The transition to college from high school can be daunting for any 18 year old, or even anyone going back to school, especially when it can sometimes mean relocating away from your familiar support system. For those with conditions like Turner syndrome, there may be additional challenges to consider that the average student might not face.
However, with the right support, preparations, and accommodations, college can be an opportunity to show these women and their families exactly how capable, strong, and resilient women and girls with Turner syndrome are.
The following are stories, experiences, and advice provided by three women with Turner syndrome who have gone through the process of transitioning into college.
Gianna’s College Advice
Selecting a College
When going through selecting a college, Gianna focused on three main factors, saying “it had to be a reasonable medium distance away from home, had good programs, and had to be affordable.” I also had to take scholarship into consideration, and while I didn’t have any specific accommodations for Turner syndrome, I did take into account the college’s healthcare accessibility.
Throughout the selection process, “I kept everything organized on spreadsheets and had family and teachers review paperwork for applications. I also gained a lot of insight from YouTube videos of other girls going through the application process. I got accepted to 10 out of the 12 schools I applied to and ended up settling on Hartford,” Gianna explained.
Transitioning to College
“I’m not going to sugar coat it, the transition was rough,” says Gianna. “I underestimated it greatly and was all pumped up thinking it was a fresh start, and just wanted to move away. It didn’t hit me until my parents drove away. It was very lonely being 2 hours away from home, not having a car felt restricting, and I had no money which was an awful feeling.”
After a while, Gianna found her footing after meeting her first friend in college and going regularly to the gym. She says, “I ended up joining a sorority as well where I met another girl with Turner syndrome. Although things were better after joining, there were still feelings of exclusion as they would occasionally feed into previous bad habits.”
Eventually, Gianna decided to transfer back home to community college and switched majors from CNA to psychology. She explains, “I also found God, and this all ended up being the best choice for me, both mentally and spiritually. However, I don’t regret initially going away to college as it did help me develop necessary skills for if or when I need to move back out on my own.”
Parting Advice
Gianna’s advice for any girl with Turner syndrome preparing to go to college is this: “Make sure you do a deep reflection on what will be best for you in the long run, don’t be ashamed or embarrassed if the best thing ends up being to stay at home and do community college.
Also, don’t underestimate how big and important a decision it is and take your time to reflect and do the research. Lean heavily on your support system (family, friends, counselors, etc), and don’t doubt yourself. I ended up switching majors due to doubting my abilities in science, and while switching was the right decision for my mental health at the time, I do sometimes believe I could have gotten through it if I had just stuck it out.
Finally, take care of your health and make sure to develop healthy coping habits. Make sure your decisions take your physical and mental health fully into account.”
Calla’s College Advice
Selecting a College
Calla was recruited by a college through their D3 gymnastics program before getting into the full application process to multiple schools. Calla says, “I ended up sticking with them for their great academics and research program opportunities since I knew I wanted to eventually become a genetic counselor.”
Transitioning to College
“The college I went to ended up being across the country from my family so there definitely were some initial difficulties, but they were a great support in helping me move and setting up systems to stay in contact to make the transition as smooth as possible,” Calla explains.
Calla also felt lucky to have someone who lived near her hometown going to the same college. She says, “We were able to connect over the summer before college and become friends which also helped the transition.”Calla also felt lucky to have someone who lived near her hometown going to the same college. She says, “We were able to connect over the summer before college and become friends which also helped the transition.”
On picking her major, Calla says “The choice of my major in Biology was easy as I had known pretty early on in my teenage years I wanted to be a genetic counselor, but I also found out I enjoyed public health after taking a course and added that as a major as well. I would say one of my biggest successes in college was balancing my academics and being part of a collegiate team.”
Calla says that accommodations were pretty easy to set up. “I already had an established accommodation in high school for some extra time during tests, so I was able to establish that for my college classes as well,” she explains.
Parting Advice
“My advice would be to build a community in any way you can through things like sports, social events, etc, especially if you’re going to be far away from home.
Don’t be afraid to request any accommodations you may need as well, as I found my professors generally cared about helping me succeed. Don’t be afraid to utilize them as not just an academic resource but personal, too,” Calla advises.
Brooke’s College Advice
Selecting a College
Brooke says that selecting a college was a little tough for her, “but I knew I wanted to be financially smart about how I went about it.”
She explains, “I had some great help and support from my family in the application process. I had several selections out of state but all of them were still in New England. I ended up starting out at a local university so I could save money at home while completing the required courses, before going to an out of state college a few hours away.”
Transitioning to College
“I honestly believe starting at the local university first was a great move. I was able to still stay at home and get my footing and I even managed to do a podcast for a short time with my mom on Turner syndrome. Doing this before transitioning to an out of state college for the full dorm life and independent experience was definitely a great move for me,” says Brooke.
Brooke says that because her first university had a couple of campus in local towns, she learned how to manage going to multiple campuses for classes. “The most impactful experience for me though, and one thing I would encourage any girl with Turner’s going into college to experience once before if they are able, would be the experience I had the summer before I started at my second out of state college,” advises Brooke.
“My second college had a requirement for any incoming students to complete an ‘outdoor experience’ which could be done in a couple different ways. I ended up choosing a 12 day canoe excursion through New York’s Adirondack Mountains.
This experience is something I took through the rest of my college experience and something that continues to impact me in my career. It gave me confidence in myself and my abilities.”
Brooke eventually graduated through her local university with a bachelors degree in English after having some difficulties with the math parts of the biochemistry major she initially started with.
Parting Advice
Brooke’s final advice is this: “Don’t feel embarrassed about potentially staying at home while going to college. Get involved with whatever groups, communities, and classes pique your interest and could help build skills (even if they aren’t directly related to your major) and make connections to build your support network, especially if you choose a college out of state. I would also always encourage taking care of your physical and mental health.
Finally, don’t doubt yourself, do something new if it interests you, even if you don’t immediately feel qualified, and know that it’s totally fine if it doesn’t end up working out.”
Written By Brooke Carson, TSF Volunteer Blog Writer and designed by Adrianna Verzolini
© Turner Syndrome Foundation, 2026
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