Dyslexic daughter (rising junior) is extremely bright, determined and offsets her slow processing with exceptional work/study-ethic. She has 3.8-3.9 GPA and decent extracurriculars with 13 years of a foreign language (K-12 dual language program in face of dyslexia diagnosis in middle school) but won’t have honors/AP exposure until senior year so we are trying to figure out realistic college aspirations. Ideal target is small LAC or small/medium university. Also: small class sizes, walkable campus with good culture, and ideally near a nice town for conveniences. Here is where we currently stand:
Demographics
US domestic
Illinois
Top 150 (in US) public HS
Female/white
Mild LDs - dyslexia/ADHD (slow processing)
Intended Major(s)
Biology, Biochem (not premed)
GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
Unweighted HS GPA: 3.833/4
Weighted HS GPA: 3.917/5
Class Rank: N/A
ACT/SAT Scores: Test optional
Coursework
Dual Language Spanish (foreign language from K thru 12 with weighted Spanish 4 and 5 as soph and junior, and AP Spanish as senior)
AP Biology (planning to take senior year)
Biotechnology (weighted, planning to take senior year)
Extracurriculars
Dual Language Spanish (K-12)
Swim team (4 years)
Robotics club (4 years)
Model UN (1 year)
Spanish club (1 year)
Gourmet club (1 year)
Lab tech summer internship for biotech lab
Swim team coach/instructor during summers
Volunteers for local nonprofits and dyslexia awareness orgs
Volunteered in national cancer charity’s statewide student fundraising competition and earned top award
Essays/LORs/Other
I think these will be above average - she’s creative and quirky with excellent teacher relationships
Cost Constraints / Budget
Assume no constraints
Schools
Safety/Near Safety: Augustana College, Knox College, Drake University, Lawrence University
Match: Illinois Wesleyan, St. Olaf
Reach: Wake Forest, University of Richmond, Smith College, William & Mary, Wesleyan
Huge Reach: Bowdoin, Hamilton, Williams, Amherst
Thanks in advance for your input. We’ve really found a lot of great insight in this forum over the last several weeks.
I think the tricky part, in the life sciences, is finding an environment that isn’t completely dominated by premed culture and competitiveness. You may also want to optimize for research opportunities, since any non-clinical biology-related career is likely to be research oriented. What does your daughter see herself doing with a bio degree? Is she assuming that grad school will be in her future? Is she interested in teaching biology? Or interested in non-MD health roles like, for example, genetic counseling? Or, something on the environmental side of bio? Or the quantitative side - bioinformatics or other data-oriented aspects? It would be good for her to think through the possibilities in advance. Thanks to all of the attrition from the pre-health pathways, the market for bio grads with a BA/BS tends to be pretty saturated. Additional skill-sets, like statistics for example, can be a big help with employment. (What level of math will she be taking senior year?)
I like your list so far. The one that sprang to my mind, that isn’t there, is College of Wooster. It is especially known for student research, which could be a real plus in trying to lay the groundwork for a non-medical bio-related career. It also meets your “small and supportive” criteria, and offers merit.
If you can elaborate on what aspects of biology/biochem interest her, it may spark more ideas from members here.
HS does offer many APs. Sixth grade dyslexia diagnosis followed by two years of Covid, she has been slowly building academic confidence. She recently got to the point where she wants to try APs but her junior year schedule is locked. Senior year will likely be two APs and one honors/weighted.
Thank you! Great advice. Biology focus may lean plant biology/botany. Her interests are not firm and, like you said, she needs to explore the different pathways yet. She likes the colleges that don’t assign a major for a couple years (open curriculum?) but says she would feel fine selecting a major at admissions, if required. We are spending this summer looking closely at careers and majors. She really enjoys chemistry and biology but strongly dislikes pre-med and is open to teaching but visualizes herself in a lab environment if she had to choose now. She would likely be happy to continue for masters degree.
For further ideas, look into Connecticut College (notable for botany), Wheaton in MA (nice science building), Mount Holyoke (notable for classroom experience), Dickinson College (matches most of your daughter’s criteria) and Denison.
