How to Start an Investment Club

How to Start an Investment Club.

If you're interested in investing but don't want to go at it alone, you can join an investment club or even start one of your own. An investment club consists of members who study stocks, bonds and other investments. The goal is to have each member take an industry and report to the group why they think it is a great investment. Knowledge is power, and wisdom from many helps assure success. Many times they will pool their money together in order to make joint investment decisions. It's a great way to give and get wisdom. Working with others will help you and others make intelligent investment decisions.

Part 1 Getting Your Club Together.
1. Find potential members for your club. They can be local, so you can meet in person, or they can live far away, and you can meet online. Aim for a club with 10 to 15 members, but anything from six to 20 is workable. When you have fewer people you might have trouble getting enough funds together to invest (some investments favor the larger investor). However, with a large group, both maintaining high-quality discussions and finding a place to meet become concerns.
Spread the word. Tell family, friends, and co-workers about your club-in-the-making. Put together a flyer describing what you have in mind, and pass it out, post it on message boards, send it through e-mail, etc.
2. Hold a preliminary meeting. Get together with the people who are interested, provide snacks and refreshments, and discuss the formation of a club.
Define goals. Are people more interested in the club for its educational value, or for the financial returns? Are they interested in short-term or long-term investing? (Most investment clubs use a buy-and-hold strategy.) Will your members share a general investing philosophy and approach?
Determine how much each member can contribute financially.
If people make different contributions, their returns should be proportional.
You can either pool your investment funds and invest together (a common practice) or invest through individual accounts (self-directed).
Consider starting your club through BetterInvesting.org, an organization that can provide education, support, and online tools and resources for your club.
Determine if your club needs to register with the SEC. You can find more information on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at: https://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/invclub.htm
3. Gauge member interest level. In other words, decide whether you really want to invest with these people. An investment club will involve significant risk for those involved. The risks, and consequently the rewards, are shared among all members. This means that everyone involved should be equally interested and participate similarly. Be on the lookout for red flags among your potential members. For example, consider carefully members that might.
4. Hold an organizational meeting to iron out the details. Have another get-together with the people who are still interested to discuss and implement the club's policy and organization. The first step should be to decide on an official name for your group. Next you'll want to decide when and where to meet (a living room, library, church, or coffeehouse, depending on the size of the group). Meetings should last an hour or two. After defining these basic rules, consider also doing the following.
Defining and appointing roles within the club (president, secretary, treasurer, investor). What are their responsibilities? The terms should be one or two years, and the treasurer should have an assistant who can move up later.
Writing out how the club will manage payouts, divestiture (reducing assets or investments), or dissolution.
Laying out the policies on gaining new members and figuring out what happens when a member wants to leave the club.
5. File the necessary paperwork. In order to pool your money and invest together, you will need to incorporate your investment club into what is known as a general partnership. You will have to write out the rules of this partnership and its operation and have each member sign it once you all agree.
You should also write a club operating agreement. This would outline all the policies discussed in the previous meeting and should be signed by everyone in the group (as well as others who may join later). There are sample contracts and agreements available online and in books.
To pay taxes, you also have to apply with the IRS for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and file a "Certificate of Conducting Business as Partners" form with a local jurisdiction (such as a Secretary of State office). Contact your local jurisdiction (city, county, or state) for more information.

Part 2 Investing with Your Club
1. Open a brokerage account or bank account. Most clubs start with both a checking and a brokerage account. Choose a broker who suits your needs (full-service, discount, or online). A full-service broker will provide advice and may attend a few meetings, while a discount or online broker will leave you to your own devices. Many investment clubs end up choosing the latter.
2. Develop an educational agenda. In most cases, investment clubs are formed by people who are still learning about investing. Not everyone is on the same page in terms of his knowledge base. Ask each member what big Question : s they have about investing. Having them submit Question : s anonymously is a good option. Choose the topics you feel should be addressed as a group. Make a "syllabus" and decide who will be doing the research and presenting the topic to the group.
You may also wish to provide a list of good, reliable sources for research. In general, you should stick to reputable financial news services and online investing encyclopedias.
3. Research potential first investments. After a period of time, when contributions to the club have been made by group members, you're ready to start looking at first investments. Have each club member research potential asset purchases like stocks, mutual funds, or investment properties and defend her choices with research. Then, you can have the group vote on their favorite choices and determine how much money to allocate to each.
Remember to keep some of your initial money uninvested in case the market presents an opportunity.
4. Invest as a group. Finalize your choices for your first investment and take the plunge. As your club continues operating, evaluate new and old investments during your regular meetings. These will typically be held once a month, although market conditions may dictate more frequent gatherings. In these meetings you should also:
Review club finances (overall gains or losses, individual investment progress and cash balance available for investment).
Make sure you have designated a single, trustworthy member who has the authority to buy and sell on behalf of the club.
5. Have fun. Celebrate your victories and commiserate your losses. This is one of the biggest reasons people join investment clubs. You could even set aside some of your gains for group outings or events. The idea is to keep everyone entertained and involved in the group so that they keep contributing funds each month and don't get bored over time.

Community Q&A.

Question : Can a group of my friends start a club where we focus on trading Futures contracts?
Answer : Yes, you can focus on any sort of investment you like. Find a full-service broker who's very experienced in that area unless you know what you're doing, in which case you can use an online brokerage.
Question : I have an existing Investment Club of 20 years and now our broker is asking for an updated membership list. We have had numerous changes in membership that we have not made officially through our by-laws. What should we do?
Answer : It is not necessary for your by-laws to list your members by name. It's a good idea, however, to keep a current membership list. Let it include identifying information such as Social Security numbers. Share that list with your broker. He may be required by law to have that information on file. If your club has a secretary or treasurer, it can be that person's responsibility to keep your membership list current along with all individual contributions and earnings.
Question : Can whole life insurance be a viable investment tool for investment clubs?
Answer : No. Life insurance could potentially be a decent investment for an individual but not for a group.
Question : We are forming an investment club for stocks, real estate, etc. How do we register and what type of account do we need?
Answer : "Registration" is not necessary. You are simply private parties making private investments. If you'll be making group purchases, you'll want a checking account for the club, as well as trading accounts with one or more brokerages. (You don't have to work exclusively with one broker.)
Question : Why, when we leave the investment club, do we only get 95% of our money?
Answer : Read the by-laws of your club. There may be a provision stating that the club retains 5% of your money for maintenance purposes.
Question : In this era where investing in stocks is highly risky, what other investment windows would you advise?
Answer : Bonds are usually considered to be less risky than stocks. You can invest in certain mutual funds that own an array of bonds. Some mutual funds invest mainly in stocks, and that's a way of diversifying your stock investment and taking on less risk. Money-market instruments such as certificates of deposit (CDs) are safe investments, but they don't pay very much interest. Unfortunately, that's usually the case: the safer the investment, the less it's likely to pay you.
Question : There are six of us. We want to pull our funds together each month and ultimately invest it. Would we need to register our group as a limited partnership the state's secretary of state office?
Answer : Probably a general partnership. Re-read Part 1, Step 5 above.
Question : Are we limited as a group to investing in stocks, bonds and real estate? Can we also invest in things like buying and selling cars, boats, auctioned-off storage units, estate sales, etc.?
Answer : A club is free to choose its own investments without restrictions.
Question : How should the profits be shared among the club members?
Answer : Profits are commonly shared in direct proportion to the amount of each member's investment, but you can agree on other arrangements if you like, such as recognizing certain members' investing prowess or willingness to do administrative work on the club's behalf.

Tips.

Don't invest immediately. Give the group a couple of months to deposit money. This will weed out those who aren't really committed to the club or who can't afford it.
When an investment goes wrong, keep your pointing finger to yourself. Use the experience to learn what not to do. Go back to the drawing board and change things if need be.
Trust has to be established for the club to be effective.
Limit investments to cash with no leverage. If margin accounts are used, every partner may be liable for the full debt.

Warnings.

Make sure that everyone understands that they might not make money and could actually lose money. Not all investments are profitable. If they were, everyone would be doing it.
Proper planning, a supportive group, and an understanding leader are vital in promoting cohesion and optimism within the group
Some members may be tempted to embezzle funds. This is why having an operating agreement and ironing out the details is important. So is your choice of club officers.
Be ready for the fact that your group will experience emotional highs and lows in the course of investing their hard-earned money.

July 02, 2020

How to Write a Proposal Letter

How to Write a Proposal Letter.

A proposal letter is a professional letter that states, in an abbreviated form, why an organization, institution, or company should support a professional venture of yours. You might write a proposal letter for a number of reasons—for example, to request a grant, a business loan, or that a publisher accept your book idea. There are general formats, details, and arguments you should make in each instance, although the specifics will vary based on the recipient’s requirements. In all cases, however, you must be succinct, informative, and persuasive.

