40% of Stanford undergrads receive disability accommodations-but it's become a college-wide phenomenon as Gen Z try to succeed in the current climate | Fortune

"The pandemic has shaken up college life for good: Since then, social media and AI have revolutionized classroom expectations, and the bar for landing a job after graduation has become impossibly high. Many are now questioning whether getting a degree was even worth it. The ripple effect of those strains is already showing in campus accessibility offices, where diagnoses of ADHD, anxiety, and depression are rising-and so are requests for extended time on coursework."

"At Harvard, 21% of undergraduates received disability accommodations last year, an increase of more than 15% over the past decade, according to data published by the National Center for Education Statistics analyzed by the Harvard Crimson. Top schools like Brown, Cornell, and Yale reported similar numbers, roughly in line with national trends. But the increase is more pronounced at other institutions: 34% of students at UMass Amherst and 38% at Stanford are registered as disabled, according to The Atlantic."

"In the 2011-12 school year, the number of undergraduates with a disability was about 11%, based on U.S. Department of Education data -highlighting just how much of a dramatic shift this phenomenon has become. One founder says students are trying to get a leg up in today's tough job market Experts note that many students have medical conditions that merit accommodations, and the increase is in part linked to broader access to mental-health care and reduced stigma around seeking support."

Since the pandemic, social media and AI have reshaped classroom expectations and intensified postgraduation job competition. Diagnoses of ADHD, anxiety, and depression have increased, and requests for extended time on coursework have risen. Disability accommodations at elite and other institutions have grown substantially: 21% of Harvard undergraduates received accommodations last year, with similar or higher rates at Brown, Cornell, Yale, UMass Amherst, and Stanford. The undergraduate disability rate has risen from about 11% in 2011-12. Broader access to mental-health care and reduced stigma have contributed to the increase, while some critics argue that students may be seeking advantages.

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