Small LAC with unique core

College Search & Lists
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OP, you’ve done this before and you know it’s really a bit too early, but what could be super helpful is to use current experience to identify what kind of learning environment would be best for your son and his LDs. Specifically, how do the LDs manifest?

Some kids (mine included) felt pretty strongly that he’d be more attentive if he could be actively engaged in class, so focused on schools with small classes. Whether it was the fear of being called on, getting that burst of adrenaline from speaking in class, feeling comfortable chatting with the prof – it worked for him.

But other kids may do better if classes are recorded and they can watch again, pause and take notes, etc. Or they may benefit from photographing what a prof is showing (which may be more polished in a large lecture.)

So much of this depends on what exactly happens as a result of an LD and the strategies your kid uses to address them.

Most of us feel kids won’t fall thru the cracks in a smaller setting, but some kids can avoid the cracks better in other settings. Just tossed that out there as you have the time to assess this thoughtfully.

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Muhlenberg College in PA is known for being a very kind and caring community. They also have a strong theater program should your child want continue to explore their interest in tech/backstage. Their faculty advisory program seems unique and quite personalized.

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I don’t know anything about the frisbee program but Clark struck me and my son as a particularly nice, friendly and warm place when we visited. As did Occidental.

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Davidson comes to mind. Test optional. Known for its high achieving but kind caring student body. Lots of service opportunities. Many of the exams (“reviews”) are self-scheduled with accommodations often granted by profs. Pretty campus adjacent to a small but charming college town plus a nearby Lake Campus w/ beach for the students to take advantage of those warm Carolina days. And has a popular club Ultimate team!

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I think you’re way too early to start putting together any kind of list. How do I know? I was in your situation 4 years ago. Kids change so much from freshman year to senior year and those who are struggling with executive functioning issues even more so. I would have sworn that S23 (ADD-I and a sub-type of dyslexia) needed to go to a very small, very nurturing school his freshman year. I worried all the time about it. I started researching and making list and cross referencing those with schools where he might be recruited. Where did he end up? At Colorado State (30,000+ enrollment). And he is absolutely flourishing. He was a recruited athlete in 2 sports and decided not to play either in college.

Thankfully, I was able to trust both him and his college counselor when it came time to make the “real” list. If I had been adamant that my list was appropriate for him, he would not have found a good fit.

You never know what will spark an interest. Concentrate on letting him experience as much as possible (even if it takes time away from sports) so that he might have a clearer picture of what he wants to accomplish in college (maybe not a specific major, but some areas of deep interest). That will really help you narrow down programs and ADD kids with a passion for a subject do incredibly well in college. Also, it also might help him decide if he is going to continue his sport in college.

Believe me, I never in a million years would have ever pictured my kid where he is, but it is beyond what I ever imagined for him.

Check out the pinned post about academic support in college. Almost all colleges have support. More important than researching that now is teaching your kid how to access supports and advocate for themself. The better he knows himself as a learner the more successful he will be in finding a good fit and succeeding once there.

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So Clark U in Worcester MA is one of the original Ultimate schools from the early 1970s. It is Club not D3 but their site says they compete in “both USAU sanctioned games as well as intercollegiate games.”

Definitely small, a true LAC, and well known for caring/nice students. They recently set aside a building just for the many diversity groups and their site on accommodations is lengthy and specific.

It does have a theatre arts program with six areas of focus including technical theatre. There are also adjacent majors in Screen Studies and Media, Culture, and the Arts.

While small, it has other interesting majors. Though these are more mainstream and may not be their interest, the programs in Psych, Game Design, and Geography are nationally ranked which is pretty impressive for a small school. Just to give a flavor. Clark also has a fairly unique combined 5-year BA/MA with about 10-15 options most of which include free tuition for year 5.

I would also second Muhlenberg which has a tremendous theatre program and I would add Ithaca. Both have great students.

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I suggest reading through this recent thread, which included many experienced voices: General Advice & College Recommendations for ADHD & Neurodiverse Students

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My S23 is at Whitman now, and he’s on the frisbee team (which is D3) and it looks like both the men’s and women’s teams will have bids for Nationals this year.

“Smart and kind” was what my kiddo was looking for in a college, and Whitman has been a great fit for him.

The outdoor program is fantastic, and there are outdoor outings and trips nearly every week. Plus all students get $150 credit per year to go on trips and rent gear from the in house rental shop (they want to make the outdoors accessible, so it’s not just tents and packs they rent, but all types of clothing and gear at inexpensive prices—it’s wonderful! My kiddo’s gone snowshoeing and canyoneering and is also taking an outdoor leadership course, and an indoor climbing class.)

When my kiddo visited high school classmates over his break at their university, he noticed that people don’t smile or nod at each other as they walk by, it stood out to him and reinforced his appreciation for the size and personable atmosphere he enjoys at Whitman.

Classes are small, there’s lots of student supports available, and the sense that they really want students to thrive. Lots of clubs, activities (mine is also in two singing groups and as a past theater kid, is probably going to get involved over there, too).

Campus is lovely, there’s lots of public art, a stream, ducks (and ducklings every spring!), and the town of Walla Walla is small, and a great place to visit; Whitman is just a couple blocks from Main Street. The weather there is more clear and dry year round than the weather in Portland and Seattle; warmer summers and colder winters, but it doesn’t get the rain there that we do on the west side of the Cascades. It’s not nearly as cold as the Midwest or East Coast in the winter, but sometimes they have a little snow. Mild falls and springs, days are typically sunny.

There are robust disability support services as well as the Academic Resource Center.

I think it’s a hidden gem? If it were a LAC on the East coast it would be far better known, but it’s “out here” in a part of the Pacific Northwest that most people don’t consider. :evergreen_tree: :slight_smile:

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Too early. I hear what you’re looking for, but his academic record and direction and EC interests may change before it’s time to even begin looking. Plus a test score will be good info to have. I’d say give it another year, after he’s finished 10th grade, before it’s time to start preliminary exploration of options.

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Whitman had everything I hoped for for S24 (even though he was set on a large state U) except for a way to get there from here (MA).

St. Olaf sounds like it hits all of your criteria

D3 track and field, nationally ranked club UF (Don’t discount club sports. They are competitive! but often a better option for kids that need some flexibility), very well-known choral productions that involve tech crews.
You can do a search on CC about how open it is. Don’t be scared off by the fact that it’s a Lutheran school. Their focus is on being a person, loving others, and being a good steward of the environment.

Their Academic Center seemed robust and accessible offering various types of support .

S23 absolutely loved the “honor code” at St. Olaf. He was sick of being a rule follower in a school of rule breakers in high school and loved how the school focused on not just an academic honor system, but a social honor system, as well. There were lots of lending libraries (cups, books, bicycles) based on the honor system and backpacks left outside the dining hall with no worry of theft.

I would describe St. Olaf as a “kind” school all around. Teachers, students and OAs. It seemed like a place where it would be hard to get lost.

St. Olaf is definitely a hidden gems. At least where we live. But if you do a search on CC you will hear absolutely glowing reviews.

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We loved St. Olaf too - Whitman and St. Olaf were S23’s top two choices based on many of the qualities you mentioned. That we live in the PNW boosted his decision to attend Whitman and it would have been a far more difficult call if we lived equidistant from both! :slight_smile:

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