Method 1 Writing a Grant Proposal Letter.
1. Review the eligibility guidelines so you can offer proof throughout the letter. Most public and private organizations that issue grants for research or other projects have a detailed list of eligibility requirements. You must meet these requirements to be eligible, and you must confirm to the organization that you meet these requirements.
Check the organization’s website or call or email them to get complete and up-to-date eligibility guidelines.
Instead of dedicating an entire paragraph to explaining how you meet each requirement, weave this information into the body of your letter as you write it. For instance, if the organization has certain requirements concerning the types of projects the money can be used for and separate requirements for how that money will be allotted, describe these issues in separate paragraphs instead of trying to cram all the information into one.
2. Introduce your organization to an appropriate degree in the first paragraph. If you are not in regular contact with the grant organization, you should introduce your organization in fairly substantial detail in the first body paragraph of your letter. For instance, provide the name of your organization, what it does, why it does it, and who benefits from your organization's work.
If you have had previous contact with the grant agency or organization, don’t rehash basic information the recipient already knows. Instead, mention any changes or developments your organization has made since you were last in contact.
3. Explain your need for the grant and its importance to your organization. Make this the central focus of the second body paragraph. Tell the recipient what your organization hopes to accomplish and what group or groups in society are the focus for your efforts. Also explain why your research, charitable effort, or venture is important and what sort of outcome you are expecting to have.
Balance optimism and realism in this section and throughout the letter. Don’t make outlandish claims like “ending poverty” with this grant. Instead, explain how the grant will help “alleviate food insecurity for at-risk children both before and after school hours.”
4. Provide a timeline and other practical details on how the grant will be used. In the third paragraph, include realistic content about the timeline your project will require, the locations you will operate in and/or impact, and similar information.
State when the project will begin and how long you expect it to run. Be as precise as possible: “If the grant is approved, we intend to operate the program from August 25, 2020 through August 24, 2021.”
Some grants are location-specific. If this is true of the grant you apply for, you will need to indicate where your organization is based, the geographic area that will be studied during your project, or the geographic area that will benefit from the project.
5. Mention how much the project will cost and how much grant money you are requesting. Be as specific as possible so that the grant organization can get an idea of how crucial its funding is. Provide this information in its own paragraph or integrated into the prior paragraph on grant use details.
Particularly if you are applying for a grant without a pre-determined funding amount, be sure to state precisely how much money you are requesting.
Be precise in your cost estimates and provide supporting documentation as enclosures in your application packet, as per the organization’s application instructions.
6. Include any additional information requested in the application instructions. The grant agency or organization may require additional information that should be included in your proposal letter, or it may require separate documents as enclosures in your packet. Refer to the application instructions carefully and frequently, and contact the organization whenever you have questions or need clarification.
Additional documents may include financial budgets, past financial records, and past records indicating the success of similar projects performed by your organization in the past.
Make sure your grant request isn’t delayed or even rejected because you failed to provide a required piece of information.

Method 2 Writing a Business Financing Proposal Letter.
1. Refer to any prior contact at the beginning of the letter. If your business is already established and has a previous relationship with the lender or funder you are contacting, be sure to mention that prior contact. This doesn’t guarantee success for your current request, of course, but it may strengthen your status as a “good bet.”
If you interacted with a specific contact at the company, mention that individual by name. For example: “Nearly seven years ago, I worked with Jane Goodson at your company to help secure the funding that got my business off the ground.”
2. Discuss the size, scope, and focus of your company. Include your mission statement and a short description of the products or services your company provides. To make your case for funding more convincing, also include details like the number of customers served, the number of employees, and information about any administrative boards.
Providing a brief summary of your business helps the funder get a better understanding of who you are, what you do, and why you are a good choice for funding.
Aim to spend 1 paragraph on this content, in most cases.
3. Pinpoint the amount of funding you need and why you need it. Take a paragraph to both identify precisely how much funding you are requesting and explain why you need financial help from the funder. Describe what, specifically, the funding will be used for.
For example: “The $50,000 loan we are requesting will enable us to expand production in our highest-profit product range and grow sales by an estimated 20% within 2 years.”
You may need to include budget data that spells out how funds have been used in the past and projections on how the funds will be used this time around. This additional data may need to be included as a separate attachment.
Regardless of how much information you include in the body of the letter itself, you should always state the total cost of the project and how much of that cost will be covered by the funder's support.
4. Explain how you will use the funding, specifically but succinctly. You need to provide enough information about how the provided funds will be used to make the prospective funder curious and excited by the prospect. Provide key highlights in a paragraph, mentioning specifics but not going into excessive detail.
This should only be a summary. With a full-scale proposal, this information can take pages. This information should take no more than a half page when writing a shorter proposal letter, however. Provide separate enclosures as needed.
5. Offer to provide additional details at the close of your letter. Since a proposal letter is shorter than a full proposal, make it clear that you are willing and able to provide additional details as requested. Do this instead of sending excessive amounts of information that has not been requested with your proposal letter.
For instance, you last sentences might read: “Should you need any further information, please feel free to contact me directly by phone or email. I would also be happy to meet with you at your offices.”
6. Include any necessary enclosures with your packet. Check over the application requirements again. If the prospective funder requires additional documentation along with your proposal letter, include it in the envelope as an enclosure. Note the enclosures in your proposal letter.
Possible documentation might include a list of board members, copies of your tax documents and financial documents, and resumes of key staff members.

Method 3 Writing a Book Proposal Letter.
1. Check the submission guidelines before starting the letter. Every publishing agency and publisher has its own set of submission guidelines. These can usually be found on the publisher's website—if not, call, email, or write to the company and request a copy of their guidelines before proceeding.
Submission guidelines outline the types of books a publisher or agent will accept, as well as the required format and content for the proposal letter.
2. Spend the first few paragraphs describing your book. Right from the start, you need to convince the agent or publisher that the book you want to submit will be successful in the marketplace. In the first paragraph, use around 300 words to write a brief but intriguing summary of your book. Write a second paragraph that describes the essentials of the book, such as genre, word count, and likely market.
If you’re writing fiction or creative non-fiction, outline your narrative and describe your main characters in the first or second paragraph.
State whether or not the book is finished at some point in these opening paragraphs. Note, however, that some publishers will not accept proposals for unfinished works.
3. Identify your expected target market and competitors. Use a paragraph to thoroughly describe the demographic your book is aimed at. If possible, provide provide statistics and make sure they address your target demographic in specific, rather than general, terms.
Perform a competitive analysis in this section. List a few main competitors to your book, explain how well these competitors do in the market, and describe why your book will offer something its competitors do not.
4. Provide biographical information, especially in relation to the book’s subject matter. Describe yourself and explain why you are the perfect person to write this book. Don’t fabricate or exaggerate details, but do put a positive spin on your personal bio.
Mention any writing experience and publishing experience you have.
Mention any experience you have with your book’s subject matter. For instance, if you’ve written a book about fashion and have experience as a fashion designer, include that in your letter.
5. Summarize your intended role in the marketing plan. Provide specific information about what your plans are concerning the promotion of your book once it gets published. Be specific, not general. Do not state what you are willing to do, but rather what you will do.
Instead of writing “I would be willing,” for example, go with “I will.”
Possible forms of marketing include professional blogs, book signings, and professional conferences.
6. Include a more detailed synopsis as a separate enclosure. You will usually need to include a 1-2 page synopsis that describes your book in fuller detail than your 300-word summary at the start of the proposal letter. Unless otherwise directed, include this as an enclosure, not as part of the main body of the letter.
Provide a full summary of the entire plot and purpose of your book. Include all the major details about the plot and significant sub-plots.
7. Enclose a sample table of contents and an extract, if requested. Some publishers expect you to send along a table of contents, an extract from the work, or both. Follow the specific submission guidelines provided by the publisher, and get clarification if needed.
If you do not yet have a table of contents, you may instead need to provide a brief summary of each chapter.
Some publishers and agents will request the first few pages or chapters of your book. Others may not specify which part of the book the extract needs to be pulled from. Regardless, the extract should be an example of your strongest writing.

Method 4 Formatting the Letter.
1. Start by placing your address at the top left of the letter. In the upper left corner of the letter, write your street address on the first line, then the remainder of your address (such as city, state, and ZIP code in the U.S.) on the second line. Left align the text (here and throughout the letter) and single space between lines.
You do not need to include your name or title in the return address, since this information is provided in the closing section.
Do not type out the return address at the top of the letter if you are using paper with a formal letterhead that already includes the address.
2. Include the current date below your address. Double-space after the return address and type the current date in "month-day-year" format in the U.S., or “day-month-year” in nations that typically use that format. The month should be spelled out, but the day and year should be represented by numerical values.[
For instance, write “October 8, 2019” (month-day-year) or “8 October 2019” (day-month-year).
If you are not using a return address because your paper has a formal letterhead, the date should be the first piece of information you add at the top left.
3. Type in the recipient's name, title, and address. Double-space after the date, then use a single-spaced line for each of the following: recipient name; recipient title (if applicable); recipient street address; recipient city, state, etc.
Alternatively, you can put the person’s name and title together on one line—for instance: “Mr. Thomas Jones, Director of Operations.”
Use the person’s personal title—Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr., etc.—if you know their preference. It’s generally acceptable to assume “Mr.” for a male and “Ms.” for a female. However, you can instead choose to exclude the personal title and write “Thomas Jones” instead of “Mr. Thomas Jones.”
The entire block should be left-aligned and single-spaced.
It’s preferable to write to a specific individual at a company instead of writing a general letter to anyone who may read it.
4. Include an appropriate salutation to the recipient. Double-space after the recipient's address and type the salutation "Dear" followed by the recipient's personal title and last name. End the salutation with a colon, not a comma: “Dear Ms. Amy Watson:”
If you do not know the recipient's preferred personal title and prefer not to assume either “Mr.” or “Ms.”, skip the personal title and use the recipient's full name: “Dear Amy Watson:”
Double space after the salutation as well.
5. Write the body of your letter using single-spaced block paragraphs. The exact content and length of your proposal letter will of course vary depending on the type of proposal you’re writing. The format of the letter should remain the same for each type, though.
Single space and left justify each paragraph.
Do not indent the first line of your paragraphs.
Double space between paragraphs.
6. Use an appropriate closing and signature. Double-space after the final body paragraph and include a formal closing, followed by a comma. Hit the "Enter" key four times before typing your full name and personal title—this blank space is for your signature.
Capitalize only the first word of your formal closing—That is, “Thank you” instead of “Thank You.”
Common closing options include “Thank you,” “Sincerely,” “Regards,” “Best regards,” and “Best wishes.”
Add a comma after the formal closing.
7. Mention any enclosures below your signature and name and title line. If you send any enclosures with your proposal letter, like a resume with an employment proposal or financial information with a business proposal, indicate this by double-spacing after your typed name and title and typing "Enclosure” or “Enclosures.”
You also have the option of listing each document you are enclosing. Use the following format: “Enclosures: resume, writing sample, 3 letters of reference.”
8. Review the letter for spelling, grammar, and formatting errors. Run your finished letter through a spell-check program, but don't stop there. Read it out loud to check for any awkward phrasing or grammar errors. If possible, have someone else read through it as well, since they may spot errors that you've missed.
Don't let a silly spelling error or misplaced comma reduce the impact of an otherwise carefully-crafted letter. Proofreading is important!

