<p>ya should check on the learning disabilties board for suggestions on accomodations with tests</p>
<p>Accomodations in high school- written into a 504 and confirmed by professional should be enough to get what she needs-
When both my kids have anxiety/stress it shows up in their gastro system- so I sympathize because I think physical and emotional things combine to make it more difficult for diagnosis.</p>
<p>My oldest took a year off and my younger daughter is planning to as well- which you may even want to think about.
I would hate to send a kid off to college not knowing that they were healthy/ able to manage their illness
The upside is- by taking a year off- my D was able to use her senior performance for college apps rather than just junior year.
I think that will be a plus for her sister as well.
( they don't really have physical illnesses, just young for their age)</p>
<p>I do there is a non-SAT school or two that we will consider. I need to look into them a bit more but I can think of at least one which, at this point, is on the list (Dickinson). </p>
<p>I can't find anywhere that the SAT can be given one-on-one. Of course, that would be ideal since I could schedule a bit later but I hadn't seen that they do have "specified time of day." I'll ask for that. I will try to involve her school. I <em>think</em> they don't have the best record with the CB because, when it was time to get her original accommodations, it was I who had to prove everything from her records. The school filled out the form requesting things and the CB wrote back to me and asked for documentation. The school never asked for best time of day or anything like that so she didn't get them. (It's on her 504.) But I suspect the vp can help me. </p>
<p>The reason she was considering ED was the admissions boost. She does have a clear first choice and it is a long shot. She has a clear second choice-- a school that does have ED II-- and we will probably go with that too. I think she has a good change of getting in there. She would do well at both schools although the first one is better about $. </p>
<p>Emeraldkitty, that CVS looks interesting but it looks like something they would diagnose after ruling everything out. I suspect that they will eventually get a diagnosis-- maybe even 2 if they don't stop testing after the first. It actually isn't influenced by stress.</p>
<p>Anyway, I really, really appreciate all the advice. I am printing out all these responses and I will let you guys know how it goes. Thanks again.</p>
<p>I'm sure you have already tried this route, but just in case you haven't: The College Board sometimes deals more readily with requests from guidance counselors than with requests from parents/students. A call from your daughter's guidance counselor explaining the situation, along with a written followup testifying that this really is a medical necessity for an as yet diagnosed condition might do the trick of convincing the CB that this is a necessity. I am going to PM you some numbers at the CB to pass along to the guidance counselor. It's worth a try.</p>
<p>Have a look at this website which describes the options available, including being tested at your own school. I'm sorry that I can't find the information on private testing either. My daughter did it years ago so perhaps it is no longer available.</p>
<p>My daughter qualified for accommodations with the CB. She signed up for a specific test date, and it turned out that for that date, her high school was not a testing site. The CB sent her exam to her HS, and gave a four-day window to take the test. She scheduled it for mid-morning on a Saturday, and it was just her and the proctor since she was the only kid with accommodations taking the test.</p>
<p>So obviously, it can be done to schedule the test later in the day, and take it one-on-one. The key seems to be getting the accommodations approved by the CB. Our HS was very helpful with this. </p>
<p>As for the ACT -- it is much stricter as to who gets accommodations. My daughter qualified with the CB but not the ACT.</p>
<p>My sympathies for your situation. I hope your daughter gets better. Her illness sounds pretty bad.</p>
<p>So sorry you are having all these difficulties. I agree with Carolyn that it is time for the school giudance counselor to make some call son your behalf. Time is of the essence. CB usually wants several weeks to make a decision on requests for accomodations, so you probably need to really fast track this. </p>
<p>As an aside, I assume the GI's have ruled out Celiac Disease? It can present in many different ways, so it may not always be the first diagnosis they think of. They usually rule out IBS, gall bladder disease and stuff like that before Celiac disease. But Celiac is more common than people realize. Its worth a look if you haven't already.</p>
<p>2collegewego -- I hope I am not out of line here. My concern is really with your daughter's health. </p>
<p>I am just wondering whether an ED application to a competitive school (one where she needs an admissions boost) is really the way to go when she has a chronic, as-yet-undiagnosed condition. What happens if she gets to college and still has bouts of illness, and misses a lot of classes? Shouldn't your daughter's college options include an array of options that will afford some flexibility for various contingencies? What happens if there is finally a diagnosis next year, after the applications are in, that involves a treatment plan that makes her ED choice unworkable? For example, what if it turns out that she needs a special diet - or simply needs to be able to eat at specific times - and the meal service at the ED choice isn't able to meet those needs? You could find yourself locked out of considering alternative colleges that would be workable for your daughter by committing to one college early on.</p>
<p>Additionally, if she needs the admission boost to get into a reach college, she could find the demands for keeping up there to be overwhelming -- if she missed a week of classes due to illness she could have a hard time catching up -- with another week gone, she could lose the semester. Of course your daughter wants high quality of academics - but if regular attendance might be a problem for her, there is something to be said for an easier school. </p>
