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Tues., Oct. 26 • 7:30 – 8:45 pm ET

How To Choose a College When You Have A Learning Disability Or Mental Health Challenges

Many students with learning or mental health disabilities plan to earn a college degree, but worry about support and accommodations.

How do you a select a college? What questions can you ask or will a college see your concerns as a reason not to admit you? How do you get straight answers about the quality of support and availability of support services — and how do you find out?

What about social life in college? Living with roommates who may not understand? Academic demands? How ambitious can you be when choosing a major or study abroad or independent research?

Join us for a lively conversation about how to assess your own college readiness, navigate the college admissions process successfully, and discover how colleges are meeting the needs of students with disabilities. 

Our panel of experts will offer a wide range of perspectives making for an engaging and informative evening. Be sure to bring all your questions!

You will have a chance to sign up for similar presentations and workshops when registration opens for Pt 2 of the inaugural Different Choices Fair. You can preregister for the spring event today. 

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What you'll learn

  • How colleges really think about students with learning and mental health disabilities

  • What to look for in when you choose a college—and what to ask

  • What to expect in the way of support and accommodations when you are in college and need some help

  • Tips for navigating the different dimensions of college life

Presenters

Rob Franek, Moderator

Editor-in-Chief, The Princeton Review and NBC college expert

Lynne DaSilva

Director of Arch Learning Community/Success & Career Advisor, Dean College

Carol Kinlan

Educational Consultant, Carol Kinlan Consulting 

Dr. Suzanne Jones

CUNY LEADS Job Developer, Queensborough Community College

Courtney Joly-Lowdermilk

Program Director, College Mental Health Programs, Boston University

 
Rob Franek

Moderator

Rob Franek

Editor-in-Chief, The Princeton Review and NBC college expert

Rob Franek is a nationally sourced expert on higher education and editor- in-chief of the widely acclaimed and indispensable The K & W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Differences — now in its 15th Edition.

Over his 28-year career, Rob has been a college admissions administrator, publisher, editor, author, and lecturer. In his tenure with The Princeton Review, he has visited hundreds of high schools, colleges, and universities. He says the interactions he has with students, parents, educators, and administrators are among his most rewarding professional experiences.

Rob is the author of several books, including The Best 387 Colleges, and College Admissions During COVID  (October 2020). 

Dr. Jones

Dr. Suzanne Jones

CUNY LEADS Job Developer, Queensborough Community College

Dr. Suzanne Jones’s career in higher education includes Mercy College, Nassau Community College, Lehman College and LaGuardia Community College where she is an adjunct faculty member in the Graduate Business School and Communications / Humanities Department. She has received many accolades for her work in the field of workforce development.​

Her latest publication was entitled, “Leadership and the Perception of Women in Higher Education” and is an abridgement to the work she is currently producing.

Prior to joining Queensborough Community College, Jones worked at LaGuardia Community College where she provided leadership and support to the Young Adult Internship Program and the Summer Youth Employment Program.

Courtney Joly-Lowdermilk

Courtney Joly-Lowdermilk

Program Director, College Mental Health Programs, Boston University

Courtney Joly-Lowdermilk, M.S. Ed. manages NITEO at the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University, a wellness and academic skills-building program assisting college students to successfully re-enter college and complete higher education.

She has worked in disability services in higher education for over nine years providing direct support to students with disabilities and developing and implementing programs promoting academic self-efficacy and mental health well-being.

Lynne DaSilva

Lynne DaSilva

Director of Arch Learning Community/Success & Career Advisor, Dean College

Lynn DaSilva is the Assistant Director of Dean College’s Arch Learning Community. This widely regarded program provides comprehensive support to students with diagnosed learning disabilities and/or other learning differences who would benefit from additional academic support while taking part in a traditional college curriculum.

Skilled in teaching, advising, public speaking, program development, and leadership, Lynn also serves as an adjunct professor for both Arch-specific and non-Arch courses and was honored with the Dean College Excellence in Teaching Award in 2015 for her exceptional work in the classroom.

Carol-Kinlan

Carol Kinlan

Educational Consultant, Carol Kinlan Consulting

Carol Kinlan is a highly regarded Boston-based educational consultant with over 14 years of experience helping students with their school and college placement.
 
Prior to consulting, she worked as director of learning resources at the Shady Hill School in Cambridge, MA, and learning coordinator at the Dedham Country Day School. Carol has also worked at The Institute for Learning and Development (ILD) in Lexington, MA, where she conducted neuropsychological assessments and tutored students.
 
Carol holds an M.Ed. from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education’s Mind, Brain and Education Dept., an M.B.A. from Boston University, and an undergraduate degree in journalism from UMass Amherst.
 
Carol serves on the Board of Visitors for The Fenn School in Concord, MA, and the Board of Trustees at The Learning Prep School in Newton. She is a professional member of IECA.
Niloo

Niloo Kamkar

Student Advocate at NCLD

Niloo Kamkar graduated from the University of California of Santa Barbara with a bachelors in Economics and is currently a paralegal student and intern at the Santa Clara County Office of the Public Defender. She is applying to law school for Fall 2022, with the ultimate goal to advocate, defend, and enforce the rights of people from marginalized communities within the judicial system.
 
Joe

Joseph Letteri

Student Advocate at NCLD

Joseph Letteri is currently an associate specialist at AstraZeneca, interested in continuing his career in the pharmaceutical industry. He graduated with a BS in chemical engineering from the University of Virginia in 2021. His side interests inlclude ADHD empowerment, learning disability advocacy, and education.

Different Choices Virtual College and Career Fair logo

We bring colleges and career programs that support students with learning disabilities and/or mental health challenges together to virtually meet with prospective students and employees. 

Useful Links

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May 2022 $mart Money: Increase Post-High School Cash Flow
September Expo College & Career Fair Virtual Expo
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Presented by Schools for Children, Inc.

Schools for Children, Inc. prides itself in creating school communities that are responsive to the individual needs of its students. Since no one model best matches the needs of all students, we have strived to create distinctive schools characterized by varied learning methodologies targeted to specific student populations. Each of the five schools currently under our umbrella represents an effort to transform learning by offering programs that constitute the right fit for its unique set of students. Different Choices Fair grew out of a desire to supply  information about supportive post-high school options for Schools for Children, Inc students, and has grown ever since.
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