How to conduct research when you can’t go visit? Will I be taking classes online or on campus? Will I still be moving and going to college in person? How do I really learn about a college online and decide if I should apply or attend? Should I wait a year and start college once things open back up? Will my experience be worthwhile for the Cost of Attendance? How will I find my people an environment to learn, grow, and thrive in the midst of a global pandemic?
It’s true that the classes of 2021 and 2022 in particular have had a much different high school experience and journey to college,
and these are All. Valid. Questions.
Yet, I’m hoping to offer just a bit of relief from the uncertainty in letting you in on a little secret…
Even before the pandemic, high school students working through their journey to college had many of these same questions.
Was it exactly the same? No, of course not! I think everyone can agree that the pandemic and all that did to shift teaching and learning most definitely created a special set of tough circumstances.
However, even before the pandemic, ZERO of my students were able to get onto EVERY ONE of the colleges on their “yes” list before applying.
Even when travel was more possible from a pandemic exposure perspective, it was still unlikely that families could take the time or money to hit every one. More, yes! But all? No.
So it has always been a conundrum for juniors researching and list building, and seniors making a final decision, to rely in part on virtual offerings, stories from others, online tools of research, and a gut feeling.
Diving in to learn more about what’s out there, coupled with some deep thinking and soul searching to find out what you’re looking for, and then attempting to connect these two things is really at the heart of this whole thing. And some of that HAS to come from online or virtual resources.
Because let’s face it, even the most well-meaning in-person campus tour doesn’t GUARANTEE that you will learn all you need to know about the campus, and in many cases, these are polished to the point of being fairly superficial!
So, is not being able to visit in person ideal?
No, hardly!
But is it possible to learn enough from pooling your resources to make a sound decision? Yes, definitely! Because after all, there is not just ONE MOST PERFECT school out there for you, but rather several that will fit you, you will get into, and will make sense financially. I promise!
So how to make the most of virtual and anecdotal information?
Click over to my March and April blog posts, check out these tips from Wheaton College in MA, and these from Niche to help ensure you get the most out of your virtual experiences!