WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A BALANCED AND THOUGHTFUL COLLEGE LIST?

When high school students begin to formulate their college list, they will consider many aspects including cost, acceptance probability, academic areas of interest, location, etc.  For students with learning differences, the types of support available at each college will also be a factor.  However, when developing the college list, the student with a learning difference or special need may not have a full sense of what would be best for them when the time comes to decide where to accept an offer.  For example, a student with high functioning autism might need an organizational tutor several days a week while in his junior year of high school.  By the end of senior year, this may be reduced substantially for some students as they continue to mature into adulthood. Therefore, accounting for maturity and emotional growth is important to add to the aspects to consider when creating a college list.      

No one has a crystal ball and can know who a student will be during the spring of senior year when it comes to how they understand, manage and self-advocate around their disability.  Therefore, planning for substantial growth will be important, as well as planning for the possibility of minimal social emotional growth will be part of a balanced and thoughtful college list.  This can be made clear to students in an empowering way, with the plan that each college on the list can offer an opportunity for success.  It will simply depend on the resources that a student will need to receive in order to best achieve success.  And as success is defined by each student, the list should be a positive reflection of choices.