A LGBTQ+ Student’s Guide to the College Search
By Lillith Rengstorf
Whether you’re a high school student about to start their college search with college applications this coming fall, or you’re a freshly graduated high schooler about to leave for college for the first time, it can be scary and overwhelming. Especially for LGBTQ+ students. While many schools have recently made great improvements to support LGBTQ+ and other minority students, the attitudes towards our community in this country can make choosing a college that you feel safe at a daunting task. Hopefully, this article will serve as a checklist of sorts to help you decide if a school is LGBTQ+ friendly. However, don’t take this as an end-all-be-all of picking a school. Choose the characteristics that are the most important for you, and remember that you can find your people anywhere.
First, see if the school has a list or group of out faculty and staff. If a school has faculty and professors that are comfortable being out in the public eye of the university, that is typically a great sign for LGBTQ+ students. My school for example, not only has a student LGBTQ+ alliance, but also has a faculty affinity group of professors who are out. This can also help LGBTQ+ students find adult mentors with similar identities within their major.
Second, research if the university has gender-inclusive housing and gender-neutral bathrooms. A big fear of many LGBTQ+ students entering college is being assigned to dorms that don’t match their gender identity, and not having access to bathrooms or living spaces where they feel safe to be themselves. Most schools will disclose on their housing websites or housing applications if gender-inclusive housing is an option. Many times these programs will provide an option to “opt-in” so a student will only be placed in a room with other people who have also opted-in. Most schools now have gender neutral bathrooms in academic buildings as well, but it never hurts to do your research about the specific school you’re interested in.
Finally, check what diversity and inclusion resources and initiatives the school has. Is there an LGBTQ+ student center or organization? Is there a more structured diversity center or other faculty-led program? Do they provide resources for LGBTQ+ students in the larger community surrounding the school? Many schools have these but do not widely advertise them to prospective students, so it never hurts to dig around a university’s website, or even to email an admissions representative of the college. Along with this, consider looking for organizations that support any other identities that you have, such as religious or ethnic affiliations. I would say that my biggest piece of advice would be to actually go on the college tours and visit the schools, this gives you the best picture of what the vibes on campus are actually like.
There are also many different websites that rank colleges on their inclusivity and acceptance of LGBTQ+ students, as well as the efficacy of their resources. The Campus Pride Index ranks colleges and universities on various attributes and how well they support and affirm LGBTQ+ students. Overall, just remember that college and everything the process entails can be scary and overwhelming especially for any minority student, but you are so worthy of going to college, and wherever you decide to go, you deserve to take up space and to have the support you need to do amazing things.
Sources: US News and World Report
About the Author
Lilith is studying Biology at Butler University in Indianapolis, she is also pursuing a minor in Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She has been out as bisexual for over four years, and uses she/they pronouns. Lilith also serves on the executive board of the LGBTQIA Alliance at Butler University. In her free time she loves to crochet, embroider, and read.
