Hi, I’m new to this community. My daughter is a junior at a private school for students with learning disabilities in NY. She absolutely loves learning and is excited for the prospect of taking college classes in philosophy, creative writing, international relations (she is in Model UN and loves it), Environmental Science… the list goes on. However, she has mild CP which causes her to type one-handed (and slowly) and also generally takes a long time to complete work. Also she is nervous about living away from home but at the same time would prefer a college with a traditional campus instead of something in NYC. The college counselor has suggested colleges that are very pre-professional and have dedicated disability programs, like Adelphi and Pace, however we are concerned that the liberal arts offerings at these schools will be disappointing to D26, who is looking forward to the academic part of college a lot more than the social aspect. She is a nerd who loves Lord of the Rings, D&D, talking about philosophy, and nature. 4.0 GPA, no SAT/ACT, she is in an afterschool creative writing program, Model UN, and poetry club. Can anyone think of liberal arts colleges that maybe mid-tier in admissions (40-75% admissions rate?), that would make a quirky, nerdy kid feel at home and ideally would be a warm, supportive place for someone with disabilities? Am I looking for a unicorn? So far we’ve seen SUNY New Paltz and liked it, and we are going to see Sarah Lawrence and Bard in the near figure. I’ve also heard good things about Drew University in NJ and Muhlenberg and Dickinson in PA.
Thanks and sorry for the long post!
Are we allowed to recommend Facebook groups here? There is one that is very active and helpful for exactly these kind of questions.
Marist has a LD program which may be of interest. It is a lovely school close to SUNY New Paltz. She would have to see if it is a fit. The other schools on your list seem to make sense but I can’t opine as to the level of LD support they have available.
This may be an unusual comment but I would check the course catalogs at colleges being considered. At some schools, a typical courseload for a semester is four classes worth 4 credits each. At other schools, students typically take five classes worth 3 credits each. I wonder if the 4 credit per class model might work better for her.
Obviously all needs are different but this might give some ideas.
Fairleigh Dickinson
McDaniel (in Maryland)
UConn
Marist
Hofstra
Adelphi
Alfred
SUNY Cortland
RIT
How far from home are you willing to look?
U of Denver is particularly strong for IR, and has the full range of liberal arts majors… and I’m reminded of a young man with a spinal cord injury who has been posting videos of his accessible dorm room, etc - seems very pleased with the support he has received at DU. Great public transit that’s very accessible from campus (easy access to both the city and the airport), and great nearby nature. The D&D club is reportedly one of the largest clubs on campus. There’s a strong grad program in creative writing, and a creative writing concentration within the undergrad English major. Philosophy department seems fairly robust too. But it’s still a manageably-sized school, with fewer than 6500 undergrads. There’s also this: The Learning Effectiveness Program | Student Affairs
Would she enjoy a Great Books curriculum, like Saint John’s College? Is her reading pace slower also, or just writing because of the motor issues?
If you haven’t looked at the Colleges That Change Lives site, the profiles there could give you more ideas College Profiles – Colleges That Change Lives
Denver is on the list I just sent.
Any budget issues OP ?
Charleston - where my daughter studies Intl Studies/Relations is too…if venturing away.
The SALT Center at University of Arizona - it’s not the target size - including just in case there’s a consideration of a larger sized school along the way to a finalized college list.
Lees McRae in NC
I can’t speak to disabilities but a good friend of ours has a daughter that attends Clark and loves it. She is on the spectrum and they have been very accommodating.
Seconding McDaniel, as that was the school that was going through my brain while reading your post. Good disabilities program, popular philosophy major, traditional campus, etc.
Maybe look at Colleges that Change Lives’ website Colleges That Change Lives That list includes Clark (already mentioned) and some other wonderful school.
What accommodations does she have at her current school? There is technology to use speech for typing, and one accommodation sometimes offered is notes from class (these days often the professor has the lecture on a recorded powerpoint).
She will need a neuropsych. evaluation within 3 years of beginning college, and you can research accommodations (for instance, extra time on projects/papers or in exams). I wrote a letter with desired accommodations for the professional to sign and they didn’t mind at all.
The fact that she is intensely interested in some academic areas in some ways makes it harder.
With your daughter’s 4.0 gpa, why are you looking at colleges with mid tier admissions?
There was a related discussion on the YOUR COLLEGE BOUND KID Podcast episode 513. It mentioned a few schools and also how to evaluate disability services.
I don’t know whether or not this would be a fit, but Landmark College in Vermont seems very interesting.
Far from you but sounds like what you described in terms of fit: Beloit is very quirky/nerdy (D&D!) and supportive, academic but not competitive, all small classes. Would make a good safety.
Wondering whether Wheaton MA might be worth a visit?
Those are both on Colleges that Change Lives as well as some other school mentioned 
I think @Bill_Marsh’s question about why mid-tier alludes to my point that intense academic interests make this search more complicated.
I am wondering why a private school for learning disabilities requires a student with CP to type one-handed. What accommodations does she have there? Would she have been able to thrive at a mainstream high school with high level classes of interest, with accommodations?
Finding schools that offer both appropriate support and sufficient academic interest and peer discussion is tricky. I do think the ctcl.org site could be helpful. In theory highly selective schools should provide accommodations but it sounds like she prefers a less stressful situation.
When you are looking for schools with strong support systems, maybe even a paid service, one typically does not find those services at uber-selective schools. I spent months and months doing a deep dive into programs at schools and unfortunately, many small highly selective schools do not have the resources on campus to help with executive functioning and/or other learning differences. In other words, a student who would need more help than simply extended time, maybe some note taking…
I would also add some schools for kids with learning differences are set up to have the student succeed - focusing on reading and math skills without foreign language or AP classes being offered.
I think looking for an academic school that isn’t too intense sounds like a good idea. Mid tier acceptance rate that will have a wide swath of students.
Saint Joseph University has a paid program that is highly regarded along with special housing.
I am here to second Beloit. My daughter went there. Nice kids. Nerdy and quirky and smart.
I second the speech to text programs. If you can understand your daughter then they will also. They have all come along way especially the AI one’s. There are somethings built into laptops /computers also for this. Just might help get the majority down than she can fix it later.
There are also multiple AI programs for note taking. College kids in my town use them and say their fantastic. They will even create quizzes on the information taken. It’s great for kids with a disability /ADHD etc. At least something to check out.
I get it. Thanks for the explanation. I also understand that schools for special needs students are designed for them to succeed. I was a school psychologist by profession, so I get that part of it too.
Did you look into Wellesley? That have such a long and welcoming page on their website about special needs students that I wonder if they might be the exception?
My kid went to Harvard with extensive chronic health issues and was treated with kindness- and sufficient accommodations. The assumption that highly selective schools are not accommodating, is false in our experience. So I would hope that accommodations would not be the driver of decisions. It seems interesting academic programs are a priority along with a cooperative environment with accommodations (that are legally required!)