College Admissions Consulting Admission Tips for Students with Physical or Learning Differences Written by Ian Brook Fisheron March 29th, 2023 I began my career in admissions by walking backwards as a student intern, giving guided tours, interviewing students, and reading applications for my alma mater, Reed College. After graduating, I began full-time work in admissions, reading thousands of applications primarily from the Western United States, especially Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. (I got to eat the best food on my travel!) In my last three years at Reed, I directed admissions for the entire continent of Asia and served as the director of marketing and communications for the admission office, honing our official voice for web, print, and social media. This helped me to develop a sharp eye for what works (and what doesn’t) in college essays. While Reed is not known (at all!) for sports, I was able to find my competitive outlet with the ultimate Frisbee team as a player and, when I graduated, a coach. After nine wonderful years at Reed, I left Portland to pursue a M.A. at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. When I graduated and joined College Coach, I was living in Palo Alto, California, an experience that helped me learn so much about the UC and CSU system and high school programs all around the Bay Area. In the end, I missed the rain too much, and moved back to Portland in the summer of 2016. Learn More About Ian getting in, disabilities, college admissions advice, This week’s show is for students with physical or learning differences. Sasha Manus, who has cerebral palsy and uses a service dog, will join the show to share advice on navigating college with a physical disability. We’ll also offer application and admissions tips for students with learning differences and discuss financial aid for students with physical and learning differences. To listen to other episodes, visit Getting In: A College Coach Conversation on VoiceAmerica or search for us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. While you’re there, please leave us a rating or review! We appreciate your feedback. Related Resources Read | Posted on April 29th, 2025 Navigating the Ethical Use of AI Tools in College Admissions Read | Posted on April 22nd, 2025 Demystifying Liberal Arts: What They Are and Aren't Read | Posted on March 11th, 2025 Does a Teen Need to File a Tax Return?