Counselor visit April 2015

 Located in rural Putney,VT and minutes from Brattleboro, VT  Small college with 480 students  Over 80 faculty, 6:1 ratio  College exclusively serves students with language based learning disabilities (including dyslexia), ADHD, and autism spectrum disorders (ASD).  Programs are fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

 Degree programs include:  BA in Liberal studies  AS in Computer science/Gaming  AS in Life sciences  AA in Business studies  AA in Liberal studies  Students receive 50% more hours of direct classroom instruction than any other college.

 There are three different ways a student can enter Landmark College.  Credit Curriculum: A first semester course of study for students who are academically ready for college level courses  Partial Credit Curriculum: A first semester course of study that enables students to work on developing reading and writing skills while taking two college credit courses.  Language Intensive Curriculum (LIC): A non credit program for students with significant difficulties in reading and writing.

 Students need to submit an application along with their IEP or 504 plan and recent testing  Cognitive and reading testing may be waived if students have solid standardized test scores (SATs in the high 400/low 500 range and ACT score of 21 or higher)  A recommendation and interview are also required.  Early Action deadline is 12/1  Rolling regular admission

 Students come from 38 states plus Puerto Rico  Students come from 8 countries  73% men and 27% women  Ethnicity is 71% white, 15% non white and 14% unknown  34% of students have ADHD only  22% Language based LD and ADHD  15% Language based LD only  20% ASD  9% other

 Typical double rooms, a few medical singles  There are two places to eat on campus, the regular cafeteria and then a smaller café.

 Tuition, room and board: $65,290  70% of students receive grants or scholarship  If students are applying for financial aid, only the FAFSA needs to be submitted. Priority deadline is 2/15  Typical financial aid packages include a mix of federal and state grants and loans, as well as college funded scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $30,000/year.  Landmark also offers families convenient payment plans to help finance college expenses.

 Students have a one to one relationship with an academic advisor. Students have one to one meetings with their advisors and these people are the primary contact for parents. In addition to classes, all students participate in weekly academic advising sessions and workshops with a team of classmates, faculty and advisors.

 In the Drake Center for Academic Support: Individualized support services are offered in: writing, reading, study skills, math, science, executive function coaching, assistive technology and research/reference support.  Most students use this service willingly. Athletes are required to go once a week and students who aren’t doing well academically may also be required to get support here.

 For students with ASD: Their integrated, progressive, and student centered program includes an early orientation program, a social pragmatics course, weekly social group clusters and a range of targeted faculty and staff services.

 The experienced faculty have deep subject knowledge in their academic disciplines as well as extensive expertise in the field of learning disabilities.  The professors are all required to do research and present at conferences around the country, as well as some world wide.  There is a lot of communication with parents unlike your traditional college. All students are encouraged to sign a FERPA release so information can be shared with family members.

 Small classes of 6-17 students, average class size is 11 students.  Librarians all have experience with students with learning disabilities and are well versed in how to address student needs.

 There are 4 full time counselors on staff and one psychiatrist.  35-38% of students use counseling services  There is also a “urgent counseling” spot every day at 4pm.  Some students will come to counseling on a weekly basis, others as needed.  Counselors also work with students on developing resiliency.

 There are 30 different clubs on campus. They vary from year to year depending on the interests of the students.  They run 5 trips each semester into Boston. There’s one trip to NYC each year and one to Montreal.

 Athletics in baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer and equestrian.

 Nine out of every ten students who earn an associate degree at Landmark go on to pursue bachelor’s degrees at the college of their choice.  Many students are now electing to continue their studies in Landmark’s own BA program.  Students who opt to transfer elsewhere for a 4 year degree once they’ve developed stronger learning skills and confidence are assisted by the transfer and career services advisors.

 The transfer and career services office provides resources to help students plan for and manage their next steps:  Transfer process  Interest and major exploration  Career development and readiness  Internship preparation