But sometimes we get questions that really impress me. Yesterday, a young man in the eighth grade wrote asking very intelligent, well-crafted questions regarding his future plans. He was open and self-aware and displayed a maturity that sometimes is missing in students much older.

With his permission, I am going to share his question with you, as well as my answer. I think this young man is well-poised to map his educational journey.

Question: How to plan for college in 8th grade

To whom it may concern,

My name is (name withheld) and I currently am in eighth grade. I have an interest in screenwriting and am beginning to look at some college options. I do have some learning disabilities like having Tourettes syndrome and being foreign language exempt. Would something like being foreign language exempt prevent me from being able to go to a college?

Thank you and I hope you have a nice day.

Response: How to plan for college in 8th grade

You’re doing your planning early…good for you! You are also seeing that all this college finding stuff is a puzzle. You’ll want to check the admissions requirements for each college carefully. You’ll want to check if they have learning services programs to support you with your learning differences—if you need support. And you’ll want to look at the screen writing programs, of course.

Keep in mind, however, that many, many great screenwriters never went to a “screen writing program” or majored in such a thing. See if you can uncover where some of your favorites went to college. What did they study? Theater? English? History? Biology? I have a friend who has written for many different TV shows in Hollywood. I think he majored in English. [Addendum: I confirmed with my friend that he majored in “American Civilization,” a combination of history and literature.]

So keep asking questions, find people who do what you want to do, and ask they how they got there. Send them emails—just like you sent me one. You’ll be surprised how willing people are to share.

Good luck!

And then, to my surprise, the young man wrote me back.

Thank you for all of the advice. This will help me significantly.

Thanks again for all the help, I will use your advice to help me in my educational ventures.

This young man has plenty of time to explore, to ask more excellent questions, and to learn more about what sorts of educational experiences (both in and outside the classroom) will help him to achieve his goals. I always like to point out, especially with younger students, that there are many paths toward a goal: you just have to pick the one that fits you best, without losing sight of the goal. A focused screenwriting program may be what he needs. Or he may fit better in a smaller college that focuses on building general writing skills–that has a course or two in screenwriting. Or one that helps create excellent internships in the creative arts.

And if he has particular concerns that need to be addressed, like his learning differences and the limitations those may impose, he can begin now to adjust his path without every giving up on his ultimate goal of becoming the next Oscar-winning screenwriter.

One other thing: I was blown away by this young man’s willingness to write a complete stranger for advice. And what impresses me, also impresses admissions officers. So parents, please encourage your students to do their own investigations and to ask their own questions. Resist the temptation to do the research for them. Instead, guide them, encourage them, and watch over them as they communicate with those who can help them figure out how to get where they want to go.

The lessons learned through the process are at least as important as the lessons learned in the classroom.

Great College Advice

The post Planning for College from the Eighth Grade first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Nearly every week a student or two will ask me if they should disclose learning disabilities to a college admission counselor. Generally speaking, students don’t want to give a college any reason to generate any preconceived notions about them.

Even though colleges have come a long way in terms of understanding and accommodating learning differences, most people don’t understand the varied range of learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, processing disorders or ADHD. As a result, some students simply don’t want to risk the possibility that an uninformed individual will review their applications.

Other students, however, see good reason for to disclose learning differences. They want to actively pursue accommodations at the college level, and they may view disclosing their learning difference as an opportunity to provide an explanation of something unusual on their transcripts.

Your student may want to disclose learning differences, however, if he meets the following criteria:

• He enrolled in some special education classes in high school. Official transcripts will list all resource, support or special education classes.
• He did not take all of the high school classes that a college requires for admission, such as a foreign language, and the college is willing to waive those requirements for LD students.
• Your student’s grades were consistently lower as a result of his learning disability.
• His learning disability was identified later in his high school career, and his grades noticeably improved after it was identified.
• Your student’s learning disability contributed to the classes and activities he pursued in high school. An explanation of the classes will help an admissions officer better understand him as a student.

Ready to disclose learning differences on your college application? Check back tomorrow. I’ll share some advice about how to disclose your learning difference.

Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant

The post Disclose Learning Differences on College Application…or Not? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

The post College Planning for Juniors: Creating a Standardized Testing Plan first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

•  Disclosure provides legal protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Without a discloser, he is unprotected, despite that fact that he has a diagnosed disability.
•  Students who are coming from a supportive, structure high school environment with lower expectations and a lighter workload will likely struggle to navigate the college system without some sort of guidance.  Students who decide to remain “independent” in the first semester of college often struggle and end up with less than satisfactory grades.  Disclosure makes your student eligible for accommodations such as extra time, a note-taker, and a distraction-free testing environment.  The identification and use of these accommodations increase the likelihood of academic success.
•  Disclosure may give your student the opportunity to enroll in fewer classes while still being considered a full-time student for insurance purposes.  If you suspect your student isn’t ready to handle a full course load, and the psycho-educational testing supports this, your student may be able to add “Reduced Course Load” to his list of accommodations.

