer for the SAT that is used to identify National Merit Scholars and award merit scholarships. Practice booklets are available in the College and Career Center.

The ACT & SAT are standardized tests widely used for college admissions in the United States. Usually completed in your junior year, you will also have the chance to retake your test to improve your score. Here's a comparison of the SAT vs ACT .

Use the following links to register for the SAT and/or the ACT

 

Use College Board, Khan Academy,  or Xello for practice tests and study resources. We also have practice workbooks for pre-SAT, SAT, and ACT prep guides in the College and Career Center.

The Parent Teacher Association is working to reestablish the 'fear free SAT' workshop after our Covid-19 hiatus. More information will be available soon.

Universities and colleges with Gender Neutral Housing available: 

https://www.campuspride.org/tpc/gender-inclusive-housing/ 

Colleges with health plans that include Transgender needs: 

https://www.campuspride.org/tpc/student-health-insurance/ 

Colleges that hold Lavender Graduation celebrations: 

https://www.hrc.org/resources/lavender-graduation 

 

1. Course selections can influence college choices.

With the amount of pressure that students in some communities experience around college, it may feel like you’d be making things worse by talking about what classes students take as early as when they enter their freshman year of high school. But it is important to do so if the high school is offering to waive its own graduation requirements, as may happen with math and/or foreign language for some students with disabilities.

Colleges don’t have to waive or modify their admission Requirements—even for students with disabilities—but students and their families might not know this, or they might have been misinformed. It’s important that everyone involved in the college search be aware of this fact, especially students, as they should be the ones to decide whether to enroll in a particular class in high school in order to keep their options as open as possible. Let them know, too, that some colleges will accept a certain number of high school language courses to satisfy their own graduation requirements. Given that even the most basic of language courses may be much more challenging at the college level, students may decide it’s worth it to take those classes in high school.

Even though the scheduling period for ninth grade classes seems like a very early time to be asking students about their post-high school plans, it could provide a chance to examine with students the entrance requirements of a handful of colleges, just to give them a sense of what might be required down the road. If they already know of a school that interests them that requires four years of math or foreign language, this information can inform their decision about whether to attempt those classes in high school.

 

2. Students shouldn’t be moved from an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to a 504 plan solely because the family thinks that a 504 plan will look better when they apply to college.

This is something I hear parents tell each other. (They hear a lot of misinformation.) You already know that colleges can’t ask students if they have a disability, which means they also can’t ask whether an applicant has an IEP or 504 plan. Make sure families know about this (ideally, when students are in eighth grade) so that students don’t lose access to services or instruction provided through their IEP because someone involved in the decision making was misinformed.

 

3. Transcripts won’t reveal a student’s disability (except in a very specific circumstance), so students shouldn’t have all of their supports taken away because of concerns about their chances at college admission.

The conversation about IEPs and 504 plans can be a good chance to address another worry—that the high school transcript will reveal what kind of plan a student has. Let students and families know that transcripts aren’t allowed to indicate a student has a disability unless they take a class with a modified curriculum. (See questions 7 and 8 in this fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Education.)

This includes any mention of a plan (whether an IEP or 504). Of course, if you work at a school that specifically serves students with disabilities, it’s likely that your school profile will reveal this. It’s probably a good idea to let families know this, but also share how many different kinds of schools have accepted previous graduates.

 

4. Moving a student from an IEP to a 504 plan simply because colleges are subject to Section 504 is fruitless, as colleges don’t have to follow 504 plans.

Families may have correctly heard that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) doesn’t apply to colleges, meaning students’ IEPs aren’t valid after high school. But they may also have heard the common myth that since Section 504 applies to colleges, colleges have to provide whatever is written into a student’s high school 504 plan.

What most don’t realize is K–12 schools are subject to Subpart D of the law, while colleges are subject to Subpart E. While there’s no explicit statement in the law that says this, what it means is that once students graduate from high school (or age out of the K–12 system), their 504 plans are no longer valid plans that a college (or employer) is required to follow. However, 504 plans may be useful to students as a form of documentation of the fact that they previously received accommodations, but that’s the only purpose they serve. So let families know that moving from an IEP to a 504 doesn’t provide any protection or guarantee that students will receive the accommodations written into it at college.

