Anonymous
Post 09/18/2023 15:25     Subject: College list help for ADHD kid!
Anonymous wrote:Parents of Junior DS with ADD (primarily EF issues). Weighted avg. GPA is 3.75 (FCPS), good rigor (Sr. year is all AP or post AP out of choice) and SAT of 1500. Functioning issues include homework not getting turned in, not preparing for tests, not retaking tests when possible, etc. Outside help hasn't worked out well and he relapses into bad behavior. Certainly wants to go to college and study CS or something adjacent (Analytics/IS, etc). Not much in terms of ECs but one artsy EC and a summer job.

Our list currently includes VA schools (Tech, GMU, JMU, VCU) and a few other state schools nearby. A friend recently mentioned that there are schools that provide a lot of support for ADD kids. Would appreciate recommendations for such schools that are decent in the areas DS wants to study within about 6 hours driving distance from the DMV area.. We are hoping to limit costs to about $50K/yr, so tuition and fees not to exceed about $35K. Specific names would help, if possible.


OP, all schools require documentation of LD to access supports/services. Do you have a formal diagnosis, neuro-psych evaluation, IEP or 504? If not, ask pediatrician and high school SPED department for help getting ADD documented.

Top of my head schools below that might fit criteria. Scores and GPA should help with merit aid.

UNC Chapel Hill https://learningcenter.unc.edu/services/ldadhd-services/
Temple University in Philadelphia (My ADHD/Anxiety kid LOVES it. Long tradition of LD support/no stigma. Responsive, well-staffed department. (Some schools charge for LD support.)
Fordham in NYC. Note, many Catholic & Jesuit schools have solid LD support.
Hofstra on Long Island

Further out:
Northeastern Univ Learning Disabilities Program (LDP) is additional but might have scholarships
Boston College https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/academics/sites/connors-family-learning-center/services/ADHD-Learning-Disability-Support-Services.html
In Chicago, DePaul or Loyola
Univerisity of Michigan


HTH
Anonymous
Post 09/18/2023 14:24     Subject: College list help for ADHD kid!
Anonymous wrote:Long-winded dad back - we toured WPI too, just for that reason (short sessions). That's the same theory of concentrated focus that Fork Union uses for ADHD kids.


L-WD, you're my hero! You should have a podcast. LD is such a maze to get through. Lots of wind is needed to move the LD student ship.

Anonymous
Post 09/18/2023 10:37     Subject: College list help for ADHD kid!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I recommend you look at Rochester Institute of Technology and Ithaca. Both are generous with aid and have strong adhd supports. You’d have to look at the CS major information at each but I assume RIT’s is strong at least.



+1. I’m the long-winded dad from above. We toured Olin and RIT and liked both. Also Purdue and Georgia Tech


Another interesting choice to consider is WPI. It's a 7-week quarter system, so they take 3 courses at a time, and they go really fast, so there is no time for the ADHD mind to procrastinate and get behind (could be good or bad for a given kid; disaster if they don't keep up, of course). Also they have been serious about hands on, project-based, cross curricular learning since the 70s, which often is good for an ADHD kid, and certainly is excellent for engineering. I don't specifically know about their support programs, but they have them. Harder to get into than the above, but OP's kid's stats are good (they don't look at SATs though).



Long-winded dad back - we toured WPI too, just for that reason (short sessions). That's the same theory of concentrated focus that Fork Union uses for ADHD kids.