You’ve been Accepted to College. Now What?

You’ve been accepted to college. You got the letter! You’re in. You’re going to the college of your dreams. It’s an incredible achievement. Congratulations. Now it’s time to do some serious planning. After the celebratory hugs and dancing, of course.

College can be the most memorable and rewarding experience of your life. With good preparation, it will also be the most empowering path to independence. College is what you make it. Read on; we’re here to help you make it amazing.

Once you accept the offer from college admissions, you’ve got some work to do. The college will likely send you important information you need to keep up to speed on. You’ll learn about housing, orientation, registering for classes… Your new school will send you everything you need to know. Unless you learn differently. Then there are some things that may be missing from your acceptance packet.

Don’t worry. We’ve got your back.

For starters, while you’re still in high school, learn as much as you can. And not just about your studies, learn about You. Find out as much as you can about your learning difference. Your new school is going to want documentation. Here are some questions to ask yourself, your counselor, your parents, and the people on your team:

• How does my learning difference impact my academic performance?
• What are my strengths? What are my weaknesses?
• What kinds of accommodations do I need?
• What documentation exists about me? Where is it?

Good. This is an excellent start.

That was high school. Now it’s time to move ahead. You need to advocate for yourself. Self-advocacy means expressing your needs and speaking up. It means knowing how to get the right information to make your own decisions. It means knowing your rights and responsibilities and asking for help when you need it. Self-advocacy takes practice. Practice. College life is radically different from life in high school. You’ll have to advocate for yourself early and often.

Here are your next steps:

• Register with your new school’s office of disabilities services (they will not find you; you must find them).
• Provide them with your current disability information.
• Request the specific accommodations that you need.
• Set up and attend a meeting of introduction.
• Write your accommodations letter.
• Deliver your accommodations letter to your professors on the first day of class.

This is just the beginning. And all of this has to come from you, the college student. It can be overwhelming, but we will help you through this process. Knowing what you need, where to find it, and who to turn to for support is the foundation of self-advocacy. 

Contact us. The earlier we get started, the better prepared you’ll be for college life.