Executive functioning (EF) skills play a crucial role in college success - probably more important than most parents and educators realize. EF skills are responsible for coordinating your students’ time management, organization, self-regulation, planning and prioritization skills. EF skills have been compared to the conductor of an orchestra - coordinating other skills in the brain to function smoothly and efficiently with each other.
Here is a scenario to illustrate where students use EF skills in college:
Setting an alarm the night before, remembering to charge the cell phone so the alarm actually goes off!, waking up to the alarm, showering, getting dressed, packing their backpack, walking to the dining hall to eat breakfast, walk to class, attend class on time
If you read this scenario and thought “My student(s) can’t remember all of those steps on their own” ……. keep reading.
What Type of Student Benefits From an Executive Functioning Program at College?
Students who have a diagnosed executive functioning weakness can benefit from these types of programs. Other students who don’t have a formal diagnosis but struggle with time management, organization, procrastination and prioritizing tasks may benefit as well. Also, students who struggle with a combination of anxiety and executive functioning skills can benefit from the connection with a campus staff member through structured weekly meetings.
My Student Needs EF Support at College - Now What?
Find a college / university that offers an EF support program (see list below) To find out if a college offers an EF program, visit your college’s website and in the search bar in the upper right corner search for these words “Executive Functioning” or “Academic Coaching” or “Learning Specialist”
Use an EF coach who specializes in supporting college students An executive functioning coach, such as Fast Forward College Coaching, can support ANY student at ANY college or university. Because we support students virtually, no matter where your student attends, we can support their executive functioning skills through 1-2x week meetings. The cost of Fast Forward College Coaching is also less expensive than a typical college EF support program - win, win!
How Much Do EF Programs at College Cost?
Be prepared, EF programs can be expensive. Because these programs are offered above and beyond the legally mandated accommodation supports (which are no cost to eligible students), colleges can charge whatever they want.
College EF programs might have a set fee for a set number of allowed meetings per semester (For example, $2,000 / semester for 1 meeting per week)
College EF programs can have tiered fees based on the number of meetings your student has per week with an EF support specialist (For example, 1 hr per week = $1,800 per semester 2 hrs per week = $2,700 per semester 3 hrs per week = $3,600 per semester)
Examples of Colleges That Offer EF Support Programs
UCONN (Beyond Access program), Connecticut
Central Connecticut State University, Connecticut
Community College of Rhode Island (coaching is free!), Rhode Island
Mitchell College, Connecticut
Dean College, Massachusetts
Marist College, New York
Providence College, Rhode Island
Oberlin College, Ohio
George Mason University, Virginia
Franklin & Marshall College, Pennsylvania
Springfield College, Massachusetts
Lehman College, New York
Do you have questions about your son/daughter’s potential college list? Are you looking for guidance about the types of academic or EF support programs at each college? Jennifer Sullivan can help - she reviews college academic programs and presents information in simple, easy-to-understand language.
Jennifer would love to hear from you!
Want to Learn More About EF Skills & College?
Fast Forward College Coaching specializes in 1:1 coaching with new or current college students who need executive functioning skill support. We’ve written many articles to help educators and families build their students’ EF skills. Here are just a few articles:
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