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Student Guide A Rhode Island Guide for Youth in Transition Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities – 2001 (revised 2011) Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities – 2001 (revised 2011) COLLEGE STUDENT GUIDE This directory is designed to assist students who receive supports through an Individual Education Program (IEP) or a 504 Plan, to learn about opportunities to pursue post-secondary education. This guide will help you to: Plan and prepare for post-secondary education, Identify supports available to aid in accessing post-secondary education, and Find disability related information about Colleges in Rhode Island. For more information we suggest the following web sites: Rhode island Office of Higher Education “Preparing for College Guide” - www.ribghe.org/col-prep.htm College Link Newsletter – Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities - www.sherkockcenter.org NICHY (The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities) - www.nichcy.org HEATH Resource Center – www.heath-resource-center.org College Access Alliance of Rhode Island - www.collegeaccessri.org Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities – 2001 (revised 2011) Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities – 2001 (revised 2011) CONTENTS Part One – Thinking About College … Is College For Me? 1 If I Am Interested in College, FOUR FACTORS That I Need To Consider Are 2 Part Two – Preparing for College While Still in High School … The Transition Process, How the High School IEP Can Prepare Me or College! 5 What Will the Difference Be Between High School and College & What Kinds of Supports Will I Be Able to Access in College? 6 How Do I Find Out About Colleges? 7 Timeline for College Preparation, Grade 8 - 12… 8-17 Programs That Can Help You… 18 College Access Resources 19-24 Agencies That Provide Information and Guidance 25 Part Three – Visiting Colleges & Asking Questions … Why Visiting Colleges & Asking Questions is Important… 27 What Questions Do I Ask When I Visit a College? 28 An Interview Sheet for the Disability Support Services Coordinator 29 Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities – 2001 (revised 2011) Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities – 2001 (revised 2011) Part One – Thinking About College IS COLLEGE FOR ME? This section is designed to help you decide if college is right for you at this time. Start early! If you decide college interests you, you’ll need to prepare for a successful transition. A timeline of what to do and when to do it starts on page 8. If you want to go to college – you should start preparing in the 8th grade. Job? College? Job College?College? College? Job? Job? JobJob?? Job? College? College? How do you know if going to college is right for you? Think about what you want your future to look like. As a student, you will need to develop a personal vision of where you would like to be and what you would like to be doing. When looking at career choices, there are Four Factors to consider in determining if college is right for your future. 1 Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities – 2001 (revised 2011) Part One - If I Am Interested in College, FOUR FACTORS That I Need To Consider Are: English Skills 1. ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS: Can you: General skills necessary for success Read adequately for the college in a two or four year college. program selected? Compose research reports? Use basic grammar, punctuation & spelling? Willingly write and rewrite papers? Math Skills Use library resources independently? Can you: Develop sentences into paragraphs? Use a calculator accurately? Use word processing software? Do basic math without a calculator? Develop outlines? Add, subtract, multiply, divide? Keyboarding skills? Use decimal and fraction operations? Use the dictionary and a thesaurus? Understand positive-negative numbers? Measure? Use algebra (if program requires it)? Science Skills Do you have the background needed for the college program selected? Social Studies Have you taken science courses you Do you: need? Have the background needed for the college program selected? Read the newspaper to gain Study Skills information? Can you: Keep up to date with the news? Use a calendar to structure time? Have you taken social studies courses Be on time? you need? Have necessary supplies and equipment? Study independently before a test? Test Taking Summarize what is read? Do you: Work on projects outside of class? Know how to plan, review and study? Review study guides and handouts? Know ways to reduce test anxiety? Take notes quickly and legibly? Ask for test modifications if needed? Underline and highlight key words? Know day, time and location of test? Highlight topic sentences in text? Know format of test? Write notes in margins of books? Know skills needed to pass test? Arrange for needed accommodations? Know what topics the test will cover? 2 Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities – 2001 (revised 2011) Part One - If I Am Interested in College, FOUR FACTORS That I Need To Consider Are: 2. VOCATIONAL GOALS AND PERSONAL INTERESTS: Think about things you enjoy and can do well. Visit with your guidance counselor to get information, talk about careers, and jobs that interest you. Find out about the education/training needed. Use information about these careers to decide what’s right for you. Does it meet your interests and expectations? If the careers you choose require a college degree, then review the courses you are taking in high school with your guidance counselor. It’s important to take courses that will prepare you for the college career that interests you. And don’t forget that extra- curricular activities can be important tools to develop your career interests and give you necessary experiences to prepare for college. 3. FINANCIAL RESOURCES: If a college education is your choice, then you will probably need financial assistance. Most students do. Students who have disabilities often have more expenses than students without disabilities; they may need interpreters, personal care attendants, special equipment or tutors. In Rhode Island, financial assistance is often available to pay for extra expenses (see Part Two – Programs That Can Help You, on page 18 to find out how). When you consider applying to a college, check available services and ask if they are free or for a fee. It is a good idea to talk to your guidance or vocational rehabilitation counselor. It would be an excellent idea to bring this up at your IEP meeting and ask your whole team to explore what funding services you might need. 4. PERSONAL/TIME MANAGEMENT: While in high school, and living at home, you may get support that assists you with basic time management skills (like getting up on time, or breaking long-term assignments into small tasks with due dates). In college, you most likely will not have this assistance. Getting to class on time, monitoring your study time and making sure your work is completed on time becomes your responsibility. If this will be an issue for you, brainstorm with your IEP team and college support staff to meet this need. IN COLLEGE, ACCESSING NEEDED SERVICES AND ACCOMMODATIONS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. 3 Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities – 2001 (revised 2011) 4 Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities – 2001 (revised 2011) Part Two – Preparing for College While Still in High School… The Transition Process, How the High School IEP Can Prepare Me for College! Your IEP is your tool for success; a well-written IEP can help you prepare for college. The goal statements in your IEP contain objectives, clearly stating what you need to do to accomplish your goals. There is information on what services will be delivered (to help you attain your goals), where the services will take place, who will provide them and how often. You or your parents should receive regular reports about progress toward your goals. To help you develop realistic goals for college transition, use the Timeline, starting on page 8. This Timeline contains information that can be used to form goals in your IEP, goals based on skills you’ll need in college. This is important if you’re seriously thinking about college. Attend your IEP meetings and advocate for yourself - make the decisions that will help you reach your goals. 5 Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities – 2001 (revised 2011) Part Two – Preparing for College While Still in High School… What Will the Difference Be Between High School and College & What Kinds of Supports Will I Be Able to Access in College? In high school, the law requires the school to provide you with the support you need to get a free and appropriate education (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). Your IEP outlines your strengths and needs. The needs stated in your IEP have clear goals and objectives (including where, when and how services will be delivered to meet your goals and objectives). In college, the law requires something quite different; colleges are required to give students with disabilities access to educational opportunity (Vocational Rehabilitation Act, section 504). There is no IEP, no needs statement, and any required goals or objectives. Colleges only have to provide access to those accommodations that you need to access an education at their institution. An example is… extra time on a test. If you prove you have a disability that requires such an accommodation, and you ask for it, then you are entitled to this accommodation. REMEMBER, IN COLLEGE, ACCESSING NEEDED SERVICES AND ACCOMMODATIONS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. 6 Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities – 2001 (revised 2011) Part Two – Preparing for College While Still in High School… How Do I Find Out About Colleges? There’s more than a few ways to find out about colleges. Here are a few ways to get most or all of the information you’ll need.

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