FAQ.

Question : How do I write a proposal for a musical tour?
Answer : dentify the potential donors and outline your plans for the tour, including the bands involved, the venues where you will be playing, and an estimate of the upfront costs and potential profit. If this will be for charity, clearly identify the cause.
Question : How do I write a proposal letter to the ministry of safety, wanting to supply them with stop signs and police gear?
Answer : A proposal is generally understood to mean something the receiver has not yet thought of. "Dear city council, after reading your urban planning blueprints, I propose to plant more trees" rather than "I see you're looking for trees and I want to sell you some." Governments are typically bound by public tenders when they buy equipment, so if you want to sell signs and gear, you have to submit your offer when they issue a tender and hope yours is the best of all offers received.

Tips.
If someone else typed the letter for you, double space after the enclosures line and include their initials. For example, add “HU” if Hilary Underwood typed the letter for you.

April 07, 2020

How to Manage Business Finances

How to Manage Business Finances.

Effective and efficient management of finances is critical to the growth and success of any small business. The easiest way to do this is to hire a dedicated accountant or bookkeeper right away. If you don't have the resources to hire a professional, take advantage of bookkeeping and other financial software to track your cash flow and generate reports. That way you can stay on top of your profits and act quickly to minimize losses.



Method 1 Taking Payments and Paying Expenses.

1. Create a budget and review it regularly. A budget is essential if you want your business to be profitable. Categorize your business's regular expenses to determine how much income your business needs to generate.

Creating multiple budgets can be helpful. For example, you may want to create one with a bare minimum of sales, so you know how to allocate the money when there isn't much coming in.

Use your budget to plan for the growth of your business, such as hiring a new employee or expanding your advertising and marketing.

2. Open a separate business bank account. Even if you're running your business as a sole proprietorship, you still want to keep your business finances separate from your personal finances. Mixing your assets together can cause problems if you're audited, or sued by a business creditor.

Don't take money from your business bank account to pay for personal expenses. If you need money from the business, label it appropriately as a draw from the business and transfer the money to your personal bank account first.

3. Decide what types of payment you'll accept. Having a variety of payment options is a convenience for your customers. Each method of payment has its own costs and risks that you'll want to take into account.

Cash is the simplest method of payment, but presents security risks. If you're going to take cash, have a secure safe and plan on making regular bank deposits.

If you want to take credit or debit cards, look into the different services to find the one that best suits your needs and your overall budget. You typically have to pay a subscription fee for the service, plus a fee per transaction. You may want to require a minimum purchase amount for credit or debit cards.

4. Standardize payment terms. You should have a policy in place that establishes rules for payment of your products or services. Apply those rules to all customers, rather than creating payment terms for individual clients on a piecemeal basis.

Universal payment terms will make your bookkeeping easier, and can smooth your collections process. If you apply the same terms across the board, you also don't have to worry about remembering the arrangements you made with each individual customer.



Method 2 Tracking Overall Cash Flow.

1. Choose your accounting method. To manage your business finances, you must choose either the cash or accrual accounting method and use it consistently. With the cash method, you record sales and expenses when money actually changes hands. For the accrual method, on the other hand, you record sales and expenses when they take place, rather than when money changes hands.

For example, suppose you are a construction contractor and you receive an invoice. If you were using the cash method, you would record the expense in your books when you actually paid the invoice. However, if you were using the accrual method you would record it the day you received it, even if you didn't pay it for several days or weeks.

Cash accounting works better if you have a small business that deals primarily with point-of-sale transactions. If you deal with larger contracts that aren't paid all at once, the accrual method may be a better option for you.

2. Record all sales and expenses. Set up a system so that all sales and expenses are put on the books the day they occur, following the accounting method you've chosen. Only doing the books on a monthly or quarterly basis may result in errors.

If you have a store, you can use a point of sale system to track sales and produce reports that you can easily use to reconcile your books each day.

When you have employees or other partners buying things for the business, make sure you get those receipts as soon as possible so you can keep your books up to date.

3. Purchase bookkeeping software. There are a number of bookkeeping programs, such as QuickBooks, that you can purchase and use to manage your business finances. Most of these programs are arranged so that you pay a monthly subscription fee to use the service.

When you use a subscription, software-as-a-service platform, your data is stored in the cloud so that you don't have to worry as much about security or data loss.

These programs can be connected to your business bank accounts, credit cards, and other systems so that much of the information is entered into your books automatically.

4. Hire an accountant if you need help. If you don't have accounting and bookkeeping education and experience, you may want to hire someone who does. Particularly if you've borrowed money to start up your business, a professional can help you avoid potentially costly mistakes.

Check with the local licensing or regulatory authority to make sure any financial professional you want to hire has all the necessary education and certifications, and that their licenses are active and free of any disciplinary actions.

If you can't afford to have someone working for your business full-time, you may be able to consult with an accountant periodically, or use a bookkeeper occasionally to go over your books and correct any errors.



Method 3 Generating Financial Reports.

1. Download bookkeeping software to simplify report creation. When you use bookkeeping software, you also have the ability to generate the financial reports you need with the click of a button. However, the reports created are only as good as the information you put into the software.

Go over your sales and expenses before you generate your final reports. Reconcile your books with your receipts and bank account statements to make sure the information is correct.

Once you're satisfied with the information, click through to create your reports. You'll typically be prompted to enter the dates you want the report to cover, and the specific information you want included.

2. Create quarterly profit and loss (P&L) reports. Your P&L reports are among the most important tools for assessing and growing your business. Many bookkeeping programs will generate these reports for you if you input the parameters of the report you want.

Your P&L starts with your total sales. You then subtract from those sales the cost of the products or services sold to get your gross profit.

Take your gross profit and subtract other expenses, such as rent or utilities, from that number. You'll be left with your net profit for the time period.

P&L reports are especially important if you anticipate needing small business loans or other outside funding.

3. Prepare quarterly business financial statements. In addition to your P&L, there are several other statements, such as your cash flow statement and your balance sheet, that help you determine where money is flowing in and out of your business.

Your cash flow statement reports the increase or decrease of money flowing into your business. You can quickly see the amount of cash on hand and what you did with it, as well as where that money came from (whether from sales or other sources, such as a loan).

The balance sheet summarizes your business's assets and liabilities. It will be particularly helpful if you have a business credit card, or if you've taken out a small business loan to help fund the start up of your business.

4. Update your projections based on your actual cash flow. Your business plan likely includes cash flow and profit projections several years into the future. As you operate your business, you'll want to check periodically and make sure these projections are still accurate given your business's actual performance.

Look at your business plan and update it twice a year. You also want to update it any time you're applying for a small business loan or courting investors, so they have the most up-to-date information to make their decision.

Depending on how your actual performance compares to your initial expectations, you also may want to adjust some of your business goals and plans for growth or expansion.



Method 4 Filing Business Taxes.

1. Get a separate tax ID number for your business. Even if you're running your business as a sole proprietorship, a separate tax ID number for your business will help keep your business and personal finances separate.

If you have a US business, you can get an employer identification number (EIN) easily online at the IRS's website. Simply go to https://sa.www4.irs.gov/modiein/individual/index.jsp and begin your application.

In other countries, consult a tax professional or business attorney to find out what you need to do to correctly document your business for tax purposes.

2. Choose your tax year. For tax purposes, you can use the calendar year, or any 12-month period that starts on a specific date. In most cases, it's easiest to use the calendar year. When you choose your tax year, you have to use it consistently as long as you remain in business. Typically, you can't change it later.

Most businesses use the calendar year as their tax year. If you're thinking about using a different 12-month period, you may want to consult an attorney or tax professional first.

3. Maintain records of deductible expenses. When you run your own business, you have the ability to deduct many of your business-related expenses on your taxes. These deductions lower your profits and decrease your business's tax liability.

Generally, anything you buy to conduct business will be at least partially deductible. The expense must be reasonable. If you're unsure about something, save the receipts and discuss it with a qualified tax professional.

Expenses such as rent and utilities for commercial space, computers, and office supplies are examples of business expenses that typically are deductible.

4. Use depreciation for more costly assets and fixtures. If you buy something to use in your business that you anticipate using for many years, you typically can't deduct the entire cost at once. Rather, you deduct a portion of it for several years.

The amount and length of time you can claim depreciation depends on how the expense is categorized and the length of its useful life. These are defined by the government.

If you have a significant amount of purchases that are subject to depreciation, it's a good idea to have a tax professional do your taxes so you can make sure you're depreciating them using the right method and getting the maximum possible deduction.

5. Check tax and licensing obligations with your state or local government. State and local governments also may tax businesses, or require you to maintain certifications or licenses if you want to operate your business.

Your local small business association or chamber of commerce typically will have information on the licenses required to operate a small business in your area.

Visit the website of your state or local government tax authority to find out what taxes you must pay as a business owner. For example, if you have employees you typically are required to pay for worker's compensation insurance.

6. Set up the correct withholding for any employees. If you hire regular employees and pay them salary or hourly wages, you must withhold federal taxes and Social Security from their paychecks. You also may need to withhold for state taxes.

Many small businesses contract with a payroll service to take care of their withholding and the issuing of paychecks for them. Talk to business owners in your area to find out how they handle payroll.

7. Pay quarterly estimated taxes. As a business owner, you typically must pay taxes on a quarterly basis and then reconcile on the business tax return at the end of the year. Your state may have estimated tax filing requirements as well.

Depending on the nature of your business, you also may have to collect state or local sales tax for all purchases.

8. Use a tax preparation service to simplify the process. Many companies that offer bookkeeping services also have tax preparation services. Connecting the accounts together can save you a lot of hassle because they will automatically categorize your deductions and estimate quarterly tax payments for you.

As with bookkeeping services, tax preparation services are only as good as the information you put into them. If you're unsure about whether something qualifies as a deduction, talk to a qualified tax professional.

February 10, 2020

how to manage business finances

How to Manage Business Finances.

