When it came time for Ethan Jackson to apply to college, his sights were set on Indiana University–Bloomington. As an Indiana native who loved his state, the school was an obvious draw for him, but there were also other aspects of IU–Bloomington that were of special interest to Jackson.

The school is home to the Kinsey Institute, which is known for its research on sex and gender issues, and has a gender studies program. It’s also in the city of Bloomington, which is reportedly one of the gayest cities in the U.S., with a high number of same-sex households per capita.

“I was looking for whether or not the community surrounding the university was accepting and kind of liberal,” says Jackson, who is now a senior.

[Find college scholarships for LGBT students.]

He is a transgender student and used college as place to start over. “This was my means of transitioning,” he says.

Jackson started using Ethan as his first name when he arrived at school and has joined several clubs and student groups that support students who are transgender, such as the Transgender Advocacy Group. He’s also a resident assistant with a strong support network on campus.

His experience as a transgender college student isn’t perfect — there is still some confusion among professors about which name to call him, for example — but it’s largely been a positive experience. For many transgender students though, there are a mountain of challenges they too … face. How to get the right on-campus housing, where to find gender-neutral bathrooms and how to find health care resources are just a few, experts say.

A number of schools, such as Mills College in California and Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, have recently updated their policies this has been widely reported, so no need to link if we don’t have a piece from USNews /aegto be more inclusive of transgender students, but not every school may have a landscape that will accommodate and embrace transgender undergrads.

As transgender students try to determine which colleges will meet their needs, experts recommend they ask faculty and current students a few questions.

[ Prepare for college course work as a minority student.]

— D o you have an LGBT center on campus? The Center for LGBT Education, Outreach and Services at Ithaca College in New York runs an annual film series; brings in guest speakers for groups that cater to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students; and advocates for resources that serve LGBT students, among managing other activities, says Luca Maurer, the center’s program director.

Maurer encourages prospective students to ask if there is a center at campuses they are considering, which may then be able to put them in touch with other transgender students who can candidly discuss what the school environment is like.

If the school doesn’t have an LGBT center, “that’s not a terrible thing,” he says. Undergrads may still get much of the support a center would provide through student groups for transgender students, he says.

— Do you have inclusive nondiscrimination policies? An institution’s policy for nondiscrimination should include the words “gender identity and expression,” Maurer says. This information should be one of the first topics prospective students ask about, he says. A policy that includes these words shows that the university is inclusive for transgender students.

— Can I have my professors use my preferred name? Jackson was able to have his preferred name, Ethan, included in many of the school’s databases, but there have been instances where a professor receives his legal name instead of Ethan on the class roster.

Harassment can come from students and faculty not using a student’s preferred name or referring to the student with the wrong pronoun, Maurer says. “Those things lead to a hostile learning environment.”

[ Narrow your college application list with these tips.]

— Is there gender-inclusive housing? Sometimes a transgender woman might be assigned a roommate on campus who is biologically male, says Shane Windmeyer, executive director and cofounder of Campus Pride. Campus Pride provides leadership development opportunities for LGBT students and allies for these students; evaluates colleges on how inclusive they are to students who are gay, bisexual or transgender; and provides other support for students.

Asking about housing options ahead of time may help students avoid living in an uncomfortable environment. While researching where they’ll sleep, experts also encourage them to ask if there are gender-neutral bathrooms that can make it easier for transgender students to use. Maurer encourages students to ask if there is a map or list that identifies all gender-neutral bathrooms so they can know their options.

If prospective students get the opportunity to speak with current undergrads, they should also ask if they feel safe using the restroom, Windmeyer says. Many of the challenges transgender students face, he says, are centered around feeling safe at school.

But if a school doesn’t have ideal housing options for a transgender student, a student may have to out themselves to advocate for a change, Maurer says. This process can be terrifying, but schools often meet the needs of students as they bring up concerns, he says.

“Even the most trans-inclusive school can’t meet people’s needs if we don’t know what they are,” Maurer says.

Searching for a college? Get our complete rankings of Best Colleges.

More from U.S. News

10 Major Changes to College Admissions in 30 Years

Career-Focused Students Turn to Competency-Based Degrees

Students Offer Solutions for Common College Application Mistakes

Consider College Options Carefully as a Transgender Student originally appeared on usnews.com