One of the things parents mourn a lot of times when their child is diagnosed with special needs is the dream of going to the high-falutin' college of their choice. Oh, the loss of Harvard and Yale, of a parent's alma mater! Oh, the sadness of never being able to spend tens of thousands of dollars on an education that may or may not, in our current economy anyway, lead to a prestigious career.
I never thought about college much for my kids, assuming it would be out of reach. Now, as my daughter moves through her senior year toward the step after that, it's become clear that a four-year college may be out of reach, but a community college is looking like a comfortable stretch. And though community colleges may not have the cachet of those four-year institutions, they have some distinct advantages.
For one thing, no SATs needed, so all those prep courses and tests and re-tests and score sweating are not on our stress radar. For another, getting in isn't a nail-biter -- we filled out an application today and were told we'd get an acceptance in the mail in a week or ten days. The stressful route of applying to a bunch of schools and praying not to be rejected by the one your heart's set on will not be ours to walk. And not for nothing, the price is a lot less stressful for the parental units paying the bill.
There are several community colleges in our area, and after touring them my daughter has now settled on one that has a nice balance of low-key campus and manageable distance. It also has a good program for helping kids with learning disabilities, and I've been assured by a friend whose son was successful there that they'll take good care of her. She's still got a few marking periods of high school to get through, of course, and one last IEP meeting, and some testing we'll need for those special services. But no essays, no interviews, no competition, no student loans, no sweat. I'm having a hard time feeling bad about missing out on all of that.
Also new today: Site of the Day | Today's News and Views | Tip of the Day
Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images