Effective and efficient management of finances is critical to the growth and success of any small business. The easiest way to do this is to hire a dedicated accountant or bookkeeper right away. If you don't have the resources to hire a professional, take advantage of bookkeeping and other financial software to track your cash flow and generate reports. That way you can stay on top of your profits and act quickly to minimize losses.



Method 1 Taking Payments and Paying Expenses.

1. Create a budget and review it regularly. A budget is essential if you want your business to be profitable. Categorize your business's regular expenses to determine how much income your business needs to generate.

Creating multiple budgets can be helpful. For example, you may want to create one with a bare minimum of sales, so you know how to allocate the money when there isn't much coming in.

Use your budget to plan for the growth of your business, such as hiring a new employee or expanding your advertising and marketing.

2. Open a separate business bank account. Even if you're running your business as a sole proprietorship, you still want to keep your business finances separate from your personal finances. Mixing your assets together can cause problems if you're audited, or sued by a business creditor.

Don't take money from your business bank account to pay for personal expenses. If you need money from the business, label it appropriately as a draw from the business and transfer the money to your personal bank account first.

3. Decide what types of payment you'll accept. Having a variety of payment options is a convenience for your customers. Each method of payment has its own costs and risks that you'll want to take into account.

Cash is the simplest method of payment, but presents security risks. If you're going to take cash, have a secure safe and plan on making regular bank deposits.

If you want to take credit or debit cards, look into the different services to find the one that best suits your needs and your overall budget. You typically have to pay a subscription fee for the service, plus a fee per transaction. You may want to require a minimum purchase amount for credit or debit cards.

4. Standardize payment terms. You should have a policy in place that establishes rules for payment of your products or services. Apply those rules to all customers, rather than creating payment terms for individual clients on a piecemeal basis.

Universal payment terms will make your bookkeeping easier, and can smooth your collections process. If you apply the same terms across the board, you also don't have to worry about remembering the arrangements you made with each individual customer.



Method 2 Tracking Overall Cash Flow.

1. Choose your accounting method. To manage your business finances, you must choose either the cash or accrual accounting method and use it consistently. With the cash method, you record sales and expenses when money actually changes hands. For the accrual method, on the other hand, you record sales and expenses when they take place, rather than when money changes hands.

For example, suppose you are a construction contractor and you receive an invoice. If you were using the cash method, you would record the expense in your books when you actually paid the invoice. However, if you were using the accrual method you would record it the day you received it, even if you didn't pay it for several days or weeks.

Cash accounting works better if you have a small business that deals primarily with point-of-sale transactions. If you deal with larger contracts that aren't paid all at once, the accrual method may be a better option for you.

2. Record all sales and expenses. Set up a system so that all sales and expenses are put on the books the day they occur, following the accounting method you've chosen. Only doing the books on a monthly or quarterly basis may result in errors.

If you have a store, you can use a point of sale system to track sales and produce reports that you can easily use to reconcile your books each day.

When you have employees or other partners buying things for the business, make sure you get those receipts as soon as possible so you can keep your books up to date.

3. Purchase bookkeeping software. There are a number of bookkeeping programs, such as QuickBooks, that you can purchase and use to manage your business finances. Most of these programs are arranged so that you pay a monthly subscription fee to use the service.

When you use a subscription, software-as-a-service platform, your data is stored in the cloud so that you don't have to worry as much about security or data loss.

These programs can be connected to your business bank accounts, credit cards, and other systems so that much of the information is entered into your books automatically.

4. Hire an accountant if you need help. If you don't have accounting and bookkeeping education and experience, you may want to hire someone who does. Particularly if you've borrowed money to start up your business, a professional can help you avoid potentially costly mistakes.

Check with the local licensing or regulatory authority to make sure any financial professional you want to hire has all the necessary education and certifications, and that their licenses are active and free of any disciplinary actions.

If you can't afford to have someone working for your business full-time, you may be able to consult with an accountant periodically, or use a bookkeeper occasionally to go over your books and correct any errors.



Method 3 Generating Financial Reports.

1. Download bookkeeping software to simplify report creation. When you use bookkeeping software, you also have the ability to generate the financial reports you need with the click of a button. However, the reports created are only as good as the information you put into the software.

Go over your sales and expenses before you generate your final reports. Reconcile your books with your receipts and bank account statements to make sure the information is correct.

Once you're satisfied with the information, click through to create your reports. You'll typically be prompted to enter the dates you want the report to cover, and the specific information you want included.

2. Create quarterly profit and loss (P&L) reports. Your P&L reports are among the most important tools for assessing and growing your business. Many bookkeeping programs will generate these reports for you if you input the parameters of the report you want.

Your P&L starts with your total sales. You then subtract from those sales the cost of the products or services sold to get your gross profit.

Take your gross profit and subtract other expenses, such as rent or utilities, from that number. You'll be left with your net profit for the time period.

P&L reports are especially important if you anticipate needing small business loans or other outside funding.

3. Prepare quarterly business financial statements. In addition to your P&L, there are several other statements, such as your cash flow statement and your balance sheet, that help you determine where money is flowing in and out of your business.

Your cash flow statement reports the increase or decrease of money flowing into your business. You can quickly see the amount of cash on hand and what you did with it, as well as where that money came from (whether from sales or other sources, such as a loan).

The balance sheet summarizes your business's assets and liabilities. It will be particularly helpful if you have a business credit card, or if you've taken out a small business loan to help fund the start up of your business.

4. Update your projections based on your actual cash flow. Your business plan likely includes cash flow and profit projections several years into the future. As you operate your business, you'll want to check periodically and make sure these projections are still accurate given your business's actual performance.

Look at your business plan and update it twice a year. You also want to update it any time you're applying for a small business loan or courting investors, so they have the most up-to-date information to make their decision.

Depending on how your actual performance compares to your initial expectations, you also may want to adjust some of your business goals and plans for growth or expansion.



Method 4 Filing Business Taxes.

1. Get a separate tax ID number for your business. Even if you're running your business as a sole proprietorship, a separate tax ID number for your business will help keep your business and personal finances separate.

If you have a US business, you can get an employer identification number (EIN) easily online at the IRS's website. Simply go to https://sa.www4.irs.gov/modiein/individual/index.jsp and begin your application.

In other countries, consult a tax professional or business attorney to find out what you need to do to correctly document your business for tax purposes.

2. Choose your tax year. For tax purposes, you can use the calendar year, or any 12-month period that starts on a specific date. In most cases, it's easiest to use the calendar year. When you choose your tax year, you have to use it consistently as long as you remain in business. Typically, you can't change it later.

Most businesses use the calendar year as their tax year. If you're thinking about using a different 12-month period, you may want to consult an attorney or tax professional first.

3. Maintain records of deductible expenses. When you run your own business, you have the ability to deduct many of your business-related expenses on your taxes. These deductions lower your profits and decrease your business's tax liability.

Generally, anything you buy to conduct business will be at least partially deductible. The expense must be reasonable. If you're unsure about something, save the receipts and discuss it with a qualified tax professional.

Expenses such as rent and utilities for commercial space, computers, and office supplies are examples of business expenses that typically are deductible.

4. Use depreciation for more costly assets and fixtures. If you buy something to use in your business that you anticipate using for many years, you typically can't deduct the entire cost at once. Rather, you deduct a portion of it for several years.

The amount and length of time you can claim depreciation depends on how the expense is categorized and the length of its useful life. These are defined by the government.

If you have a significant amount of purchases that are subject to depreciation, it's a good idea to have a tax professional do your taxes so you can make sure you're depreciating them using the right method and getting the maximum possible deduction.

5. Check tax and licensing obligations with your state or local government. State and local governments also may tax businesses, or require you to maintain certifications or licenses if you want to operate your business.

Your local small business association or chamber of commerce typically will have information on the licenses required to operate a small business in your area.

Visit the website of your state or local government tax authority to find out what taxes you must pay as a business owner. For example, if you have employees you typically are required to pay for worker's compensation insurance.

6. Set up the correct withholding for any employees. If you hire regular employees and pay them salary or hourly wages, you must withhold federal taxes and Social Security from their paychecks. You also may need to withhold for state taxes.

Many small businesses contract with a payroll service to take care of their withholding and the issuing of paychecks for them. Talk to business owners in your area to find out how they handle payroll.

7. Pay quarterly estimated taxes. As a business owner, you typically must pay taxes on a quarterly basis and then reconcile on the business tax return at the end of the year. Your state may have estimated tax filing requirements as well.

Depending on the nature of your business, you also may have to collect state or local sales tax for all purchases.

8. Use a tax preparation service to simplify the process. Many companies that offer bookkeeping services also have tax preparation services. Connecting the accounts together can save you a lot of hassle because they will automatically categorize your deductions and estimate quarterly tax payments for you.

As with bookkeeping services, tax preparation services are only as good as the information you put into them. If you're unsure about whether something qualifies as a deduction, talk to a qualified tax professional.

February 08, 2020

Lesson 4: What Standardized Tests Can Do for You

How do you decide whether to take the ACT, SAT, or both? What about AP exams? SAT Subject Tests? Do you have to take any of these at all if you’re applying to test-optional schools? Watch our Editor-in-Chief Rob Franek as he breaks down the differences between the exams, helps you figure out which to take, and walks you through winning test-taking strategies. Plus, discover how these tests can help your chances of gaining admission and financial aid for college—even (especially!) at test-optional schools.

About this Learning Playlist: In “College Admission 101,” The Princeton Review’s Editor-in-Chief Rob Franek breaks down the most complex parts of the college process—and teaches you how to set yourself up to find, get into, and pay for your dream college.

About us: The Princeton Review is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admission services company. Every year, we help millions of college- and graduate school–bound students achieve their education and career goals through online and in-person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors, online resources, and our 150+ print and digital books published by Penguin Random House.

Visit us online: to our channel! in our SAT 1400+ in our ACT 31+ more expert tips, winning strategies, and practice problems, follow us on social #college #sat

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.

