<p>I've cerebral palsy & a lot of medical issues. I'm a junior. I had two surgeries and missed the first 2 months of school. My body is a disaster. I just dropped most of my classes. One of my options is to do a 5th year, take all aps which would be equal to a college load, apply for college in 2 years instead of this fall, but still walk with my friends at graduation. I feel like crap & what would you do if you were me?</p>
<p>I’d do whatever the hell I felt like doing and was physically capable of doing, the opinion of the rest of the world doesn’t really matter, because they don’t have to walk in my shoes. End of story.</p>
<p>Yours is not a typical story, and your individual case is unique to you. Find someone who specializes in higher education for kids with disabilities and can lay out all your options, including one’s you may not be aware of. Good luck.</p>
<p>I agree - oh my Lord, what you are going through is beyond what any typical teenager can even imagine. I think taking a 5th year of high school might solve a lot of problems and give your body a rest (although I wouldn’t recommend taking all APs, I think 4 are just fine balanced with other courses for the rest). I remember when I was in college (ok, ancient eons ago) there were many students, especially boys, who did 4 years of high school and then a 5th year at a prep school before applying to college. Other students today take a gap year before going to college.</p>
<p>APs, from what I understand, are basically 1 semesters worth of college material in 1 year. So it’s not really a full load. Unless you really like the people in your CC, you are better off just going to community college and transferring.</p>
<p>Villanova has a great disability program for kids like me & its 45 minutes away. I’m going to need care if I go away - I can’t walk, feed, dress, shower, toilet or transfer myself.</p>
<p>The disability laws with higher education are soooo different so staying would be better than community college.</p>
<p>The first surgery was 8/14 and that was to straighten my back (I had a 94 degree curve). The second was 9/24 and that was to fix my medicine pump that delivers medication to relax my body. I got out of the hospital on 10/7, after 54 days. I started school on 10/15 and got a 158 on my psat score.</p>
<p>I love learning so this sucks. Because of the back surgery I’ve no idea how to do anything & reading is a nightmare. I’m also very weak & my muscles are tight. This and everything i went through is very anxiety producing.</p>
<p>I was originally taking spanish 3, calc i, ap english language & ap gov. Now I’m just taking calc & I’m going to start either a honors english or the lowest level english in January.</p>
<p>Honestly, I would try and meet with the disability program at villanova with your parents. Ask them what they think. You have extremely extenuating circumstances here. Your body may need time to heal so going away to college right away may not be the ideal choice. But if your body is ready, and your mind willing, hell, go for it!!! I am positive that there have to be other colleges like Villanova who have disability programs that are understanding of situations like yours. Emory might be one possibility. Good luck!</p>
<p>I want to stay local, incase. I live in a suburb of Philadelphia, so I’m considering looking at Drexel, st joes, U Delaware, Ursinus, Villanova, penn, as well as others. Out of all of them villlanova on paper has the best accommodations for people like me (you can look up “coming off the dl” to see). Most college disability programs are geared not towards people like me. My parents and I are meeting with disability programs at some of the schools after Christmas and also touring them
I think it also depends a little on my major too. I don’t know what I want to do, I go back and forth.
I think I’m just frustrated too. I’m smart, I love learning so I want to go to a good school. Also freshman year I was able to handle gifted English, gifted world history, intro to Microsoft, Spanish 1, honors geometry, honors algebra 2 and honors biology. I had brain surgery that year to help my tremors. However, I ended up with all As except geometry which was a C+ (people who never crawled have issues with spatial relationships). Then last year I took gifted English, ap us history, Spanish 2, honors chemistry & precalc. I got a 4 on the ap test and a B+ in the class and As in the rest.
I know I’m unusual so thanks for replying. :)</p>
<p>@momof2back2back i sent you a private message too.</p>
<p>How would this work with scholarships?</p>