How do I know if a college will provide a safe environment for me? | An Insider Guide to College Admissions

Next up in our Insider's Guide to College Admissions podcast series, a question we've been getting more and more from both parents and prospective students: How to know whether a college environment will be a safe place for you physically, mentally and emotionally. I'm so glad that our insider Alyse Levine, top college counselor and founder of Premium Prep, has taken the opportunity to answer it with so much thoughtfulness.

Q: How can a student evaluate whether a school will provide a safe environment for them?

A: There are a lot of resources to look into.

First, research what a college says about its safety, accessibility, and support services. Those are three smart keywords to search for on a college website, and it's a good place to start. Talk to students and families at the school who share your same values, political leanings, gender identity, race, background -- whatever it is about you that is giving you safety concerns. This will give you invaluable first-hand perspectives. Call college departments directly, such as Residential Life, Student Life, or Student Support Services, and speak to people who work there. Folks in these departments aren’t trying to market their school the same way as the Department of Admissions does, and they tend to be honest and helpful. Contact on-campus affinity groups, cultural clubs, and organizations like Campus Pride, Hillel. African Students Association, Asian Pacific American Coalition, Muslim Students Association, Young Democrats of America, or College Republicans. Explore third-party resources. A few I like, but there are plenty more:

• The Hillel College Guide is a valuable resource for further analyzing what’s being done regarding antisemitism on campus, and finding resources available on individual campuses for Jewish students.
• The Campus Pride Ultimate Queer College Guide is a great resource for LGBTQ students to explore how comfortable they may or may not feel on different college campuses.
• The K&W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Differences (Amazon) is a great resource. Not perfect but in my opinion, the best guide available for students with ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and other learning differences.

  Look into mental health support resources on campus. This is a hot-button issue right now, with mental health issues on the rise. Frankly, some colleges are understaffed and struggle to support students in need, while other schools have heavily invested in mental health resources for their students. It’s so important to investigate what’s available at each individual institution you are considering applying to, so that you feel comfortable there's help for your student if needed. Just knowing there are ample mental health services available on campus for you, whether or not you've needed them in the past, can greatly contribute to your sense of safety on campus. A final note about mental health: While it is not necessary, or even necessarily recommended, that you disclose mental health issues in your application, (the issue of disclosure is complex and warrants a whole other discussion!) It is critical that when you do enroll in your chosen school, you disclose any mental health issues. This way they can be aware of the challenges you face, and be able to support you in the best way they can. Alyse Levine is one of the foremost college counseling experts in the country, and Founder & CEO of our partner for this series, Premium Prep. She was previously Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Washington University in St. Louis,  Associate Director of College Counseling at The Dalton School in New York City, and Associate Director of College Counseling at the Dwight–Englewood School, in Englewood, New Jersey.

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Other questions Alyse has answered: How do you know if a college is a good fit?  Summer job or internship: Do colleges have a preference? What do you do if you have the one tough teacher who gives bad grades? -- And other top student questions How can I help my kids identify and develop their passions? A grade-by-grade guide to college admissions: What should you be doing and when?