What to Expect in College: What You Need to Know
Congratulations, you're off to great places! Now that you've decided where you are going to school, you need to understand what to expect once you get there and be familiar with what is expected of you as a student.
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A couple of important things to keep in the back of your mind:
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You are held to the same admissions, retention, & graduation policies as every other student attending your post-secondary institution of choice; modifications are not made because you have a disability
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If you don't disclose, the school is not obligated to find you and offer you supports
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You are responsible for yourself in college; your school is not going to seek you out, and your parents can't step in to help -- if you need help, you need to seek it out yourself
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You are NOT guaranteed the same supports and services you received in high school
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Section 504 and the ADA provide for equal opportunity for access & do not mandate successful outcomes​
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Post-secondary institutions are only required to offer disability support services, what that looks like with vary from campus to campus.
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Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 provides you with certain protections, if you qualify for them. Colleges expect you to disclose your disability if you want to continue receiving support and services. In addition, each school has different expectations about what documentation you are responsible for providing in order to receive the services and supports that school offers to students with disabilities.
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In addition to providing documentation, you will need to be your own self-advocate. Your parents cannot talk to your professors on your behalf. In fact, that is highly frowned upon. You will need to be familiar enough with your disability and comfortable enough talking about how it impacts you in order to receive the supports and services you need to have a successful college experience.
All colleges and universities have a disability support center for their students with disabilities. You will need to reach out to them upon admission to ensure that you have all the appropriate paperwork submitted, that you know what is required of you, and that you set up with the services and supports you need.
The documentation you provide should meet the following requirements:​
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be current; typically no more than 3-5 years old
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be on official letterhead from professional providing assessment/diagnosis
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be provided by a qualified professional, someone with training and experience in diagnosing adults (typically an educational psychologist)
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describe educational and developmental history
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explain how the student's disability impacts at least one major life function (as is required by Section 504 & the ADA)
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provide assessment data from evaluation done (including standard scores and percentiles)
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provide a clinical summary that includes all disability information
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give a specific diagnosis (with DSM-IV-TR information)
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provide recommended accommodations and supports for student's specific disability and area(s) of need.
Note: While basic documentation requirements are fairly standard and do not vary much by institution, some schools have additional requirements. Contact your school's disability resource center to make sure you know what is required of you.
Hamblet, E. C., M.S.Ed., LDT-C. (2011). Transitioning to College: A Guide for Students with Disabilities[Pamphlet]. Port Chester, NY: Dude Publishing.
Documentation Requirements
Madaus, J. W. (2005). Navigating the College Transition Maze: A Guide for Students with Learning Disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children,37(3), 32-37.
Zimmerman, L. (Ed.). (n.d.). Transitioning from High School to College: A Spotlight on Section 504. Retrieved April 15, 2018, from http://www.heath.gwu.edu/transitioning-high-school-college-spotlight-section-504
