Questions for the Office of Disability Support

If you are a student with Learning Differences and/or ADHD, I recommend that you research and visit with the personnel in the departments that provide disability services at the college. These services may be in one department or spread over several departments with names like Disability Support Services, Office of Disability Support, Learning Support Center, and Academic Support Center. Think about what information you need to help you decide whether the program meets your needs.

Some questions you may have are:

1. What is the philosophy of the program?
2. How many professionals are on staff?
3. What services, accommodations, workshops, and adaptive technology are available?
4. What is the procedure for students to receive accommodations from a professor?
5. How many tutors are on staff? Are they peer or professional tutors? How often can students be tutored? What subjects is tutoring available for?
6. Are there organizational coaches?
7. How many students are accepted in the program each year? How many apply?
8. Is there a fee for the program? How much is the fee?
9. How does the graduation rate for students in the program compare to the overall graduation rate?
10. What documentation is needed to apply for the program? Is there a separate application for the program? Is an interview required?
11. Is there an orientation before the freshman year?

What other questions would you ask?

I will be giving a talk on "College Support for Students with Learning Differences or ADHD" on Tuesday, November 16 at 7 pm in Somerville, NJ. For more information and to register, call 908.725.7799 or email admin@jewishfamilysvc.org.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

I was looking forward to my visit to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), because I used to work with a number of fine engineers who were WPI alumni.

Most students at WPI have a scientific bent with 58% majoring in engineering, 10% in natural sciences and math, 13% in computer science, 8% in business management, and 2% in the liberal arts.

Two things that distinguish WPI are its unusual academic calendar and its encouragement of collaborative learning. There are four 7-week terms and an optional summer term. Typically students take three classes per term or do a project. These 7-week terms also allow students the opportunity to travel abroad for up to three terms.

Students are involved in two required, real-world, hands-on projects. The interactive project is a team project which may be on or off campus, including numerous sites abroad. The major project is generally sponsored by a company, government agency, or non-profit organization. There is also an optional humanities or arts project available.

WPI students also play hard. They participate in 180 clubs and organizations. Two thirds participate in one of the 20 NCAA Division III teams, the NCAA Division I women's rowing team, 23 club sports, or 10 intramural sports. A new gym will be opening soon. Greek life is also popular with the student body, with one third joining a fraternity or sorority.

When applying to WPI, a student can submit SAT or ACT scores or take the alternate path by submitting a major project done during high school.

If this sounds intriguing, perhaps WPI is the college for you. If you have visited WPI or are a recent alumn, add your comments or photos. For more of my WPI photos, check out http://www.slosbergcollegesolutions.com/.

Clark University

Shortly after the Fall term began, I visited Clark University in urban Worcester, Massachusetts, an hour's drive from Boston.

Clark is the smallest liberal arts research university in the nation with about 2100 undergraduate and 550 graduate students. The school places equal emphasis on teaching and research. Undergraduates have plenty of opportunity to do research and to participate in one of the 33 travel abroad programs.

The college is well-known for its psychology and geography programs. Classes are small, averaging twenty students. The first year seminar professor becomes the academic advisor to the students in the seminar, until the students declare their major. Students, who complete their Bachelors degree with grade point of 3.25 or higher, can stay for a fifth year and pursue a free Masters degree.

While there is no Greek life at Clark, there is plenty to do. The most popular events of the year are the International Gala and Spree Day, a spring day when classes are spontaneously cancelled and replaced with a day-long carnival. Clarkies can participate in 108 clubs, 17 NCAA Division III teams, intramural sports, and a myriad of volunteer opportunities.

Clark University students live the school motto "Challenge Convention Change Our World." If you are a progressive student looking for an urban campus, where you can make a difference, Clark may be right for you.

I'd love for you to share your photos or experiences at Clark University. You can see my photo of the statue of Freud on the Clark University campus on http://www.slosbergcollegesolutions.com/ or on the Slosberg College Solutions LLC Facebook page. Clark University, is the only U.S. college that Freud ever spoke at.