October 22, 2019

Lesson 7: What You Don’t Know About Financial Aid Could Cost You

Here’s a troubling statistic: One-quarter of college-bound high school students don’t fill out the FAFSA, sometimes because they think they won’t qualify (many would have), and other times because they think it may be too complicated. The result is that an estimated $1 billion in aid, grants, and scholarships goes unclaimed each year. In fact, 85 percent of undergraduates receive financial aid—and that number could (and should) be higher! Our Editor-in-Chief Rob Franek will walk you through how and when to fill out your FAFSA and other financial aid forms so that you won’t leave money on the table. He’ll also offer strategies and tips for comparing financial aid packages and appealing for a better offer. You can do it! Watch to find out how.

About this Learning Playlist: In “College Admission 101,” The Princeton Review’s Editor-in-Chief Rob Franek breaks down the most complex parts of the college process—and teaches you how to set yourself up to find, get into, and pay for your dream college.

About us: The Princeton Review is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admission services company. Every year, we help millions of college- and graduate school–bound students achieve their education and career goals through online and in-person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors, online resources, and our 150+ print and digital books published by Penguin Random House.

Visit us online: to our channel! more expert tips, winning strategies, and practice problems, follow us on social #college #financialaid

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.

October 21, 2019

Introduction to College Admission 101 | The Princeton Review

The college process can be overwhelming. With the right strategies, you can earn a spot at your dream school—and get financial aid to attend. After watching this Learning Playlist, you will know how to:

► Create a preliminary list of 25–50 academically excellent colleges that are in the top 2–10% of selectivity;

► Identify colleges with the academics, extracurriculars, campus culture, and quality of life that you value;

► Develop a high school curriculum that will enhance your college candidacy;

► Determine which standardized tests to take, and learn strategies to strengthen your performance on those exams;

► Devise you college essay topic and begin to craft an authentic, effective college essay;

► Solicit effective letters of recommendation, perform well on college interviews, and choose a good mix of extracurricular activities;

► Start the financial aid application process, compare aid packages, and appeal for more aid;

► Save money on college by deploying creative cost-saving strategies.

About this Learning Playlist: In “College Admission 101,” The Princeton Review’s Editor-in-Chief Rob Franek breaks down the most complex parts of the college process—and teaches you how to set yourself up to find, get into, and pay for your dream college.

About us: The Princeton Review is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admission services company. Every year, we help millions of college- and graduate school–bound students achieve their education and career goals through online and in-person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors, online resources, and our 150+ print and digital books published by Penguin Random House.

Visit us online: to our channel! more expert tips, winning strategies, and practice problems, follow us on social #college #admissions

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.

October 20, 2019

TPR on Weekend Express: The Best 385 Colleges, 2020 Edition | The Princeton Review

Editor-in-Chief Rob Franek spoke with HLN Weekend Express host Shyann Malone about The Best 385 Colleges: 2020 Edition. Based on surveys of more than 140,000 college students, The Princeton Review's ranking lists offer insights into the very best schools to consider across 62 categories. Watch to find out key ranking-list toppers, from Great Financial Aid (Bowdoin College) to Best-Run Colleges (Elon University) to Best Campus Food (University of Massachusetts at Amherst)—and more.

Find your best-fit college: Princeton Review is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admission services company. Every year, we help millions of college- and graduate school–bound students achieve their education and career goals through online and in-person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors, online resources, and our 150+ print and digital books published by Penguin Random House.

Check out our SAT offerings: our College Admission 101 Learning Playlist: our Ask Us Anything video series: to our channel! us online: more expert tips, winning strategies, and practice problems, follow us on social #college #best385colleges

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.

October 19, 2019

TPR on CNBC's On the Money: Finding Your Best-Fit College | The Princeton Review

Editor-in-Chief Rob Franek spoke with CNBC's On the Money anchor Becky Quick about four key factors to consider for college fit: academics, campus culture, financial aid, and career services. They also chatted about schools that made our Great Financial Aid ranking list (including the incomparable Bowdoin College) as well as hidden gems in higher education (including the University of Dayton, Gettysburg College, Grinnell College, and Ithaca College). Finally, they chatted about how the college admission scandal will affect the upcoming college application season. Watch to find out what they had to say.

Find your best-fit college: Princeton Review is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admission services company. Every year, we help millions of college- and graduate school–bound students achieve their education and career goals through online and in-person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors, online resources, and our 150+ print and digital books published by Penguin Random House.

Check out our SAT offerings: our College Admission 101 Learning Playlist: our Ask Us Anything video series: to our channel! us online: more expert tips, winning strategies, and practice problems, follow us on social #rankinglists #financialaid

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.

October 18, 2019

College acceptance for students with dyslex

FAQ College acceptance for students with dyslex

THE BEST AND WORST COLLEGES FOR DYSLEXIA – Dyslexic Advantage

There is no single ‘best’ college for dyslexia, but rather colleges that may make better (or worse) fits for an individual student. Do you have personal experience with a college as a dyslexic student? If so, please take this brief survey and we’ll share the results here. You can also send your reviews of colleges by email. All sources will be confidential on this site. Graduates were in the past 5 years unless otherwise specified.

We are compiling resources from people we have spoken to, web, and text-based resources that included interviews of dyslexic students who attended college. Books we recommend include Dyslexia at College, The Human Side of Dyslexia, and Colleges That Change Lives. Also the list of colleges that don’t require an SAT or ACT can be found at Fair Test.

College-Bound Students: Once you are enrolled in college, don’t forget to apply here for the Dyslexic Advantage Karina Eide Memorial Scholarship! Only dyslexic students are eligible and there is no minimum GPA! Here is the start of a very partial list. We will be adding more specific information as it comes in. These are statements about individuals from students. They do not reflect any statements by Dyslexic Advantage, the organization. Are you a current college student or graduated in the past 5 years?  If you’ve filled out this college survey, we’ll gif you with a 1 year subscription to our Premium magazine!

ALABAMA
Auburn University – Center for Special Services “I owe a lot to the Center for Special Services…my professors were supportive.” Books on tape, reader, Dragon dictation, note taker, extended time.

ARIZONA
University of Arizona – SALT CENTER – Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques Center

ARKANSAS
University of the Ozarks – Jones Learning Center “My coordinator and tutor were my lifeline..” Taped textbooks, help in math, reading, writing, copies of lecture notes, private test taking. Dictated papers to tutor. Helped with flashcards

AUSTRALIA
MacQuire University Accessibility    (Math and Human Resources) BEST: free learning support, good test-taking accommodations, “for exams and tests 1hr plus long you can get good provisions.” WORST: teachers resist providing accommodations, “it most depends who you get as your learning support staff, that makes its easier or hard to get approval. also, anything under 30mins good luck getting help. and some subject stuff dont understand what Dyslexic is even is. meaning less like to help you.”

Swinburne University of Technology AccessAbility Services  (Bachelor of Computer Science majoring in Cybersecurity) Victoria. BEST : Free Learning Support Services, Faculty Accessible and Supportive, small classes, peer mentors, helpful disability resource, good test taking accommodations. WORST: Audio resources are late or difficult to acquire. TIPS: No matter what the work is, do it as soon as you get it. Never leave it till the last second and always ask for help when you get stuck. Peers will help you heaps if you need it! You can help them too!

Tafe Ultimo Disability and Accessibility  (Community Services) BEST: free learning support, good system for asking for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. The TAFE have a tremendous amount of support and reasonable adjustment possibilities because my dyslexia is now legally classified by the NSW State Government as a neurological disability. I didn’t know this support was available until I enquired with the Tafe career counsellor who is a psychologist. She helped me tremendously and referred me through their process and my fees are waivered. They have offered so much support right down to getting me an ergonomic chair if I need it. And their kind, reassuring attitude and acknowledgement of my dyslexia challenges has been amazing. TIPS: Make an appointment with the career counsellor to discuss what courses and support are suitable for your dyslexia.

CALIFORNIA
Butte College – Disabled Student Programs   BEST: Free learning support services. Many trade school options that do not require English 101 or algebra. WORST: Difficult process for asking for accommodations, teachers resist providing accommodations, audio resources are late or difficult to acquire, no visible dyslexia programs on campus. TIPS: Don’t go. Keep looking. It’s not worth the aggravation to fight for accommodations and understanding

Chico State University – Accessibility Resource Center  (Mathematics) BEST: Good system to ask for accommodations, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, faculty are accessible and supportive. WORST: Teachers resist providing accommodations. I had more than two teachers try to deny me accommodations. TIPS: Know your rights!

Cal State Long Beach  (Film) BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful disability office, peer mentors, faculty are accessible and supportive. TIPS: Start with Steven Benson dyslexic department. Maintain a current IEP PRIOR TO APPLICATION

Holy Names University Disability Support  (Educational Therapy) BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. WORST: No visible dyslexia programs on campus, negative culture for learning differences. “I mark ‘negative culture’ as some staff members are working toward gaining knowledge of ADA. That said, this learning community is very diverse and inclusive. TIPS: Be proactive in asking for the support you need. Make friends with the librarians; they can be your strongest advocates.

Mills College Support Services  Oakland. . (Biology) BEST: good test-taking accommodations, faculty are accessible and supportive, small classes, dyslexia-friendly environment.

Monterey Institute of International Studies “I took all my papers to the Writing Center to be edited. My writing improved.” Tape recorder, oral testing, skimming reading, visual presentations.

Palomar College Disability Resource Center   (Visual Arts AA)  BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, helpful resource office, good test-taking accommodations. WORST: no visible dyslexia programs on campus, teachers resist providing accommodations, “There is no dyslexic focused teaching methods incorporated in the general education classes. If you are particularly struggling they don’t know what to do to help you. You can have all the time you want, but if you’re not getting it you’re just out of luck.” TIPS: “You’re going to need a private tutor that specializes in dyslexia for the subject/s that are your most difficult.”

Pitzer College – Academic Support Services “Mine was the last year without a math requirement.” Didn’t use the Learning Center on a regular basis. If poor grades, spoke to professor or went to the learning center. After failing statistics 2x, successfully petitioned to have a statistics waiver to graduate.

San Francisco State University – Disability Resource Center

Stanford University- Schwab Learning Center  – There have been recent upheavals in the Schwab Learning Center due to department changes. We will update you if we have any new information from current students.

