How should I manage with agoraphobia and college?

[Keith]

I have just finished high school this year and applied to many colleges (UF, UCF, and DePaul), I got accepted to all but I can't manage to actually go to the campus (Just the ride to there). I currently live in Illinois and looked for colleges near by to study electrical engineering but the closest college is too far away for me to manage. I thought that I was never going to be able to continue my education, which is what I really want to do. I am currently enrolled at DeVry and managed a 4.0 gpa average. I am also taking medications and seeing a therapist for my phobia. The schools I really want to go to are: MIT, Stanford, University of California Berkeley, University of Illinois Urbana, Stanford, Purdue, or Princeton. I know that these are prestigious schools and I have hoping to transfer to one of these schools when I have my phobia under control. I feel that DeVry is my best option as of so far, but the course load is way too easy for me. For those who are unaware of agoraphobia it is a social phobia. It is the fear of open/market spaces (outside or at a marker). I feel that I am getting better with coping, but I would like to hear some suggestions on what I should do to get into any of the schools I want to go to. I would really appreciate it!
I have tried going out everyday and am able to go to certain areas. I am hoping by soon that I can go to a college campus. Do you think that any of these colleges would understand my condition and why I chose an online college over an on-campus college?

[Anthony]

Maybe a beta-blocker such as inderal to slow heart rate and decrease anxiety. You can also ask a psychiatrist for a benzo but I wouldn't recommend it. Other than medication, you definitely need therapy to get over this barrier.

Agoraphobia or any social anxiety is going to make your life hell if you don't get it in check. What I mean is that even if you graduate college with a respectable GPA, no one is going to hire a person who is to scared to handle social situations. Make sure that before you transfer you see your psychiatrist for alternative medication instead of your current medication or an increase in dosage to alleviate the anxiety. It is going to be hard to transfer to those schools with your disability because when you go on the interview they are going to notice something is wrong with you and refuse acceptance unless you tell them outright you have a disability. If you hide it they will think something else is wrong with you. Talk to your therapist to overcome this. Some suggestions are to:

1. Gradually increase the level of people you are around. Go from being around a single person, to being around many people in like a concert or bar.
2. Take medication for anxiety.
3. Tell your therapist the deeper reasons why you are agoraphobic.
4. Make a list of places that you do not like and gradually try to go there and like them. I am not talking about places that are repulsive to you, I am talking about places that you would normally go to if you didn't have this issue.
5. Try to become more comfortable around groups. Being by telling a joke to your group of friends and then more and more daring.
6. Write down your feelings when your around a large group of people and compare them to your feelings when your not or alone. Ask your therapist to review and discuss them with you.

With the combination of medication, therapy, and appropriate emotional changes you can beat this. It is going to be an effort, but if you try you will succeed.

[Rotor]

You have an absolute zero chance of getting into those schools as a transfer student from DeVry. Of course it's too easy, it's a for profit school. They don't want to teach you anything, they just want your money. You need to get counseling for your agoraphobia.

[RoaringMice]

By going to a place like Devry (for profit, not respected) you are completely killing your chances of being able to transfer into the level of schools you're looking at. It would be far, far better for you to find a traditional college that offers online classes, even if that means you can't yet take any engineering classes (as almost no reputable college offers engineering online.) At least you could get your general classes done online.

In addition, any of the engineering classes you take at Devry are unlikely to transfer to other, more prestigious schools. They won't be considered equivalent. So if you're taking engineering classes now with the intention of transferring them, you may be wasting your time and money.

So you have a choice: you can stay at Devry and then not be able to transfer into these schools. Your best plan then might be to stay at Devry and graduate. Or you can transfer into a traditional college asap, where you probably won't be able to find any engineering colleges online (so you'd take only the general classes you need), and then transfer.

If you decide to transfer to a traditional school, check the community colleges in your home state. Many such colleges offer online classes now. In addition, there are online classes available via the U Illinois system, so look there as well.