Making the Transition from High School to College for Students with
Disabilities
This section is designed as a guide to help students with disabilities take
another step in preparing for life after you complete high school.
Planning for this exciting time in your life takes a lot of thought and time.
Waiting until your senior year in high school is too late! You need to start
early, exploring your interests and strengths, consider different types of jobs,
identify the knowledge and skills you will need for those jobs, and figure out
how to get that knowledge and those skills.
TIMELINE FOR PLANNING
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Planning and preparing for postsecondary education: |
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| Planning and preparing (academics) |
Grades 8-12 |
| Planning for a career |
Grades 9-10 |
| Planning for personal/social choices |
Grades 8-12 |
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Exploring postsecondary options |
Grades 8-11 |
- Apprenticeship
- Technical/vocational school
- 2-year college
- 4-year state college/university
- 4-year private/independent college/university
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Selecting a postsecondary institution |
Grades 10-11 |
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Applying to a postsecondary institution |
Grades 11-12
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Deciding to Attend a Postsecondary Institution
Although 8th grade may seem very early in your school career, this is an
important time to begin thinking about and planning for those things you will be
doing for your career once you leave school. To do this requires career
exploration and research. This includes finding out the required education and
training for your choices, what schools in your area offer this training, and
how you will pay for it. Your school guidance counselor is an excellent resource
and can help you with your research. Don’t forget about the school librarian.
She may be able to help you do research on-line or through other resources the
library has.
After high school, the rules changeThe laws that protect your rights as a student with a disability in high school
are not the same laws that cover postsecondary education. And it isn’t just the
laws that change. There are major differences between high school and college
classes, teachers, and work requirements. Here is just a sample of some of the
changes:
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HIGH SCHOOL |
COLLEGE |
| School attendance is required and there is little or no cost to
students and parents. |
Students make the choice to attend, and will likely pay tuition
costs and additional expenses, like textbooks. |
| Students receive special education and related services to address
needs based on an identified disability. |
Formal special education services are not available. |
| Progress toward IEP goals is monitored and communicated to the
parents and the student. |
Students monitor their own progress and communicate their needs to
instructors. |
| Classes usually follow a school-directed schedule and proceed from
one class to the next. |
Student sets his/her own class schedule and is responsible for
managing time. |
| Teachers grade and check homework. |
Teachers may assume homework is completed and
you are able to perform the tasks on a test. |
| Often take time to remind students of assignment and test dates. |
Expect students
to read, save, and refer back to the course syllabus (The course syllabus is
your way of knowing what is expected of you, when things are due, and how you
will be graded.). |
| Study time outside of class may be as little as 1-3 hours a week.
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Generally need to study at least 2-3 hours outside of class for
every hour in class. |
| Testing is done more often, covering smaller amounts of material.
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May only have 1-2 tests per semester. They may cover large amounts
of material at one time and may be cumulative (covering everything
you’ve studied since the beginning of the class). |
| Options for extra credit work are often available. |
Extra credit not usually offered to help raise a grade. |
| Expected to read short assignments that are discussed and re-taught.
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Large amounts of reading and writing are assigned and may not be
directly addressed in class (It’s up to you to read and understand
assigned material.). |
So where do you begin?
The key to successful transition to postsecondary education is early planning.
It is important for you to maintain high academic standards all the way through
school. Start looking for answers to these questions:
- What are my strengths and interests?
- What do I want and need from my everyday life as an adult?
- Can I talk knowledgeably about my disability and how it affects me in school?
- Am I comfortable speaking with instructors and other adults about my
disability?
- Do I have good study habits?
- What schools offer the training that I want?
- How much is this going to cost? Is there help available to pay for some or all
of my training?
- Will I need to make arrangements to live away from home? What about
transportation?
Other Things to Keep in Mind
Colleges will require a copy of your high school grades (called a transcript),
showing the classes you took and what grades you earned. Have your high school
counselor send a final transcript to the college you plan to attend as soon as
your last grades are posted after you graduate.
Colleges may require you to take some kind of entrance or placement test, like
the ACT or SAT. Find out which test your school requires and plan to take it
during your senior year in high school. If you need accommodations on that test,
talk to your high school counselor about what the requirements are to get those
accommodations.
Colleges cannot ask you about your disability unless you volunteer that
information to someone on the campus. If you think you will need academic
support (called accommodations) while you are in college, find out where the
college’s office for students with disabilities is located, and make an
appointment to meet with one of the staff members from that office to talk about
your choices.
Take as many regular education classes as you can while you are in high school.
Colleges may not accept grades from classes you took in special education
programs. It is your responsibility to check with the colleges you are
considering to find out what their admissions requirements are.
Most college disabled student services offices will require that you give them
documentation of your disability. Check with the disabled student services
offices at the colleges you are considering to find out exactly what their
requirements are. Keep a file of any testing you have had while in K-12, as well
as doctor’s reports and other information that will support your need to have
accommodations while you are in college.
If you are going to apply for financial aid to help pay for college, START THE
PROCESS EARLY! The deadline for financial aid applications is around July 1 of
each year. If you wait until after that date to get your paperwork completed,
you may not receive your financial aid in time to get your classes paid for.
You will be given a lot more freedom when you go to college, but along with that
freedom comes responsibility. Most colleges don’t have a dress code, but you
still have to dress appropriately. After all, you are preparing yourself for a
career; why not start looking the part? Behavior that is inappropriate in class
can get you kicked out of class, and possibly suspended from school for the
remainder of the semester. Your disability may explain the behavior, but it does
not excuse it. You are subject to the same disciplinary code as every other
student on campus. You will hear a lot about academic integrity, because
colleges expect students to do their own work to earn the credits. Sure, you can
cheat and you might get away with it, but when you get ready to look for a job
and you don’t know how to do the work on your own, you’ll have a difficult time
finding someone who will take a chance on hiring you. In other words, learn the
material the right way the first time, and save a lot of headaches down the
road.
Who Stays in Postsecondary Education?
Successful students are determined and knowledgeable. They look for answers to
questions and use the resources that are available to them in school and in the
community. They are able to solve problems reasonably and rationally. They make
choices that will help them move ahead rather than hold them back. They know how
to make good use of study and time management skills. They are able to speak up
for themselves and communicate their needs. They can talk about their disability
in clear and precise language, and know how it affects their school progress.
They are willing to work and put in the extra effort required to make a success
out of their postsecondary experience.
Final Thoughts
There is a whole world of choices waiting for you when you leave high school.
You are the one who has to make the decisions about what you want, where you go,
and how successful you will be. Many students with disabilities have very
successful postsecondary experiences, and now have wonderful careers. You have
the support of your parents, your teachers, your friends, counselors, but you
are the one who is driving this bus. If you plan ahead, develop goals and are
willing to explore your interests and communicate your needs, you will be able
to accomplish great things. Begin planning now. The future is not too far away.
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