 

5. Students shouldn’t take the SAT/ACT just because they think the alternative of going test-optional reveals that they have a disability.

Provide your best advice about whether it makes sense for students to take a college entrance exam based on the schools that interest them. If you feel it’s truly optional for a student, assure the family that the absence of these scores won’t be a flag that reveals that the student has a disability. There are lots of reasons why students might not take those tests, but students and their families may not realize this.

 

6. If students are going to take the SAT/ACT, they should use their accommodations.

College admission test score reports don’t reveal that a student used accommodations, but families may not know that. Make sure they have the facts so that students don’t forego accommodations they need. Also make sure students who choose to test start the process for getting accommodations far in advance, as it can take some time to complete.

 

7. Students and their families should consider whether any supports students receive interfere with the development of college readiness skills and whether the student’s current accommodations may be coloring perceptions of their postsecondary preparedness.

While many accommodations are available at the college level, there are some supports and adjustments colleges don’t have to provide. For instance, students don’t typically get specialized help (beyond what their peers can also access) in completing assignments. And those who have a one-on-one aide will find that the college may approve them for such a support person as an accommodation, but colleges don’t identify and pay that person—that falls on the student. Given this, students and their families may want to see how the student can function with less-intensive supports of the kind that are commonly available at college.

Also, students typically have to complete the same assessments as their peers, which means that students likely won’t get to take a different kind of test or have the test modified (e.g., fewer possible answers to choose from on a multiple choice test) or have an alternative assignment (e.g., writing only a five-page report when peers have to write ten, or being allowed to explain what they learned to a teacher instead of writing a paper).

If the high school is providing materials for students prepared by staff or faculty members as an accommodation (such as study guides or copies of teachers’ notes that other students don’t get), make sure families know that this isn’t commonly done as an accommodation at the college level. Ideally, the discussion about these points will commence when students are in eighth grade and the plan for ninth grade is developed.

If college is the student’s goal, then a long-term plan can be made for making sure students get instruction in the skills they’ll need at college, and once they’ve developed them, subsequent plans may phase out certain accommodations. This will give families a clearer picture of how students might function at college where those supports are unlikely to be available.

 

8. Students don’t have to limit their college choices to have a chance at accommodations.

You may work with students who have a disability and are also high academic achievers. They may hear a myth that highly selective colleges don’t have to provide accommodations because students capable of getting admitted to these schools can’t have a disability or don’t need accommodations. This isn’t true. The only way a college can be exempt from federal disability laws that require them to provide accommodations is to: a) reject all federal funds (e.g., Pell Grants, research funds), and b) be private, and c) be a religious school. The U.S. Department of Education doesn’t keep a list of exempt schools, but due to the factors above, you can see that nearly every school has to comply with the law, regardless of how many students they turn away every year.

 

9. Accommodations approved through DS are free.

Colleges must provide necessary accommodations at no charge. This means that students don’t have to ask DS offices about fees as they’re looking at colleges. Some basic accommodations include extended test time, permission to record lectures, and conversion of class texts and other readings to a format accessible to text-to-speech programs.

Students can look at colleges’ DS sites to see lists of possible accommodations covering academics, housing, dining services, etc. (Learn more about accommodations in Transition of Students With Disabilities To Postsecondary Education: A Guide for High School Educators.) Make sure students know that there are some kinds of supports colleges don’t have to provide, such as specialized tutoring. Students seeking services that go beyond what the DS office has to offer will have to consider colleges that offer them through a fee based, structured program, such as the one offered by the Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques (SALT) Center at the University of Arizona.

 

10. Many students don’t need to attend a school that has a fee-based, structured program.

Families may have heard from others who think that any student with a learning disability, ADHD, or autism needs to focus their college search on the few dozen colleges that offer special programs for students with disabilities. But students with disabilities attend thousands of other colleges that don’t provide that kind of support.