<p>I know that you want the best education possible for your daughter -- and no one wants to give up on their dreams because of health concerns -- but I think that your d's health comes first. You don't want to be facing a problem 2 years down the line where your daughter has been forced to withdraw from college due to health reasons simply because it was not possible to work out proper accommodations at her chosen college, whereas a different choice might have offered better options, such as the choice to drop to part-time status if needed. </p>
<p>I'm not saying that your daughter should give up on all her dreams, but I would suggest a revised plan that includes options for all contingencies, including at least one college within commuting distance from home; one in-state public which would be less expensive and more flexible if your daughter needed an extended time (more than 4 years) to complete her degree; and some other colleges selected with their flexibility and ability to support her needs as a paramount concern. Of course she should also keep the dream school on her list -- but I really think she should forget ED and make sure that next April she will have an array of options in front of her, so that the choice can be made based on whatever understanding you and she then have of her health needs. </p>
<p>In any case, I think the "ED advantage" is something of a myth -- I think a lot of "hooked" applicants, like legacies and athletes, come through ED and are the reason that ED seems less selective -- but I don't think that most colleges are going to want to lock themselves in to accepting unhooked, on-the-cusp ED applicants when they have yet to see their RD pool. It makes more sense for them to take all the "for sure" admits that come their way ED, and pass on the "maybes" until they see the midterm grades</p>
<p>I'm also sorry your D is having these troubles. I think all the above suggestions have merit. But in your place I'd have her long term health as top priority. If you think it's hard getting her through five hours of SAT, try getting her through eight months of challenging courses a thousand miles from home. (Been there.) Good luck to both of you.</p>
<p>Puzzled and sly, those are very helpful links. Thank you. </p>
<p>Calmom, corranged and new hope... I actually considered not posting because, in my years of lurking here, I figured eventually someone would post like this. Usually, they're people who haven't dealt with similar situations. </p>
<p>To address your concern: Both her #1 and #2 schools are <em>very</em> flexible with food. Our state school is not. Both her #1 and #2 schools have smaller classes than our state school.</p>
<p>With the diagnosis we're looking at, she may well get sick and need to take a semester off. The college she's attending at the time will make little difference. It will depend on her health and her condition is not stress-dependent. She is unlikely to be healthy enough to attend pt and not ft (not to mention some schools and most need-based financial aid do not allow pt study). By the way, much need-based financial aid <em>can</em> be extended past 4 years if there is a medical reason involved. You simply appeal and explain why. My other daughter (who has no medical conditions) had that happen and the dean okayed it. Also, most medical withdrawls require <em>full</em> withdrawls. If you need to drop classes past the add-drop period for medical reasons, you are usually not allowed to drop just some of your classes. </p>
<p>So, we've researched our options. She very much does not want to attend school locally so I'm hoping this works out for her. You don't have to agree with our decision but I would ask you to simply respect it. She has a right to try for what she wants.</p>
<p>2college-- of course you and your family will make your own decisions.... I think people are just trying to be helpful, since lots of us oldtimers have seen situations where parents can't see the forest for the trees. Sometimes it's helpful to get an outsider's perspective.</p>
<p>There have been parents on this board writing of kids who seem, at least from the written description, to be struggling with significant psycholgical issues-- and the parent wants to know how to get the kid to "wake up" junior year to get their grades on track to get into XYZ U. Well, you sometimes need an outsider to gently point out that given the kids trajectory, college is the least of the problems on the table.</p>
<p>I'm sure you all have a plan and and a back-up plan. However, some U's out there are quite accomodating to a variety of needs, and some, quite frankly, are not. Since you don't have a diagnosis yet, it's worth keeping an open mind just in case what you end up dealing with next year is not what you think you might be dealing with now. Flexibility on the food stuff is great if what your daughter has is a food related medical issue. And in case it's something else.... that's where considering a wide range of options makes sense.</p>
<p>I wouldn't worry overmuch about the food issue. Basically, a college kid can eat whatever she wants whenever she wants -- provided that she's willing to pay for it in addition to the meal plan food that she isn't eating instead. </p>
<p>Given your daughter's situation, with a medical problem that's still under investigation, there might be a substantial advantage in choosing a college that's within, say, about a 2-hour drive of home. That would give your daughter the option of using the same doctors year-round, which might be important if she and the doctors are still in the learning curve stage when it comes to understanding and coping with her illness.</p>
<p>My son attends a college about an hour from home, and because he likes to sleep late, he always schedules his classes as late in the day as possible. This has turned out to be very useful for medical and dental stuff. If he needs a medical appointment here at home, he gets the earliest possible appointment in the morning, comes home the night before, goes to his appointment, and goes back to campus before he misses anything. Very convenient.</p>
<p>Here are some thoughts about college for kids who have health challenges from a mom of such kids. When we started our elder S's college search, we always had his chronic health issues in the back of our minds and were pretty concerned about how he'd handle it, since he had 30-70 days absences every year since 6th grade. He too found the 5 hour SAT very grueling; not sure he used the accommodations he was granted but did know he was absolutely drained after taking the exams & crashed for quite a while after each.
