The College is not allowed to ask, by law, if a prospective student has a disability prior to admission. The admissions office makes every attempt to judge an application on its merits. If an applicant believes that their academic record does not accurately reflect their ability to do college work, or their disability played some role on the transcript (i.e. the student was not provided services or diagnosed until mid-way through high school or did not become disabled until later in high school), then it is suggested that the student write an additional essay or letter and indicate how that affected their work. It is not recommended that the student include actual documentation, because documentation must be read by someone trained to interpret it. Therefore, documentation of a disability will not be needed until enrollment at the College.

In addition, documentation is a very personal piece of information and should only be kept in the files of the Student Academic Support Services Office. This is another reason why it is not recommended that documentation be sent to the Admissions office. We realize that it is extremely important that all information about a student’s disability remain confidential and that it not be used in a preferential manner in making an admission decision.

It is also important for prospective students to understand that, if they include documentation with their application and are admitted, this does not necessarily mean that they are guaranteed to receive services. For that, they must go through a separate application process and need to contact Student Academic Support Services directly.

During the school year our time is devoted to current students, which makes us unable to meet with prospective students until they have been accepted through the Admissions Office. We will be available for appointments during the College's January Term (1/4/06-1/22/06) and will also be present at the Admissions Office's Admitted Student Programs held during the Spring Semester. Prior to being admitted to the College, all questions pertaining to Student Academic Support Services should be directed to an Admissions Counselor.