<p>My DD is in a unique situation. She is an OK student, 3.3 UW GPA, SAT should be between 1000-1100; no APs or honors classes. She is currently a junior. The problem is that she was diagnosed with a bone tumor in 7th grade. She has had 5 surgeries, with 3 of them being during her sophomore year of school. She used to be active in sports, but obviously, is not any longer. She has not really participated in any ECs, because she always seems to be in some recovery phase from surgery. She will be having at least one more surgery this year. We have no idea how to begin looking for colleges for her. She wants to major in business and stay in the northeast. Does anyone have any ideas of schools that might be understanding of her situation? Thanks for your help.</p>
<p>Perhaps she would consider attending community college for the first two years. This would not only give her some time to recuperate from her next surgery, but also prove to college admission’s depts. that she is capable of succeeding academically on the college level. If she maintains a high GPA for two years at a community college, she should be able to transfer relatively easily into a four year residential college in order to complete a Bachelor Degree.</p>
<p>She’s considered community college, but she really wants to experience the full college experience. She likes Northeastern, Stonehill, Marist. I was looking at Johnson & Wales, Westchester University and York College of Pa for her. Does anyone have any comments about any of these schools?</p>
<p>If she has significant medical issues, I would suggest two things.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>A smaller campus where she will get more personal attention.</p></li>
<li><p>Some place where medical care is not miles and miles away. Hopefully she won’t need it…but you never know.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I have heard GREAT things about Otterbein and Beloit regarding student “customer service”. Both are smaller schools and have very individualized service it seems. They seem to really work with students and understand health needs.</p>
<p>Our youngest son attends Marist. The average SAT score of incoming freshmen at Marist is 1730-1920.</p>
<p>For Northeastern, the statistics are even higher:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.northeastern.edu/admissions/apply/academicprofile.html[/url]”>http://www.northeastern.edu/admissions/apply/academicprofile.html</a></p>
<p>nysmile, don’t you think the OP’s 1000-1100 score is out of 1600?</p>
<p>How would I know that? She hasn’t taken the test yet according to the OP.</p>
<p>Even if it’s only two subtests…Marist’s averages are well above 500 points on EACH of the SAT subtests.</p>
<p>However this student does have an extenuating circumstance which some colleges would very much understand when considering admissions.</p>
<p>My questions are: Are the surgeries for ongoing active disease or reconstructive? Will there be frequent ongoing follow-up needed? Does the student require services of a nearby comprehensive medical center?</p>
<p>I think many, if not most, schools would be understanding of her extenuating circumstances. She’ll be a good bet for any school where she meets their median GPA and test scores.</p>
<p>thumper, I was indeed reading the predicted score as 2 subsets of around 500 on each.</p>
<p>Many schools have a disability office. You should talk with them and see what the school can do for you.</p>
<p>Ouch- no fun for your D (or you). I know of a woman who had recurring childhood bone cancer in the midwest. She spent a year or so in a college not too far from home in the town she had gone to for her medical specialty care. Definitely look close enough to home and her specialists that you could make a car trip to transport her if needed, unless you are 99% sure there will be no issues. I’m sure your list has this in mind. Do not discount public U’s in your area, either. Do check on the type of college health services offered- your D’s physicians may be able to help with what should be available for your D’s potential needs. Good luck.</p>
<p>I agree with strongly considering close to home.
Has she looked at an colleges in NJ? how about Rowan, Fairleigh Dickenson or Monmouth?</p>
<p>You can PM me. My daughter has a lot of health issues and is in college now.</p>
<p>How did the illness and surgeries affect her academically at school? Did she miss a lot of school days? Did she have a 504? Did the school provide a plan for keeping up, and tutoring? Illness doesn’t really affect SAT’s but can affect GPA simply through absences/missing material, or sometimes inability to complete work. Did that happen for your child?</p>
<p>Colleges do have disability offices, and she would want to check them out. However, even those colleges with seemingly wonderful disability staff, do not always accommodate kids with health needs very well. If she is done with surgeries and is recovered, accommodations may not be as key, but someone there should be aware of the history. Would she want a single room? Notes from classes or extensions on work?
Etc.</p>
<p>The rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act are much more limited at the college level than at the middle or high school level. It is good to find a place with a “culture of kindness.” (Our daughter did not, and is suffering for it, although it is a great school).</p>
<p>I have heard here that Otterbein is good. I would think of Goucher in Baltimore, and Clark University in Worcester MA. If illness continues, there are other options such as part-time study at a state University (I do this and they are great to me), or even low-residency programs like Goddard and Union Institute. </p>
<p>But if she wants the more traditional college experience, it would be good to check out their culture and policies at various schools. Also, check out medical leave policies. Some of the warm and fuzzy places, like Bennington, actually require a medical leave if two weeks of classes are missed, and then the student has to reapply entirely. Other schools require months of full-time work to return, and still others only an doctor’s note.</p>
<p>Good luck. And your daughter is not alone. I know of many kids in this situation, and for you, it might be good to network with other parents of teenagers in this position. YOU can get tips and it is good support.</p>
<p>The school guidance counselor, with your permission, can write about this in the recommendation.</p>
<p>I agree with justamomof4. I would NOT look at a school like Beloit for my D knowing that she might have medical procedures, bc it is so far from home. I do not know what her needs are or could be in the next few years, but I still think that there are some schools that are not 100% accessbible, as shocking as that sounds, for someone who could have a problem with ambulation at some point. You also might want to consider weather. If ice and snow are going to add extra strain, then it might make sense to look in the southeast (trading off staying close to home, for navigating a campus more easily). In that case, FLA might be great, or even some states that just get a little bit ice and snow. You really should call the disability offices of the schools that your D is interested in considering. Hopefully, you can get a lot of information by making a few phone calls.</p>
<p>Cross posted with compmom.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for all the replies. My hope is that this issue will be behind her by the time she gets to college, but I also thought that we would be done after one surgery, so we hope for the best and prepare for the worst. We will add some NJ schools to her mix. Her doctor is in Boston, so we have been looking there as well. You all ahve given us a lot to think about. Thanks again.</p>
<p>dkitty21, we did the college search twice from NJ, for 2 very different students. S #2 in now at Northeastern, which might be a reach for your D. They seem to be trying very hard to improve their ranking and stats with emphasis on selective admissions. For S #1 who was looking for noncompetitive admissions, we thought Fairleigh Dickinson was a hidden gem (hidden because very few of the local kids were interested in attending college so close to home). A beautiful campus in a nice town, convenient to NYC, with lots of support for students. In the Boston area, Clark University (Worcester MA) had a lot to offer and should be worth a look for your D.</p>
<p>What about Dean College (is that the name) near Boston?</p>
<p>Business
Northeast
SAT 1000-1100 (presuming out of 1600 so extrapolating to 1500-1600 on the 2400 scale)
Grades: B-B+ average
School that might be sensitive to unique situation</p>
<p>Have you considered Babson?</p>
<p>Business oriented curriculum
Near but not in Boston
SAT is just a little short of the middle 50%
39% in the top quarter of HS class, 60% in the next quarter
450 students in the freshman class</p>
<p>Roger Williams in Rhode Island is worth a look. (I seem to recall hearing that they have built a new campus in the not-too-distant past.) So is Bentley in Massachusetts, although it is a more difficult admit. Possibly Suffolk in Boston as a safety?</p>