He chose not to apply ED to any school because honestly he couldn't decide where he'd be happiest. We encouraged him to apply broadly to schools he was interested in, even those which were competitive since he is extremely bright and did very well (NMF) in spite of his absences and health issues. He applied to and got into schools he was interested in.<br>
Once he was accepted, I contacted the disabilities office of each of the Us & asked them how they could work with him & us, particularly if he had frequent or prolonged absences due to his chronic health issues that he has struggled with since age 12. I was pleased with the answers I received at most of the schools except one -- it was a small U & I had thought they would be the most understanding and accommodating. They told us that they'd likely force him to withdraw from their U, leave the dorm & forfeit all merit aid if he had the equivalent of two weeks absences, even for health reasons, in any quarter. I was shocked by their inflexible and punitive attitude, which was so different from the three other Us we were considering. S had no hesitation in turning them down.
S enrolled as an undeclared engineering major at a competitive school (USC). The associate dean of engineering and the head of the disabilities office both assured me that they will work with our S & have worked with other students who have chronic health conditions, and at worst would likely allow the student to get an incomplete & make the work up as health improved. They encouraged us to come to campus early as a family & take him to meet some of the doctors at the Family Medicine Clinic at the USC Med School campus, so he'd have resources if he has health issues beyond what the campus health center could handle (basically an infirmary that dispense aspirin & bandages & birth control). We followed their advice & it reassured us to meet several of the docs & know that he has these resources available--several docs even agreed to be available by e-mail & there is even a free shuttle to get him from the campus where he's enrolled to the med school campus & back.
The excellent news is that since he's been in college, he hasn't missed a class due to health reasons at all. We think the drier air and his ability to set his own schedule & start much later in the day (1st semester, his 1st classes started at 9 or 10, 2nd semester his 1st class is noon) has made a huge improvement in his health. He can also structure his time more than he could in HS, so he can take breaks as needed. He still has his chronic health issues, but is able to function quite well in college in spite of them with this greater control over his schedule and ability to sleep in.
In any case, we're pleased and relieved that he's able to handle college without health issues. He sounds very happy & is make many friends and has not found the coursework too challenging, even tho engineering has a reputation for being quite rigorous.
Hopefully your child will have similar success. Unfortunately, I have read of many other kids with chronic health issues who have not been as fortunate & have had to withdraw or reduce their courseloads due to health issues, so it is wise to inquire about these issues in making good choices that will work well. It's nice to hope for the best but have contingency plans in place. For us, it is good that my best friend lives 30 minutes from campus & my sister-in-law is a 70 minute plane flight away, "just in case." It is a considerably longer flight from HI to LA for us to get there, but it's still "do-able."
Good luck in finding the balance between pursuing dreams & helping your child stay as healthy long-term as possible. It is a tough balance to find and different for each student and family.</p>
<p>By the way, I've read/heard that Chapman & Redlands (both in Southern CA) are very good about working with students who have special needs. Don't have personal knowledge, but if either school holds any appeal, they might be worthwhile checking out. Both are smaller private Us as well.</p>
<p>Loma Linda University Medical Center is about 15 min from University of Redlands, so getting continuing care would not be a problem. Chapman is close to UCI's medical campus, so it would not be a problem there either.</p>
<p>By the way, I just want to clarify that I'm not upset at anyone. I realize I didn't give specific information regarding what illnesses the doctors are considering but I just don't want to post that on a public board. There <em>are</em> kids attending colleges with these illnesses-- they're chronic but not fatal-- and I guess I expect us to have a diagnosis in the year and a half before she starts school. That said, one of the illnesses has flares and she may have to come home at some point. I personally would prefer for her to aim for her dream of going away to college and, if it doesn't work out, let her come home. That's just my personality. </p>
<p>So I'm sorry if I offended anyone. I know you all mean well and, frankly, I do agree that there are kids with psych problems who should not be allowed to go away... but, to me, this is different.</p>
My daughter had the flu at the beginning of the semester and didn't eat for 2 days, despite wanting food, because she felt too sick to walk to the dining hall and her roommate took off for the weekend. Finally another girl checked in on her and went shopping for her to bring in some packaged soups. It isn't always so easy for a kid who is feeling under the weather. (obviously, my daughter wouldn't have starved to death and part of the problem is probably that she was sleeping at times when she should probably have been calling friends and asking for help -- but the point is, a kid who is sick is not always in a good situation to fend for herself).
Don't be so sure -- we old-timers on this board generally speak from hindsight. I am the parent of a kid who entered a first-tier LAC in 2001 and will graduate from a 3rd-tier state public in 2008. In hindsight, he should have opted for his 4th or 5th choice colleges - they would have had the courses he wanted plus the flexibility that his first college didn't offer.
That's too bad. Profs who teach large classes are generally far more accommodating about lapses in attendance, and it is generally easier for students to find study-partners in the larger classes who can help them out if they are missing anything. Larger classes also tend to have TA's who often can provide more support.
<p>Anyway, I'm not interested in telling you what to do. If you don't want to listen to advice that isn't what you want to hear -- so be it; I won't post again.</p>
<p>My daughter isn't sick, but she finds the test too long to sit through and concentrate. She said she couldn't see straight and felt lightheaded for the last few sections. This new SAT is ridiculous. It's more of a test of physical endurance that a true test of the mind.</p>