Parent Participation in the
Transition from High School to
College
Transition is a team effort
 Helping students prepare for the transition to college is a team effort
 Student
 Parents
 Transition Counselor/Coordinator
 Guidance Counselor
 Teachers
 Coaches
 Class Advisors
How Can Parents Assist their High
School Student
 Encourage your
 Encourage your
son/daughter to talk
about their disability and
how it effects learning
 Keep a copy of the
current IEP and
Psychological Evaluation
 Keep copies of the most
up to date high school
transcript
son/daughter to register
with the college’s
disability resource office
 Encourage your
son/daughter to
complete the ACCES- VR
application. Attend the
ACCES-VR meetings but
let your young adult do
the talking
Empowerment–
 When parents and educators work with students to
complete tasks ON THEIR OWN, it is a form of
empowerment.
 This is a process that takes time, patience, and a
willingness from the student to become self-directed.
 Empowerment builds confidence!!!!!!
Self-Advocacy
 Have a family discussion about self advocacy
 Give examples of how your son/daughter can be his/her
own best advocate
 Discuss how being a good self-advocate will lead to
more success in college
 Role play with your son/daughter situations such as
talking with a professor about his/her disability and
modifications (i.e. separate location for taking exam,
extra time)
Working with your student on the following:
 Time Line
 College Applications
 ACCES-VR Application
 Financial Aid
 College Visits
 Vocational Assessments
Developing a Time Line
 Throughout their high school experience, students can
develop a yearly time line to list the various events and
activities that may take place.
 This will help “chunk” down some of the necessary
activities.
 Tasks should be realistic and can be checked off as they
are completed
Time Line Websites
http://collegeapps.about.com/od/admissionst
http://www.petersons.com/college-search/planning-list-studentsparents.aspx
http://www.quintcareers.com/college_application_timeline.html
Time line should be simple AND realistic. The time line
should be a true representation of your son/daughter’s “to
do” list for the coming year.
College Applications
 Encourage your son/daughter
 To work closely with the guidance counselor and/or
transition counselor on the college application process.
 To determine the factors that are most important in
deciding the college of his/her choice
 To attend college fairs
 To begin the process early
 To develop a quality college essay
 To complete the applications before the deadlines
ACCES-VR Application
 Should be completed in the 2nd half of the student’s
junior year or 1st semester of the senior year.
 Students can get assistance with completing the
application from teachers and counselors.
 ACCES works with the college disability office in
providing services such as tutoring and note taking.
ACCES-VR Application
 Student Questionnaire – your son/daughter needs to
complete this to the best of his/her ability
 Sign the release of information forms
 Complete financial survey if your child is seeking
services that are based on economic need (i.e.
textbook costs)
 Check over application to be sure all sections are
completed (incomplete applications can lead to a delay
in processing
Financial Aid
 Encourage your son/daughter to:
 apply to the various scholarships available through the
high school and community
 Apply early to these scholarships
 Check out scholarships at the college where s/he has
applied.
 Complete the FAFSA (www.fafsa.gov)
 Be sure to access the correct web site. It doesn’t cost you
any money to file the FAFSA at the above website
College Visits
 Encourage your son/daughter to:
 Visit the colleges while classes are in session
 Talk with students who are in enrolled in his/her
program of interest.
 Figure out the campus map and get from Point A to
Point B. This can be quite the “demystifying”
experience.
 (if applicable) Plan an overnight visit.
 Eat in the school’s cafeteria
College Visits
 Encourage your son/daughter to visit the following
offices on campus:
 Admission Office
 Financial Aid
 Security
 Disability Services
 Cafeteria
 Career Planning
The “What Do You Want to Do When
You Grow-Up” Discussion
 Talk with your son/daughter about :
 Likes and dislikes
 Does the stated goal (i.e. become a nurse) go along with
your child’s academic interests?
 Program requirements (prerequisites, course
requirements, minimum grades in program)
 Researching different careers (NY Career Zone is a great
way to find out information and it’s FREE –
http://www.nycareerzone.org/ )
Contact Information
 Sally Lauletta
Transition Coordinator, Questar III
slauletta@questar.org
(518) 479-6802
 Jennifer Miller
Learning Disabilities Specialist
Hudson Valley Community College
J.Miller1@hvcc.edu
(518) 629-7552