The semester has just begun, and Akeyla Todd has already written a five-page paper, this time with more enthusiasm and less trouble than she’s used to. At two previous colleges, her struggles with learning disabilities, specifically executive functioning and information processing, made most assignments difficult and discouraging, she says. But now, in the Bridge Semester program at Landmark College, her academic courses and extra support are helping her overcome those struggles.
“It’s a good community here,” Ms. Todd says. “It’s a healthy environment for me.”
Landmark, a liberal-arts college of around 500 students in Putney, Vt., is geared toward those with dyslexia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism-spectrum disorders. Founded in 1985, it has long served transfer students, and it started an official bridge program in 2006 to recruit students who had dropped out—or failed out—of traditional colleges. The goal is for them to master certain skills, develop better study habits, and return to their previous institutions. The program started with about a dozen participants and, excluding this semester, has served a total of 235 students.
“Usually they’re transferring here after they’ve had a really unpleasant experience elsewhere,” says Brent Betit, senior vice president and a founder of Landmark. “They are looking around for a place where they can get back on track.”
The college promotes its bridge program on the radio and online, and invites education consultants, counselors, and other learning specialists to visit. Some then recommend the program to students who may benefit from Landmark’s unique orientation, Mr. Betit says.
Prospective participants apply to the college, receive financial aid, and live on the campus just like any of Landmark’s other students. The only real difference, says Mr. Betit, is their objective: to prepare for success back at a traditional college. “We’re not trying to convert them,” he says. “We’re trying to support them.”
Frequently, though, bridge students continue courses at Landmark after the bridge semester and sometimes go on to graduate from there. For Ms. Todd, that prospect is already enticing. “I could go back,” she says, “but I’m not sure I really want to.”
A key aspect of Landmark’s more-supportive environment is its required “Perspectives in Learning” course, which helps students identify their learning styles, strengths, and weaknesses—and positions them to use that knowledge to their advantage, says Rebecca Matte, an associate professor of first-year studies.
“We want students to reframe their perceptions of themselves as students,” she says.
The extra attention comes at a price: In 2012-13, Landmark’s tuition, fees, room, and board—$59,370—made it the second most expensive college in the United States.
‘Can Do’ Feeling
Nicolas Shallcross also attended two other colleges before Landmark. “I was trying to keep my head above water,” he says. Now in his second semester there, he says learning different note-taking methods, ways to organize information, and other study tools has made a big difference.
“If they’d been taught at my school, I must have missed them,” Mr. Shallcross says. “I had never heard of them or used them before, and they work really well for me.” He feels more mature now, he says, and his grades are higher than ever.
For James Hellier, success has meant embracing Landmark’s emphasis on attendance and accountability. His prior college career was “a little tumultuous,” he says, with classes at four other institutions. He started the bridge program last summer, attending every class, he says, and earning two A’s.
“That was great for me because I hadn’t seen an A since high school,” he says. “It was like, ‘Hey, I can do this.’” Now Mr. Hellier, 24, hopes to transfer to a State University of New York campus at the end of the semester to complete his bachelor’s degree.
With its first group of bridge-program participants, Landmark found that roughly 75 percent finished the semester in good standing, defined as having at least a 2.0 grade-point average, and students since have continued to see academic improvement, says Jill Hinckley, assistant dean of academics. Because they often have a history of poor performance, those results are a significant achievement for many students, she says: “It’s about turning around that trajectory.”
For Lindsey Robison, that means finally feeling within reach of her dream career as an animal behaviorist. Ms. Robison came to Landmark as a bridge student from a community college in Ohio and plans to graduate this summer with an associate degree. Now she’s exploring options at a four-year institution or vocational college.
“There’s always that fear in the back of my head of failing again,” she says. “But it’s not even a question anymore of thinking I can’t do it. It’s more nerves because I know now I can do it.”
Ms. Todd is just a few classes in, but she is also optimistic. “I’ve only been here for a few days,” she says, “but I can already tell it’s going to get better.”
