When I started blogging it was about my transition into high school. I originally planned to do just four blogs for MATAN, spanning my freshman year. About three years later, I am writing for JDIN (Jewish Disability Inclusion News), running my website, and presenting for various audiences. And yet, I now find myself trading my original transition for a new one.
Unlike high school, the college transition process doesn’t start when you finish high school, it begins during the admissions process. High school takes up a big part of life, but college is all-consuming — the social, academic, and professional trajectories of one’s life are vastly changed in college. And for any prospective student, especially an autistic student, picking a school that fits one’s needs is important. By this point in my process, I’ve considered many schools, and four are on my list.
I have always been an academic. I love reading. I consider myself engaged when presented with unique and bold ideas. And many of my interests are academic. So it’s not surprising that one of my focuses when selecting colleges was to look for academically challenging schools. I came across many options but I gravitated towards Princeton due to a couple of factors.
Princeton is located between two of my support centers (New York, where most of my family lives, and Philadelphia, where my paternal grandparents live). While I want to become more independent during my time in college, I recognize that in case of an emergency, it is important to be close to a trusted family member.
Another reason I like Princeton is its unique academic culture. I could have opted to look at Harvard or Yale or Stanford, but, I chose to look at Princeton. It is not as competitive (not admissions-wise, Princeton has a very low acceptance rate) as some of these other universities but still has an emphasis on curiosity and research. Princeton’s clubs also focus on intellectual interests as well. And for me, an avid reader, its giant library caught my eye.
On the other hand, college is not just about academics. Residential life is just as critical. That is where Binghamton comes in strong. We have a family friend who currently goes to Binghamton. Similar to me, they are also on the spectrum and were concerned about the social and sensory challenges of college dorms. Binghamton is very accommodating to the needs of its neurodiverse students. The Office of Disability Services is rated highly by this friend and can be contacted as soon as one is admitted. The school offered a solution that works for her — a suite arrangement where she has an individual bathroom and shared living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Looking at Binghamton, I feel confident that my needs will be met.
At Johns Hopkins, the atmosphere caught my attention. For being a so-called “STEM” school, its humanities programs are well funded. Its student body isn’t focused on sports. Instead, similar to Princeton, it has a much more academic environment. The difference is that Johns Hopkins is more integrated with the city of Baltimore, leading to a unique fusion of social and academic life. Internships and research jobs offer good opportunities to make connections, friendships, and bonds. Baltimore itself is also more my speed. It’s not a giant city. I was worried about going to a college in New York City or Boston because of the noise, hordes of people, and sensory-rich spaces. While Baltimore still has elements of this, it is much more spread out and smaller than its larger counterparts. The attractions and activities there are also more appealing to me. Waterside pavilions are much calmer than downtown nightlife and museums are more intriguing than gigantic music arenas.
The final school to top my list was Brandeis University. Its strong Jewish community made a great impression on me. Now, all of the schools I have previously mentioned have strong Jewish communities — that’s one of the reasons I chose them. But ask any guide from the ADL to Jewish Professional networks and Brandeis is in a league of its own. Every Jewish Holiday is off for the entire campus. The Jewish population is large and generates major events. And finally, antisemitism is taken seriously. SJP and anti-Israel groups are banned and the campus is marketed as a safe space for Jews. Now there are other reasons I like Brandeis. Their academics are strong and the campus is beautiful. And, even more critical to me, quiet. I felt comfortable (not overwhelmed) when walking around. It was the least likely of any campus to give me a sensory overload.
At this moment if you were to ask me where I am going for college I couldn’t give you an answer. But, I feel rather confident that it will likely be one of these four. And, if it is not, the college I will choose will have similar traits to these: a strong community, Jewish life, and excellent academics. And more than anything, the college I choose must have a robust disability service (or similarly) titled department. I must be able to get housing that accommodates my needs and I must be afforded the same empathy and care I have gotten from other institutions. So far, each of these universities has passed my preliminary look, but, as I continue through the process, I will become more critical.
My college process is only just beginning. In my next blog on the college process, I will discuss my first college visits, the SATs, and writing my essays.
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