These programs can be helpful to students who finish high school and still need to develop some skills necessary to college success. (Again, that’s why scaling back supports before graduation can be helpful in getting a realistic picture of students’ readiness.) They can also be appropriate for students whose disability was identified late in high school, meaning that they didn’t have a chance to learn helpful strategies. Parents may still think it’s a good idea for their student to attend a school that offers such a program. Remind them that if the college isn’t a good fit for the student, they’ll be unhappy, and the supports available will be unlikely to change that.

 

11. There’s no best college for students with a particular kind of disability.

Families understandably hope that students can focus their search on one school (or maybe a few) that are particularly good at serving students with, for instance, ADHD. But every student with a disability has different needs, even though some might overlap, so no school could possibly be optimal for all of them. Make sure they know that all colleges provide accommodations and that they do so across settings (e.g., academics, dining, athletic facilities) and for all kinds of disabilities.

 

12. Students should research the disability services office and other sources of support while looking at colleges.

Even though colleges are required to provide basic accommodations, there may be variations between different schools in what they commonly approve. For instance, at some colleges, students who need note-taking accommodations might get copies of notes from a peer, but at others, they might instead be given note-taking software they can load to their own computer. Students who want a peer mentor might find that one college offers this through DS, but another offers it through the Office for Undergraduate Affairs. If this matters to the student, they can use this information to narrow their choices. Students shouldn’t be shy about contacting DS offices if they can’t find the information they seek online.

Offices welcome these calls. They can also assure families that they don’t communicate with the admission office about the students who reach out to them, and that the admission office never checks with them to ask for the names of students who have made inquiries. (Parents have expressed this worry to me.)

 

13. Students should look at colleges’ graduation requirements.

All students should check the general education requirements of colleges that interest them (and specific majors, if they have one in mind). Doing this can help them narrow the field of school to which they want to apply. Families should be aware that students likely won’t be able to learn whether they can have a course substitution (e.g., for math or foreign language) until after they enroll, register with DS and ask for one. For this reason, students might feel more comfortable focusing their searches on schools where they won’t have to worry about those requirements.

 

14. Students shouldn’t assume they have a better or worse chance of admission if they disclose their disability when they apply.

Some of your families may have heard that colleges have to admit a certain quota of students with disabilities and assume it will give their student a boost if they disclose their disability. Make sure they know that this isn’t the case. Also let them know that colleges don’t place caps on the number of students with disabilities they’ll admit, either, so students should be comfortable disclosing their disability if they wish to.

 

15. Students shouldn’t include their disability documentation when they apply to college.

The admission office and DS office have no relationship at most colleges. Students may assume that if they reveal their disability in their application packet, the admission office will forward their information on to DS. Even if a college’s admission office does this, though, that wouldn’t qualify as completion of the DS process, where students typically must complete a form and submit documentation.

One exception, however, is for students applying for a fee-based program focused on serving students with disabilities. In those cases, students may be asked to submit documentation with their application.

 

16. Before they enroll, students can try to find out what accommodations they might receive.

It would be ideal if students with disabilities could find out what accommodations they’d be approved for at each college that interests them.

Unfortunately, most DS offices don’t have enough staffing to do this for students who are just interested, for those who have applied but not yet been accepted, or even sometimes for those who have been accepted but haven’t yet enrolled. That said, it’s worth asking. If students can get this information, they can use it to help them make their final decision about which college they want to attend. 

 

17. Once they enroll at a college, they should complete the DS registration process.

Unless students register with DS, they don’t get accommodations. Make sure students know that high school staff hasn’t sent on their paperwork and completed the process for them. They must do it themselves.

They should be able to see what the process is by looking at their college’s DS page. If they can’t locate it, they can call DS to ask. The sooner they enroll, the more likely it will be that their accommodations will be in place when classes start.

There are many ways you can share the facts with your students and their families throughout their time in high school. You may decide to provide a handout with focused information each year or give the full overview all at once. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights offers a helpful post for students outlining their rights at college; you could share this link in an email and/or post it to your office’s site. Whatever you do, providing your students and their families with the facts will do so much to help them make good choices.