Nut Allergies at colleges

Hi there, I am a current junior at my high school. I am looking at schools such as Georgia Tech, Cornell, UCSB, etc. I am reading reviews of such schools and seeing that some deal woth nut allergies but some don’t. I have SEVERE nut allergies, and was wondering if there are any good Tech Schools out there that deal woth allergies well. Thanks

Our S was in your shoes a little over 4 years ago. Best thing thing you can do is to be proactive and ask questions to people that can supply substantive answers. We learned (early on) that asking a student tour leader is unproductive so we adjusted our research accordingly. As our S put together his list we checked the school’s website for food allergy dining accommodations. Then we emailed the university’s dietitian directly to to learn more. When we went to tour colleges we also made appointments to meet with the dietitian and tour dining halls - they were very help full.

In our post, you mention Georgia tech. I believe they have good info on food allergy accommodations and contact info for their dietitian. If you’re interested in GT you should definitely make email contact. Certain things you should look for:

  • allergen labeling
  • allergen free food stations or dining halls
  • allergen free food boxes to-go for group outings etc
  • easy access to allergen free snacks
  • dining hall personnel training on food allergy and cross contamination
  • dorm staff policy and training on using epipens

Make sure you have all your questions answered so you can make an informed decision on where you will spend the next 4+ years of your college years.

Our S ended up at Stanford and they have excellent food allergy support.