University of California – Berkeley – Disabled Students’ Program Berkeley Extension: Occasionally I’d get a bad teacher who said they didn’t believe in accommodations like extra time, but the DSP backed me up and I was ever prevented from getting what I needed.

University of Santa Cruz  Disability Resource Center Once I tell teachers, they’re understanding.  Note taking, tape recorder, assistance with writing, and computer for personal use. Dyslexia support group (newsletter and events)

University of Southern California (USC) Korschak Center

University of the Pacific – Services for Students with Disabilities Stockton, CA   (Music Major) BEST: Good test-taking accommodations WORST: Negative culture for learning differences. “I would pick a different college, the culture is not conducive for visual or alternate learners”

CANADA
University of Manitoba Accessibility Winnipeg, Manitoba.  (Law). BEST: Good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly environment, helpful resource office, faculty are accessible and supportive, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, good system to ask for accommodations, free learning support. WORST: no visible dyslexia programs on campus. TIPS: Very supportive university.

University of Toronto – Accessibility Services  (Arts & Sciences) WORST: Difficult process for asking for accommodations, teachers resist providing accommodations, audio resources are late or difficult to acquire, hard to obtain regular test-taking accommodations, no visible dyslexia programs on campus, negative culture for learning differences. ADVICE: “Accessibility is a horror show for dyslexics. Worse than awful exam accommodations and rules; zero differentiation for learners with different learning styles; less than ZERO support for students who are gifted but do not read and write in normative ways; horrible communication with students’ one hour per week drop in hours for services; even the equity studies and women’s studies profs who should know better are s— on access issues; 6 week wait MINIMUM for assistive tech in start of program – most crucial time to have supports; OVERLOAD with assessment and no action on accomodation as if assessment itself is the job of accessilbity services; punitive behavior of disability counsellors when students miss a deadline; refusal of exam accommodations even if prof is late with posting exam schedule; scribes known to students (totally inappropriate); scribes switching off half way through test or exam; scribe demanding student indicate punctuation or would not scribe (totally different part of the brain); university uses volunteer notetakers even though the ministry of education provides funding to pay them; if no notetakers volunteer to take notes the student goes without; notetakers can hand write notes which can’t be read by text to speech software; there is no library of audio or pdf’d textbooks or readers so each student needs to have materials scanned each time fresh and WAIT up to six weeks putting them at a distinct disadvantage. Open book exams are not accessible to students who do not read and write in normative ways; cheat sheets for exams are not accessible for students who do not read and write in normative ways and yet are marked. It is basically a s— show unless you fit a tiny, narrow definition of what is disabled. The lack of imagination is ASTOUNDING at the #1 university in Canada. Worse than useless. ADVICE: DO NOT DO IT.

COLORADO
Pikes Community College Accessibility Services  (Pre-engineering) BEST: Good system to ask for accommodations, good test taking accommodations WORST: No visible dyslexia programs on campus, no learning support or only expensive learning support program.

Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design “Didn’t need accommodations for all my classes because this is art school. The disability person was friendly and helpful. The typography class had assignments with hand-drawn fonts, but I have fine motor issues and a little tremor. It wasn’t a huge deal, but it was helpful that she contacted the teacher separately.”

CONNECTICUT
Central Connecticut State University Disability Services –  (History)
BEST: small classes. WORST: Not much understanding about the problem. No visible dyslexia program on campus.

University of Connecticut – Center for Students with Disabilities

Yale University Resource Office on Disabilities

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (DC)
American University  (Masters Anthropology) BEST: small classes, good accessibility , free learning support. “AU has a focus on diversity and this includes learning disabilities. Most professors were accommodating and pleased to do so. As an older student, I had the financial resources and knowledge to come prepared with online reader programs (learning ally, audible, natural reader, vBookz, etc.) On a rare occasion, readings were not available in PDF form or audible book form, and in those incidences, keeping up was difficult. Overall, it was a supportive environment.” WORST: there is no disability resource office, audio resources are late or difficult to acquire, difficult process for asking for accommodations. “To my knowledge, AU did not have a specific dyslexia resource office, but did have learning disability office. I find that as a dyslexic student, many schools often lump all needs into “disabled” without resources for individual needs. Additionally, access to online PDF readers and audible books were available after many “hoops”, but still available. It would be easier if those were available readily to all students, regardless of diagnosis and paperwork.”

FLORIDA
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University- Disability Support  (Aerospace Engineering) BEST: Good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly environment, helpful office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. Students with accommodations get priority for registering for classes. Good counselling services available if you are stressed, with a therapy dog on duty in the counselling center. Students with accommodations get free tutoring if needed.” TIPS: The professors are very helpful, so take advantage of their office hours to get extra help from them if you need it.

Florida Southern College – Student Disability Services (Elementary Education) BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. “FSC has an elementary school on campus (Roberts Academy) for dyslexic students grades 2-6 (adding 7 and 8 in the next two school years). It’s an Orton-Gillingham school!. All pre-service teachers spend a considerable amount of time in the classrooms at Roberts getting full exposure to dyslexia, what it is, what it isn’t, what works, what doesn’t work etc. Every subject is taught in a multi-sensory way. All teachers at Roberts have their Masters degrees and are level II OG trained. Pre-Service teachers at FSC also have the opportunity to take Orton-Gillingham classes that the college offers. They bring in an instructor from OG to teach the course. The first half of the course takes place during the first semester, the second half during the second semester. My DD has had many lightbulb moments at both Robert’s Academy and during the OG courses that she has taken. She wonders why these methods are not taught across the board in all schools. It just makes so much sense to her. (She never received any OG reading intervention during her K-12 education)” TIPS: 1. Visit the campus you are considering 2. Sit in on some classes in the course work of the degree you are considering pursuing 3. Talk to current students in those classes/degree with known learning disabilities about the course work, professors, and learning services support and get a feel for how well the learning institute supports LD students.

Full Sail University – Services for Students with Disabilities  (Masters, Instructional Design) WORST: No visible dyslexia program on campus. In many ways the FSU program was very engaging. However, this program is one class in four weeks for 12 months. The pace is very fast for digesting content. For an adult training program, the program ignored how to train adults with learning disabilities. Considering the writing component of the courses feedback from professors was typically relevant, but a large percent of grades relied on peer reflection/feedback. Often peers posted sloppy discussion posts that were difficult to give feedback on. Additionally, reflection posts included responding to peers projects. Often peers rushed through the reflection and didn’t provide constructive feedback; yet this was an important component for the course grade. I’m a 45 year old mother of a 4 and 12 year old and was a high school history teacher for 14 years. The writing process tends to be slow for me and trying to respond to posts was challenging at times. After 6 months into the program I was drained as a writer and my head was mush. Exhaustion and stress lead to anxiety and that downward spiral Dyslexics can struggle with. TIPS: Take breaks every couple of months especially if you have other obligations like family or employment. Tell every professor you have you’re dyslexic and speak to your strengths and weaknesses as a student. I’m not sure if that will make a difference for some professors, but Dyslexics need to start educating those in academic positions. Even though I was considered a Highly Qualified Teacher, I taught for 14 years before I realized I’m dyslexic. The majority of educators need to be educated on teaching dyslexics.

Stetson University Disability Resources  (English) BEST: good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a trimly fashion, good test taking accommodations, helpful office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. WORST: No visible dyslexia programs on campus TIPS: Get help early and don’t be afraid to ask for more if you need it. Let your professors know too as most will be happy to help you out.

University of Miami – Office of Disability Services Alumni (attended in the late 60’s): An international university with vast diversity, where high academic standards are expected but individuality is paramount

University of Tampa Disability Services  Alumni – graduated more than 5 years ago). (Government and World Affairs and Communications). BEST: good system to ask for accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful resource office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. “When I attend University of Tampa, my accommodation were granted as long as my file was updated to date illustrating that I am dyslexic. When taking test, I had quite room, and I had unlimited amount of extended time to take my test. I was chosen to be my class speaker of the December 2007. You had to apply by writing your speech and tell the University why you should be class speaker. I was the first dyslexic and epileptic class speaker at University of Tampa.” WORST: “The most difficult was the cost of re-certificating myself as a dyslexic. Those test are $1500 dollars. That is a lot of money. You have to do those test every 3-5 years. I am not going to stop being dyslexic. That would be great, if I became amazing writing, but that not going to happen. I had to borrow that money. What if someone who is dyslexic does not have the money? Then what? They lose their accommodation? That needs to change in general in the college system.” TIPS: “Go to a University with small classes. When I went to University of Tampa thhe average class was 15 people. I believe it is 20-25 now, which is still small. When you have small classes you become close to your professors. I am still friends some of my professors. Go visit the disabilities office, I love that UT disability office is called the Academic Center of Excellent. It gave me positive feeling when going to talk about my services. Especially after being under the umbrella of special ed all your life. It very negative for a dyslexic person.”

IDAHO
Idaho State University – Disability Services  (Journalism & Sports Management) BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, helpful office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. “The disability services office blew our socks off with how helpful they were. More than just complying with the law, they go above and beyond including 1:1 help with TTS software, offers of free use of technology just to try it out, help with role playing with professors, frequent contact in the summer before freshman year to build relationships, and a “got your back” attitude. This office is why we chose this university. To sweeten the pot, it is very inexpensive for both tuition and housing and is located in a beautiful spot close to the Tetons.”

ILLINOIS
Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville   (Psychology). BEST: free learning support services. Helpful office. WORST: teachers resist providing accommodations, hard to obtain regular test-taking accommodations, negative culture for learning differences, difficult process for asking for accommodations TIPS: “on’t. the teachers do not understand the what “learning difference” means and all classes are taught in an analytic, sequential way. you will be treated as a burden on the same level as a student with any serious impairment.”

INDIANA
Hanover College  (Business & Economics  > 5 years ago) BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good test taking accommodations, peer mentors, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. Strong support in liberal arts environment. Excellent free learning center. Fully accommodated my nephew. Professors very available and supportive. WORST: There is no disability resource office. TIPS: Apply with request for accommodations. Meet with admissions & Learning Center teams.

