I am a young lady that has LD (Writing,Math and Vision) that would like to find a program for Music Therapy (or something with Music) or A Certificate Program if I can’t get into Music Therapy. The problem I’m having is that ALOT of the programs I’ve researched are either for the intellectually disabled (which I couldn’t do, because my IQ is higher then their Maxium allotment) OR because I have an ED which,even though I’ve been compleatly stable for 2 1/2 years,some school don’t accept people with a History of elopement/self Harm/ect. (OPTIONS Transition to Independence for example) Does anyone know of any programs?
Your first step is identifying music therapy programs or something similar that are that match your goals and interests. Admission is based on whether or not your meet admissions requirements. If a school appears as a good match for you personally and you meet admissions requirements, apply. If you don’t like a college’s music program or don’t meet admissions requirements, don’t apply. Asking a group of people who do not know you from your interests to academic and musical skills (how many instruments do you play?) about good schools is requesting speculation.
Schools do no lower admissions requirements because high school gpa, test scores, classes successfully taken in college are viewed as what is necessary for students to succeed in an institution or program. Disability is not a factor in admissions decisions. If you do not meet admissions requirements then you are not otherwise qualified academically and most probably will not be accepted. If you meet requirements and other criteria you very well may be admitted unless there are too many qualified students to admit them all. Indeed, not all qualified students are admitted into competitive schools. Once your are admitted, you will need to contact the disability services office, submit documentation and register when that documentation is accepted.
Admissions is a blind process in which disability is not part of the admissions decision because of confidentiality concerns. It is illegal for your high school or prior institution to divulge that you have a disability whether LD or a mental health condition. Further, it is illegal to deny admissions to an otherwise qualified because of mental health and other disability-related issues unless there are even more qualified applicant than you at a competitive school. You also lose your right to blind review of your application when you disclose disability. Disclosure does not add to the positive admissions outcome you are seeking. Your disclosure of disability has risks because you have made disability part of your admissions decision. For example, if you explain poor grades resulted from disability and caused you to not quite meet admissions requirements, schools will rightfully wonder if you disability will contribute to poor grades at their institutions. Schools set academic standards and do not respond with an acceptance letter because academic progress was difficult because of your disability. If admission is denied, you can not claim successfully that denial was based on disability. Schools are very careful of protecting their standards and their potential for litigation.
So, apply to those schools that are a good fit for you personally and academically. Do not disclose disability unless that information may be important in an appeal of an adverse admissions decision, but do not expect sympathy for your disability and its potential impact to change an admissions decision. When admitted, contact disability services to find out what you need to do to register with that office and do it. Additionally, if you require medication or psychological counseling or emergency instructions with signed permission to speak with your parents or other representative, be sure those are in place before you arrive at college.