Ok. Don’t bother with your reach and huge reach in my opinion. Your student lacks rigor and those will be a no go. They are all highly rejective of kids with extreme rigor.
You need to find schools where rigor does not matter as much. Check the common data set. But you also want small and supportive.
@merc81 mentions four very good schools but also likely reaches. But less so than yours. As a student without rigor and without a test score, and wanting small, I think you need to go down the ranking list even for reach.
So your safeties probably are except Lawrence. Yes their acceptance rate is high but rigor matters. I’d say a match. St Olaf a reach. That’s the level of reach you need.
I don’t know if a school like Wabash, Kalamazoo, Beloit level school might be a better match /reach or a Cornell College where you take one course at a time might be better for a student with an LD.
I would find the schools suited for someone with dyslexia and go from there vs finding names. You need to ensure you’re at a campus that has adequate services and not just minimal ones required by law.
But I do think your list has a lot of overreach, to the point where you shouldn’t even apply. But you do have some acceptances.
There are many lists out there such as this - and it may be a better way to build your list this way. Ensuring support on campus Is far more important than any name in my opinion.
I think there are too many reaches and huge reaches.
I would remove the huge reaches and add more targets.
The reaches are definitely reaches, but you know that already.
Would she consider any of the SUNY colleges (too far etc?)? They are small, and SUNY Oneonta will allow her to structure her biology major to suit her interests.
Rather than focusing on careers this summer, I would focus on finding fit schools and majors. I recommend finding a biology department that allows for research and exploration of the various areas within biology. Once she has an opportunity to be involved, the career path will follow.
I’m not sure what the appeal is of the high reaches on your list. They are excellent, prestigious schools - but not ones known for great disabilities services and beyond prestige - I’m not sure what they bring to the table that other schools might not do better for your child. And I wouldn’t say that Bowdoin or Hamilton have great walkable outside-the-school resources/town.
I think you may want to go back to the drawing board and ask your daughter more specific questions about what she is looking for. The only thing I can see bringing all the schools on your list together is that none of them are in large urban areas.
Is she bilingual after 13 years of Spanish instruction? Is she interested in Study Abroad?
If she wants an open curriculum, Kalamazoo offers that flexibility. Cute campus, easy access to Illinois (only 2 1/2 hr amtrak ride to Union Station from Kalamazoo), small classes. Close to the arts district of Kalamazoo proper, and there is plenty to do in the city, as well as close access to Western Michigan University if she wants to experience a bigger social scene/sports scene.
Here’s another list. I’m not saying because someone is on a list means they have what you need but it’s a starting point. Not small but U of Arizona is a safety and is on most every LD list via its SALT Center.
Agree with the other poster who said a cute, walkable town wasn’t on many on your list.
Thank you, @tsbna44 - this is exactly the candor we need right now so we don’t waste our time chasing the wrong schools. Good tip on the common data set – wasn’t using that tool yet.
We are not sure how much we should prioritize schools suited for LDs. Our daughter doesn’t use her accommodations other than occasional extended time on a test. Knowing that her LDs are mild, she doesn’t use her accommodations much and she has strong work ethic, we were torn about how much emphasis to place on schools that excel in LD services. Any additional thoughts given this info?
Thanks again! All the comments so far have really opened our eyes to the search and helped us shift our focus. Much appreciated!
We see this clearly now, too. Really grateful for the frankness of everyone’s comments. It is helping to sharpen our focus! SUNY colleges weren’t on our radar. We will look into them. Also, I like the tip of looking for fit schools and majors now - rather than getting ahead of ourselves with careers. Thank you, @twogirls!
Kalamazoo does have a foreign language general education requirement, though if the student is actually fluent and literate in Spanish, that should not be a barrier to graduation there.
I work with students who have IEPs and 504 plans, but I am not familiar with the transition to college.
I think it’s better to have services and accommodations firmly in place and to pull back if they are not needed, than to not have these services and accommodations and wish you did. I would seek out schools that are supportive and if your daughter doesn’t need it, that’s ok.