Indiana State University – Center for Student Success  Free tutoring, mentoring, advising. Works with Disability Student Services. “Indiana had a strong LD program…Help was always there in college.” Personal tutor after sports practice. Extra time on tests, tape recorder for lectures, preparation tests to study before a test, and a reader who was a grad student who also paraphrased to check for understanding

University of Notre Dame Disability Services  (Neuroscience and Art History) BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive TIPS: It is great!

IOWA
Iowa State University – Student Disability Resources  (Elementary Education) BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, faculty are accessible and supportive WORST: The only problem I had was with one adviser in the school of education not understanding what dyslexia is. TIPS: “Look for a school that is going to work with you. When you go on college visits go to the disability office and see what the atmosphere is and what accommodation they have.”

Loras College Lynch Learning Center  (Sports Management & PR > 5 years ago) BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, faculty are accessible and supportive. TIPS: Utilize the system they gave to you, Norte Dame even asked Loras for help with their program.

University of Iowa –UI Reach and Student Disabilities Service

IRELAND
University of Limerick Disability Services
(Technology Education)
BEST: good test taking accommodations, faculty are accessible and supportive.
WORST: difficult process for asking for accommodations, teachers resist providing accommodations, no visible dyslexia programs on campus. Don’t try Learning like everyone else, own your dyslexia because only you can truly understand your mind

KANSAS
University of Kansas Student Access Services (Psychology – alumni > 5 years ago) BEST: None. WORST: No visible dyslexia program on campus. TIPS: Seek assistance right from the start.

LOUISIANA
Nicolls State University – Student Access Center  (History) BEST: Good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, good offices, faculty accessible and supportive

MASSACHUSETTS
Boston University – Disability Services “I surrounded myself with classmates who were willing to help explain the questions…sadly there are many ‘old style’ professors who don’t believe in learning difference.”

Calvin College – Center for Student Success  (Social Work) BEST: Free learning support services, good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive TIPS: “Go see SAS and they will match you with an advisor specifically for your Dyslexia.”

Curry College – Disability Services : (Environmental Sciences, but they discontinued the major) BEST: Good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, helpful office, small classes. WORST: No learning support or only expensive learning support, no visible dyslexia programs on campus. We paid for my disability services….an extra $10,000 per year…is this legal? But while they were nice, it was just a glorified place to get organized. This was supposed to be a school at the top of disability services…but they were not. I got all my help and tutoring from the free resources available to all kids. TIPS: Just look for good services….all colleges have them these days so you don’t have to pay extra.

Harvard University – University Disability Services Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Student Disability Services “I’ve known at least a dozen MIT grads who have been out for some years now. They all have said that MIT was a good school for dyslexics.”

Williams College – Disability Support Services Worcester Polytechnic Institute Disability Support  (Civil Engineering) BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, helpful office, peer mentors, faculty are accessible and supportive. Echo360 records the class for those with accommodations to be able to review on their computers. Allows lectures to be recorded when Echo360 not available in that classroom. TIPS: Register with the Office of Disability Services before enrolling. Have weekly meeting with staff to check in. Don’t be afraid to ask Professors for help. They really care and want you to succeed!

Worcester Polytechnic Institute Disability Services  (Civil Engineering) Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful resource office, faculty are accessible and supportive, small classes, peer mentors. Echo 360 films class for replay by dyslexic students. Also audio recording, teacher’s notes, professors are eager to help. TIPS: Embrace your differences and seek accommodations. Don’t be shy. They want to help. Also SAT is not required.

MICHIGAN
University of Michigan -Services for Students with Disabilities “The Center for Student with Disabilities gave me lots of ideas including asking for extended time on tests and testing in a quiet room without distractions.” Taping lectures, reduced course load.

MINNESOTA
University of Minnesota Disability Resources Center  (Plant Science & Food Systems) BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly environment, helpful office, faculty are accessible and supportive WORST: Audio resources are late or difficult to acquire ADVICE: “The U of M is a wonderful school for dyslexic students. This university is very supportive of students with dyslexia and many of the professors understand what it is and that students are not “faking it”.

MISSOURI
Westminster College Learning Differences (Security / Political Science / Finance) BEST: Good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, faculty are accessible and supportive, small classes. The Learning Support is excellent and well-worth the added fee. The Learning Support team advise, tutor, teach classes on learning skills and strategies, help with writing, acquire audiobooks and materials etc, work with professors if needed, provide quiet test-taking. My son has made the Dean’s List with a 3.7. I don’t think this would be possible without the support and skills provided to him by this team of professionals TIPS: I wish they had more technology available for students–like Read Write Gold or something like that.

NEVADA
University of Southern Nevada   (Culinary Arts Hospitality) BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good test taking accommodations, helpful office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. Excellent note providing services. Email within 24 hours always! TIPS: Go to the disability office wayyyyy before starting school there.

NEW YORK
Concordia College New York – Connection Program Bronxville, NY. BEST: Good test-taking accommodations. WORST: No learning support or expensive program, difficult process for asking for accommodations, teachers resist accommodations, audio resources are late or difficult to acquire, no visible dyslexia programs on campus, negative culture for learning differences.

Cornell University Student Disability Services  BEST: Good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, faculty accessible and supportive. TIPS: Disability Office staff are top notch

Hudson Valley Community College Center for Access  (Individual Studies) BEST: Free learning support services, good system to ask for accommodations, good test taking accommodations, faculty are accessible and supportive. This program is not the best for providing students accessibility options, but they are not the worst either. I’d say they are just average. I’ve attended other schools and most of the others have provided more assertive technology options to their students, but again they could be worse. There are enough supports on campus between those provided through the Accessibility office as well as the general supports offered through the departments and the library, etc. WORST: No visible dyslexia programs on campus. Usually there is at least one or more teachers that don’t seem thrilled about having to accommodate students. Also, sometimes I have to miss parts of my classes to use my accommodations for testing. TIPS: Good time management skills are a must; Advocating for your needs is a must; Disclosing and using your accommodations consistently will be tremendously helpful;

Marymount Manhattan College – Disability Services  (Fashion Design) WORST:Only expensive learning support program, difficult process for asking for accommodations, teachers resit providing accommodations, audio resources are late or difficult to acquire, hard to obtain regular test-taking accommodations, no visible dyslexia programs on campus, negative culture for learning differences. TIPS: “Observe or talk to Learning Specialist. Ask them if they use any form of UDL or assistive technology.”

New York University Moses Center  (Nutrition) BEST: free learning support services. WORST: Difficult process for asking for accommodations, audio resources are late or difficult to acquire, hard to obtain regular test-taking accommodations, no visible dyslexia programs on campus. Test taking rooms can have 12 other people in them which is very distracting. Computers available to use for exams in the testing center do not work well. Some computers will crash while your in the middle of an exam.

Sarah Lawrence University – Office of Disability Services  (Creative Writing, Film, Ancient History) BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. Many of the classes are visually oriented. For example, many history classes utilize film and art as a basis for historical evidence. Creativity is the key to SLC. Creativity is promoted as part of critical thinking and analysis. Classes are mainly seminar based and small and you meet with the professor on a bi-weekly basis to discuss and develop an individual project (conference work) for the class in addition to the work common to everyone. This allows one to follow their passions within the class content and develop close a working relationship with your professors. Every semester you take three 5 credit classes, each with an individual conference project. Prior to registering for classes, every student interviews the professors teaching the class that they are interested in. In the interview, one can determine how that professor teaches, how are students assessed (ie not many classes have tests, but some do), how much reading is involved, how much writing, etc. TIPS: Talk to the professors openly, keeping communications flowing.

State University at Buffalo – Equity, Diversity, Inclusion  (Dance and Business) BEST: Free learning support services, good system to ask for accommodations, good test-taking accommodations, faculty are accessible and supportive. WORST: Audio resources are late or difficult to acquire. PDF files for textbooks, need to send in information in at the end of the prior semester to receive accommodations for the next semester in order to get books in a timely manner. Even after doing so don’t receive books during the first week of classes. Only receive PDF files after sending a reminder and often a week or two into the semester, four weeks at the latest. Once receive files, accommodations are very good and work well. Have had a problem with text center and professor not sending tests in on time. Make sure to have verbal or written confirmation that you can take exams early if original exam time is when the test center is closed. TIPS: Don’t be afraid to send reminders and/or have meetings to get the accommodations you need. If youre confused ask, because won’t always be very direct in how to do things. Know the hours of the test center when making exam requests and be as specific as possible.

Syracuse University Office of Disability Services

BEST: Good system to ask for accommodations.
“The Learning Center has improved, but sometimes I don’t get the tapes until the week before the test.” Most professors are supportive. Some have made special exams for me. Extended time, reader for exams books on tape, taped lectures, tutoring, note taker, computer for exams, typed written assignments. Counselor. Consultant helps with writing.

NORTH CAROLINA
Guilford College – Accessibility Resource Center  (Psychology, alumni 15+ years ago) BEST: good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. Everything about the program was good. TIPS: Get help as soon as you get there Be sure you have been tested and identified before you go.

OHIO
Stark State College Disability Support  (Massage Therapy, switched to Dental Assisting) North Canton OH. BEST: Free learning support, small classes, A lot of the courses are more hands-on and less reading-only. WORST: Difficult process for asking for accommodations, teachers resist providing accommodations, audio resources are late or difficult to acquire, there is no disability resource office, hard to obtain regular test-taking accommodations, no visible dyslexia programs on campus. Another dyslexic girl in my class was the object of our teacher’s adamant dislike, mostly for being dyslexic and therefore not doing so well at the right/left part of our course. The teacher treated her like she was stupid, and I found the teachers in the dental assisting course tended towards condescending behaviors like that towards students with learning differences. However, other courses and classes were very open and friendly to learning differences, so it seems more teacher-specific than an overall problem. TIPS: Don’t go into Dental Assisting or another very strict program. They have a lack of empathy and help for dyslexic students. Massage Therapy and many other programs, however, are awesome for dyslexic students. Try to get a feel for whichever program you’re looking into.

