College Admissions Consulting College Services for Learning Disabilities, Questions to NOT Ask an Admissions Officer, and Saving for College Written by Kristine Sawickion June 8th, 2017 I grew up in California and attended a big suburban public high school. For college, I chose Reed in Portland, Oregon, where I studied psychology with a focus in behavioral neuroscience. After a year working as a research assistant at Oregon Health & Sciences University, I switched my professional objective and taught at both the middle and high school levels and coached women’s cross-country. Eventually I made my way to admission work and spent the next eleven years at Reed, culminating in a year as Acting Dean. I later moved to California and spent a few years in the Stanford Office of Undergraduate Admission, where I continued to work directly with students both domestic and international. Learn More About Kristine admissions, college admissions advice, getting in, saving for college, The latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation was jam-packed full of helpful information! Host Sally Ganga welcomed three guests to discuss three different and equally important topics: the kinds of services colleges offer to support students with learning disabilities, what questions to not ask an admission officer, and how much a family needs to save in order to pay for college. What Services do Colleges Offer Students with Learning Disabilities? Sally first welcomed College Coach educator Julia Jones to discuss the importance of incorporating learning disability support services in the college search. The kinds of support offered and the processes for requesting support on college campuses is not standardized and varies widely campus to campus. Sally and Julia provided tips on how to get the information you need to assess if a college provides what your student needs for college success. They highlighted the importance of students being strong self-advocates and gave examples of how a few different schools approach supporting their students. What Questions to Not Ask an Admission Officer Next, Sally welcomed College Coach educator, Karen Spencer. A fast-paced and riveting conversation ensued about the questions prospective students and their parents ask that drive admission officers crazy. Karen polled the College Coach team to assess what irked them the most when they were officers and shared the results with listeners. Listen in for the complete list! Sally and Karen included tips on how to ask the kinds of thoughtful questions admission officers appreciate most. The Right Amount to Save for College For the final segment, Sally welcomed College Coach finance expert, Shannon Vasconcelos. The accessible and information-rich conversation began with a discussion on how much families can expect college to cost and explored multiple strategies for saving and paying for the college education. Shannon recommended a tool to calculate how much families need to save monthly now to be able to pay for college out of pocket later and suggested strategies to increase their savings. On the next episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, Ian Fisher hosts a show to explore the inside of the admission office at Reed College and to welcome a College Coach finance expert to answer our listener’s college finance questions. Related Resources Read | Posted on April 16th, 2024 Understanding Direct Admission: A Pathway to Success Read | Posted on April 10th, 2024 Acceptance by Emi Nietfeld; Why You Should Fill out the FAFSA Read | Posted on April 9th, 2024 Community Colleges with Campus Housing
