SCOTUS Roe v. Wade decision shaking up college application process
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The end of Roe v Wade and a federally-guaranteed right to an abortion is stirring up confusion and fear in college students and those applying to college.
Many students are now reconsidering their choices and where they want to spend the next four years of their lives, given the new landscape.
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In college discussions forums such as College Confidential and Reddit, students are discussing how universities are responding to the Dobbs ruling, and whether they want to attend schools located in states that are moving to ban abortion rights.
Questions raised include what if they face an unwanted pregnancy? Will they have to travel out of state to get an abortion? Will their university offer support or assistance? Will their campus health center tell them about contraception and abortion options? Will the college fight for their reproductive privacy against prosecutors enforcing new state laws criminalizing abortion?
RELATED: These US companies will cover travel costs for employees who need an abortion
ABC7 News recently sought out expert advice to help Bay Area parents and students applying to college.
ABC7 News anchor Kristen Sze spoke with Lauren Cook, Dean of College Advising at Jewish Community High School of the Bay in San Francisco, and past president of the Western Association for College Admission Counseling.
Cook says since May, when the Supreme Court draft opinion was leaked, the talk began amongst high school juniors and college counselors. "There is concern and a lot of pushback. At this time of year, we're talking about about making lists (of colleges to apply to) for students that are going into senior year, and some students didn't even want states that would be outlawing abortion to be on the list."
Watch the video in the player above for the full discussion.
PHOTOS: Powerful images capture Roe v. Wade protests around Bay Area
If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live