There is no doubt that the disclosure decision is a very personal one for students and their families.  So if you’re still wrestling with revealing your “secret identity”, it’s best to contact the Disability Services Office at all of the colleges you’re interested in and ask them directly.
Heather Creech
Educational Consultant

The post Deciding to Disclose AFTER Acceptance first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

The post The Secret To Disclosing Your "Secret Identity" first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Until a student goes to college or until the semester he turns 21. He is protected by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA. Once a student enters college, however, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or Section 504, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) take over. The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) specifically requires that K-12 schools actively seek out students with learning challenges. And provide them with the services and the assistance they need to be successful in the classroom.

For example, Section 504 requires a school district to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to each student with a disability in the district’s jurisdiction. Students are evaluated at no cost to families and Individual Education Plans, or IEPs, are formulated. As a result, students may receive tutoring and other academic services and aids during the school day as dictated by their IEP or intervention plan dictates. Transition services are also required by IDEA, and it is this plan that helps to ensure that students have taken the appropriate courses for college entrance. And received the necessary accommodations when completing college entrance exams, such as the ACT and SAT if they qualify.

Students with a disability leaving high school and entering post-secondary education will see differences in their rights and how they are addressed. Unlike high school, the college or university is not required to provide FAPE. Rather, it is required to provide appropriate academic adjustments as necessary to ensure that it does not discriminate on the basis of your disability. In other words, focus shifts from academic success to academic access. Therefore, colleges are not required to seek out students with learning challenges and are not required to provide any diagnostic services. They are also only required to provide “reasonable accommodations.”

Students with learning disabilities or ADHD, however, may be entitled to reasonable academic services and aids based on the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities At (ADA). These laws mandate that all colleges and universities in the United States that receive any federal financing cannot discriminate in the recruitment, admission or treatment of students with disabilities. This law allows your student to request modifications, academic support, and auxiliary aids that allow him to participate in and benefit from all of the programs and activities that colleges offer.

Check back tomorrow for the second installment of this series. I’ll discuss what accommodations your student should expect to benefit from at the college level.

Heather Creech
Educational Consultant for Students with Learning Challenges

The post Legal Considerations Part 1: Differences in the laws that govern K-12 schools and schools at the post-secondary level first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

• Did you need support and structure in high school?
• Do you routinely need help from others to keep you motivated and focused?
• Do you thrive on individual attention from teachers?
• Do you prefer to immerse yourself in a subject?
• Do you need a high energy environment?
• Do you have trouble falling asleep?

Once you have examined your student’s needs and preferences, consider other elements, such as the location of the campus and your student’s career goals. In making the decision to attend a college or university, one obstacle is to select a college that best matches individual needs.  Students with learning challenges must not lose site of the fact that college life extends beyond a student’s academic needs. Rather than basing the decision solely on whether or not the college has a strong Disability Services Office, be sure the college can meet all your needs and preferences including academic supports and social opportunities.  Remember, there are a variety of resources available to students with learning differences.  So, comparing your student’s academic and social abilities to the expectations of the selected colleges is a critical factor in selecting the right college.
Tomorrow, I’ll continue with how to consider which location would be best for you.

Educational Consultant Specializing in Learning Differences

The post Students with Learning Differences: Getting Started with the College Search first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

And while the transition from high school to college itself can be hard enough for the average student. This transition can be especially difficult for students with learning challenges. College freshmen must cope with a relative lack of school structure, an overwhelming number of courses and options, and no daily “homework,” as was the norm in high school.

At Montgomery Educational Consulting, we focus not only on “getting in” to the right colleges. But we also care about setting up students–all students–for success once they arrive on campus. We do whatever it takes to ensure that students with learning differences find the right sorts of supports to ensure that reach their academic, personal, and professional goals.

Students with learning disabilities–and their families–must educate themselves about the additional concerns in choosing the right college. These additional steps in the transition from high school to college need not be overwhelming. They require both solid understanding of the issues, awareness of the services available at the post-secondary level, and a thorough self-assessment of the student’s needs and preferences.

To help you build your understanding and awareness. Montgomery Educational Consulting’s newest associate, Heather Creech, has created a 10 lesson “email course” for students and their families. Heather shares with you the myriad considerations in selecting an appropriate college for students with learning differences, including:

• Choosing the right location
• The types of programs available
• Why career goals are important
• Legal considerations
• Whether to divulge a learning difference on an application…and more!

Just enter your name and address below, and you’ll receive a confirmation email to verify your enrollment in this FREE email course.

Email Marketing You Can Trust

(And we respect your email privacy: we never sell or share your contact information with anyone.)

Heather will share with you her expertise as an educator with deep experience in helping students of all types make the transition to post-secondary education. Our collective hope is that this information will empower students to become better self-advocates, to better understand the range of options available to students with specific learning needs, and to ensure greater success as students make this transition to post-secondary education.

Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant

The post Revealing Your Secret Identity first appeared on College Admission Counseling.