The college admissions process is challenging. It is many young people’s first time navigating a multifaceted, multistep project independently. Pair that steep learning curve with high stakes and the countless other commitments facing high schoolers, and it’s no wonder that most students report their junior and senior years as being periods of high stress.

Neurodiverse students—including those with learning differences, on the autism spectrum, attentional challenges, or mental health conditions like anxiety or depression—often face additional barriers. These challenges can manifest in standardized testing, course selection, the writing process, project management, interviewing, school selection, or all of the above.

Given the varied ways that neurodiversity can impact teenagers, supporting these students is more an art than a science. But one universal tenet applies: These students succeed when they receive individualized support tailored to their specific challenges and strengths. Here’s how we approach it.

1. Know the student. Neurodiversity is a broad classification that can manifest in highly distinct, individual ways. Even students with the same diagnosis often have different needs. For example, students with anxiety can be excellent with executive functioning, or they might really struggle with prioritization. Students with dyslexia might rely on extended time on exams and standardized tests while others have learned to succeed with standard time. Students with attentional challenges might need a small college with seminar-style classes while others have the skills to excel in a large university. We make sure to ask students and parents questions geared toward understanding how they learn best, what challenges they face, and what strategies they’ve identified to help them thrive. Knowing our students requires minimizing assumptions and maximizing listening.

2. Get organized with a clear action plan. Effectively working toward long-term goals necessitates breaking them down into small, manageable steps. Neurodiverse students may need extra steps or more direction, and they may have additional tasks to complete (more research into learning or mental health services; written statements about their diagnosis or academic trajectory, for example). However, by starting early, identifying what success looks like, setting both long-term and incremental goals, and communicating in clear, action-oriented language, we can help make a convoluted process feel manageable. Structure is critical, especially for students in need of extra support.

3. Prepare to adjust. We are always ready to modify. This means calibrating assignments (or perhaps just the way that we write them), shifting how we work with students in the brainstorming and revising process, and updating internal deadlines to match the student’s pace, amongst other adjustments we might make over the course of the admissions process. Supporting neurodiverse students is about modifying our systems so they work for each applicant, not the other way around.

Why does this matter? The number of students who identify as neurodiverse is increasing, as are the stakes of the admissions process. Done well, effective admissions advising helps students:

Land at a college or university that is the right fit, with the academic, social, and institutional support they need to thrive.
Develop a sense of agency and control in a process that can otherwise feel overwhelming.
Build lasting skills in organization, writing, self-advocacy, and project management that will serve them long after their admissions process.

While neurodivergence can take many forms, effective support comes down to one essential principle: individualization.

College Advising for Neurodivergence

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