Virtual Campus Visits for Seniors
Shelly Humbach • April 6, 2020
The coronavirus has drastically altered life around the world, and while college admissions isn’t life and death, it’s safe to say that the admissions process has been upended. Colleges around the country have canceled in person classes and most have adopted an online format for the remainder of the semester. With that, it’s certain that spring college visits will be occurring in non-traditional ways. So how can you get a feel for a college when the campus is closed?
In the coming weeks, it’s possible that we will see many colleges postpone the May 1 enrollment confirmation date. For now, it’s best to assume that you may need to make some choices without doing an in-person visit. The NY Times had some great suggestions for “Making Decisions When Colleges are Closed”.
It boils down to using your virtual resources.
- Virtual Tour – Many schools already have a virtual tour available. In GuidedPath, you can find nearly 500 virtual tours through YouVisit on the college profile pages. Other collections of online campus tours include YoUniversityTV or CampusTours.com.
- Extended Virtual Visit – Admissions offices around the country are scrambling to enhance their virtual visit options for seniors. Stay in touch with the schools that have accepted you to find out what they will offer. Zoom meetings with admission officers, chats with student tour guides, FaceTime appointments with financial aid counselors, or phone calls with faculty or advisors. Universities are excited to welcome you to campus as an admitted student even if that means welcoming you remotely.
- Crowdsource a Connection – Chances are you may know someone who knows someone who is a current student. And now that those current students have largely returned home, they may be available and excited to chat. Reach out to your friend network or your college advisor to make a connection.
- Stay Positive – Although it is certainly an unprecedented time for colleges and the country, college campuses aren’t going anywhere. Students will return to school and you will have a place in a freshman class. For now, it’s all about making the most informed choice possible.
Take Action
The best course of action is to stay informed and stay in touch with the colleges to which you have been admitted. Check your email daily and check college websites for updated deadlines and procedures – including financial aid, enrollment forms, housing contracts, orientation and registration. Expect a lot of communication from colleges in the coming weeks. Be sure to have a method for organizing this information. And keep in touch with your advisor to stay on track.
In June, I hosted my annual Senior Essay Writing Workshop. This was the first in-person workshop since 2019. I bet you can guess why. I was elated to meet my students face-to-face after months, even years, of connecting through the screen. Imagine my surprise at their height, super-smiles, and warm laughter. Dang, it was wonderful. So, essentially, all my in-state seniors gather at my house for a three-hour intensive workshop on crafting a killer college essay. As I was preparing for the event, it occurred to me that I might be in competition with their PHONE. Classic directness (this is probably a character flaw) led me to inform my students and their parents, in advance, that this would be a no-phone gathering. My messaging went something like this, Important: Phones are placed in a basket at the door and retrieved at noon. No exceptions. Parents: If you need to reach your student during the workshop, text me directly at **********. Now, I am fully on board with the phone-free movement. I support it, advocate for it, and live it (I brilliantly quit all personal media last November). And I thought: my event, my rules. I was a little concerned about how this announcement would land. Turns out my concern was mainly about the parents. The kids? Not so much. In fact, research indicates that students crave phone-free learning environments. Suffice to say, the workshop was a smashing success. Not a single student pushed back against the policy. One poor soul forgot to retrieve her phone and left it sitting all alone in the basket. Not to worry, though. She didn’t get far before turning back to grab it. Here’s the truth: We don’t have to bow down to every technological whim or societal pressure. As adults, we know the phone is a problem, and it’s our job to foster healthy, happy individuals. So let's keep this momentum going. As Maya Angelou wisely said, “When you know better, do better.”
I work with incredible colleagues; collaborative, smart and supportive. They make me better and I am deeply grateful. Every year, Jennie Kent and Jeff Levy of Big J Educational Consulting share invaluable information regarding college admissions. Their research is impeccable and accurate and provides crucial data to help students and families make informed college decisions. Read on, share broadly and give a shout out to these generous professionals! Early Decision and Regular Decision Acceptance Rates Class of 2028 Domestic Undergraduate Need-Based and Merit Aid Class of 2028 In-State and Out-of-State Acceptance Rates Class of 2028 Financial Aid for International Noncitizens Class of 2028 International Noncitizens Acceptance Rate and Yield Class of 2028 Percentage of Students Submitting SAT and ACT Scores Class of 2028 Athletic Divisions and Conferences (partial list) Class of 2028 - NEW! These charts are visual, interactive, and easy to use. They make it possible to instantly sort using any column's metrics and to easily compare subsets of colleges. They are free and can be accessed at www.bigjeducationalconsulting.com/resources . From Jennie and Jeff: We hope you find these resources helpful in your work guiding students. Please feel free to share them broadly as long as they remain in their original unedited form. Permission is not granted to those charging a fee for their distribution. If you find an error after cross-referencing with an institution's Common Data Set, please contact us at info@bigjconsult.com . Thank you!
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