Sinclair College Accessibility Services  (Architectural Technology). BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly environment,  helpful disability resource office, small classes, faculty are accessible and support. Sinclair has an effective disability services program and the faculty are quite willing to provide the needed accommodations. This is a great school to go to if you want to succeed in college! TIPS: Sinclair welcomes people with disabilities of all types and has an effective program for providing needed accommodations. The keys to success are to go to class, do the homework, and study for the exams. The faculty and staff are willing to help when the student does their part.

Muskingum University – Disability Education Office   (Special Education & History – Alumni graduated 7 yrs ago) BEST: Good system to ask for accommodations, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. Content tutors, not peer tutors. WORST: There was a large cost for the most comprehensive service but there were different levels. TIPS: Make sure you are studying.

OREGON
Mount Hood Community College Disability Services
(Elementary Education)
BEST: free learning support services, good test taking accommodations.
WORST: Difficult process for asking for accommodations, hard to obtain regular test-taking accommodations, no visible dyslexia programs on campus, negative culture for learning differences.
TIPS: Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Great advisors and teachers WANT to see you succeed. Be confident in who you are!

Southern Oregon University – Disability Resources (Technical Theatre) BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive “The UCam program is great. Doesn’t cost too much, and I get a weekly appointment with a learning coach. Much of what I need is done automatically (I get an email reminder, but accommodations are super easy to access). It’s also a public school, so very affordable.”

University of Oregon Accessible Education Center (Architecture major) WORST: Difficult process for asking for accommodations, teachers resist accommodations, Audio resources are late or difficult to acquire, negative culture for learning differences. Reduced course load – one class at a time worked for me. Approached professors independently, not involving Student Services. Extended time on tests. Test taking in their office. Essays instead of multiple choice. Project-related exams. Computer courses substituted for math and language requirements. Test files at my fraternity were very helpful.

PENNYSYLVANIA
Millersville University Office of Learning Services  (Music Major) BEST: Are learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive, preferential housing  based on student request. WORST: No visible dyslexia programs on campus TIPS: “Speak openly to your counselors and the Student Service Center support staff and they are happy to help.”

Pennsylvania College of Technology  (IT)
BEST: Faculty are accessible and supportive, small classes, good test taking accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good system to ask for accommodations, free learning support. The disability service office is amazing and the schools policy for helping students with disabilities is very accommodating. They will provide all your text books in a PDF format after purchase, so you can have the computer read it to you. The library has computers with Kurzweil (an advanced PDF/ webpage reading Software) for use to anyone. They will allow you to take extra time on your tests and have a computer with Kurzweil on it available if you want the tests read to you. Disability services will do everything they can to help you get through this tough time in life. WORST: Most of the teachers’ teaching style makes it difficult for a dyslexic student to learn. But there are also many teachers who teach in a way that is it easyer for everyone to learn. The disability service office is small and often has a hard time keeping up with the amout of students they need to serve. TIPS: Get the disability accommodations process started before you start school, it will take longer once the school year starts. Schedule your tests/ meetings in advance.

University of Pittsburgh Disability Resources 100% extended time on exams, word processor for tests, audio record lectures.

RHODE ISLAND
Brown University Learning Support Specialist “It’s possible to graduate Brown with no distribution requirements. There’s also a credit / no credit grading option…” “I look for courses that do project work instead of tests.” “I’m glad I spoke to the Dean of Students who helps LD students.” Headphones in computer center.

Roger Williams University – Student Accessibility Services 9/10 STARS (Mechanical Engineering) BEST: Free learning support services, good system to ask for accommodations, good test taking accommodations, helpful office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive WORST: No visible dyslexia programs on campus TIPS: “Be willing to work hard. Be prepared to be your own advocate. Be respectful when seeking accommodations from professors. Become proficient in technology.”

SOUTH CAROLINA
Clemson Student Accessibility  Graphic Communications Alum (> 5 years) BEST: Free learning support, Good testing taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful disability resource center, peer mentors, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. Sign up for classes first so you get better times and teachers you feel are best. They used to let you take sign language if your major required a foreign language.

Coastal Carolina Accessibility and Disability  Communication BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, small classes, faculty accessible and supportive. TIPS: Get to know your professors and the staff at the accessibility/disability office. Making connections will help you learn now and they will always look out for you.

SWEDEN
Umea University Disability  (Human Computer Interaction) BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, faculty are accessible and supportive. It was a huge list for leaning disabilities and other disabilities that they gave me to see and the responsible person helped me to choose WORST: The facilities e.g. computers for text to speech and speech to text etc were only in Swedish. Probably they can make an English version for the international students. TIPS: Go for it and do not hesitate to discuss your disability and ask for help

TEXAS

El Paso Community College   (Ed in Admin K12) BEST: free learning support, good test taking accommodations, helpful resource office, “Professors do not do anything to address needs of students in class. Students are expected to take remedial classes in area of disability, instead of college giving more support in required classes. This only lengthens the time and expense of college degree. This is disheartening, and leads to students dropping out of college.” WORST: No visible dyslexia programs on campus.

Saint Edwards University Student Disability Service.  (Computer Sciences) BEST: good accessibility, small classes, helpful office, dyslexia-friendly environment, good test taking accommodations, good system to ask for accommodations, free learning support. WORST: no visible dyslexia program.  TIPS: “Have your accommodations clearly defined, meet with disability staff regularly, talk to your teachers in advance, and explain how you learn. What works, and what does not work. Ask for help if you need it.

Southern Methodist University – Altschuler Learning Enhancement Center “Thankfully someone awarded me a mentor…” Talked about book or paper – my mentor helped organize my thoughts. No foreign language requirement.

Texas A & M Office of Academic Enhancement    (Biomedical Sciences) BEST: good system to ask for accommodations, test-taking accommodations, helpful office TIPS:”Go and visit your 504 disability center the first week of school. They will help you set up everything you need.”Extra time on tests. Tests in the testing center away from others, covered overlays if requested.

Texas A & M Dental School – Accommodations through Office of Academic Enhancement  (graduated in the past 5 years) – Endodontics BEST: small classes WORST: No learning support. Only expensive learning support program. Teachers resist providing accommodations. Audio resources are late or difficult to acquire. They were very hesitant to give accommodations. Teachers did not know what to do. Several instances with teachers violating rights to confidentiality. TIPS: Do not let them put you down. Stand up and demand respect and accommodations.

Texas State Technical College Disability Services  (Business  – more than 5 years ago) BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, small classes, faculty accessible and supportive. WORST: Understaffed! Shortage of housing due to Baylor University nearby. TIPS: Dont wait – get the enrollment package and career flyer.

UNITED KINGDOM
Coombeshead College / Academy BEST: Small classes. WORST: No visible dyslexia programs on campus. They should put up a notice of symptoms and give a free assessment.

Leeds College of Art   (MA Creative Practice) WORST: No learning support or only expensive support system. “The college where unable / unwilling to give me the support I needed. I got caught in a nightmare situation with the government willing to pay. But the college unwilling to allow a dyselixa specialist on the campus. I was not comfortable meeting in a cafe. My personal tutor was good in as much she helped me with spelling and over looked my poor grammar. But that was very much down to her.” TIPS: “Don’t find another college, I heard from students who’s personal tutors did not turn up for tutorials”

Stourbridge College Student Support  -West Midlands. . BEST: Free learning support services, small classes. The motor vehicle tutor is brilliant and work from work books and he makes learning fun and visual. WORST: No visible dyslexia programs on campus. There is no disability resources office. My son had to re sit his GCSEs maths last year. At first the kids had to go in and register and had no teacher then were sent home with a work book to teach themselves. My son didn’t get an echp but a plan was written out by the council on how best to support him. The tuition after that was patchy, When he took his maths exam he was sent out without being allowed extra time and when I questioned it the college lied and told me he had gone to the wrong room. I took this matter further to the principal . this year he has been taught no maths which I have questioned and the college said they don’t do this on a level 2 qualification only at the end of the term have they decided that in the summer they want these low ability students to cram and sit some kind of maths exam in the summer. TIPS: Make sure you/parent is aware of what provision is put in place and make sure you get it.

UTAH Utah Valley University Accessibility Services   (Behavioral Science – Psychology) BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, helpful disability office. There is a good learning strategist on campus who is very helpful and understanding WORST: The testing center is a pain with scheduling. TIPS: Go straight to the accessibility office when you first visit the school and pick up the required paper work. Get your accommodations letters early.

VERMONT
Bennington College Accommodations and Support

Goddard College Access and Disability  (Creative Writing) BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, faculty are accessible and supportive.

Landmark College  (Psychology – Alumni 15+ years ago) BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive BEST: No foreign language requirement. Help with organization (master notebook system) WORST: I wasn’t intellectually stimulated.

University of Vermont – Burlington (Environmental Science Conservation Biology) 10/10 STARS BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good accessability – audio in a timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly environment, helpful disability resource office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. TIPS: WONDERFUL SCHOOL. My dysability advisors were amazing. Whenever there was an issue with a professor my advisors were very very very supportive. I was always instantly repsonded from my emails and they fought for my rights consistently. I succedded because of UVM.

VIRGINIA
James Madison University My athletic advisors steered me through the chaos. Helped organizing classes, early registration, reduced course load, extended time.

WASHINGTON B
Bellevue College – Disability Resource Center I only took a few courses in Running Start. The head of the DRC is blind. The office is very supportive and it’s easy to submit your documentation and get the accommodations you need. I was told 25% of the student body has accommodations of some sort.

Evergreen State College “It’s possible to design an independent study program for all 4 years. I think that means you don’t have to take a foreign language in college, although you should have taken 2 years in high school. There aren’t any general education requirements.”

Marshall University Disability Services BEST: good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility, audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office. “HELP program provides a counselor to assist in choosing classes, tutoring and testing accommodations. There is an additional fee for the program but well worth the money!


WISCONSIN
University of Wisconsin – McBurney Disability Center

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May 25, 2019