Brrrrr… 20 degrees, ice on the power lines, blocked driveways and roads… this Oregon girl is ready for spring!
The snow and ice storm that hit the valley floor–a rarity in Portland– made a really dicey week for our large homeless population, hundreds of neighborhoods without power or frozen water lines, and derailed vaccination plans.
My fearless and kind hubby drove several people to work in the 4-wheel drive Jeep, and kept adding to his “just in case” kit–a shovel, pair of gloves, wrench, tow rope, gallon of water, granola bars, flares, extra masks, and several emergency blankets which now occupy the back seat JUST IN CASE he should come upon someone in need of help. And this is just one story of many that warms my heart.
Now as we turn the corner into spring I am so looking forward to the weather becoming warm enough to hopefully meet with my students in person!
As the numbers of vaccinations given continue to rise, it might also open the door to safer travel and (dare say it??) on-campus events.
I have heard from several seniors sitting on such great acceptances and starting to agonize over making their final decision without having been to every campus in person. While virtual offerings aren’t quite the same, and I feel you… many colleges are really stepping up their virtual game, so don’t despair!
What can you do?
- Check-in with each college to see what they are offering
- Reach out to the admission staff
- Connect with a current student
- Participate in an interview or online info. session
- See if you can at least drive around the campus?
- Go back and remind yourself about why you chose that school in the first place! Does it still hold up?
If you DO make plans for an in-person visit this spring, be sure to take notes about what you observe and experience, and how you feel.
Then once you’re home, use these Tips for Deciding and Declaring, as well as how to approach a waitlist.
Juniors are researching colleges and programs in earnest, carving out time for standardized test prep, building (still mostly virtual) some semblance of a relationship with second-semester teachers. They too are wondering about getting onto campuses and asking questions like “should I be considering a teacher from sophomore year for letters of recc?”
This question seems to be asked often at the virtual webinars I am attending and the answer is a resounding “it depends.” It depends on the circumstance. It depends on the student and teacher relationship. It depends on how each school district and high school is handling online, in-person, and hybrid teaching and learning. It depends, it depends, it depends.
So in a nutshell, if I was queen, juniors would be identifying two academic teachers from junior year–one humanities and one STEM core teacher. If this is just not possible, then we move down the line of variables, which ends up at “who knows you the best….”.
Another important question is how to spend spring break. On one hand, taking a brain break, get caught up on sleep (and Netflix), and having some recharge time is good.
On the other hand, spring break is a great time to:
- Dive in and research another couple of colleges
- Visit a campus in person and just walk around
- Do some extra prep for April, May, and June SAT’s
- Interview someone in an interesting job
I took my own advice about walking and driving around a campus AND taking a brain break. On the way back from a social distanced trip to Deer Harbor on Orcas Island to celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary, we stopped by Western Washington University on our way home to see how the new Interdisciplinary Science building is coming along. I was reminded how much I love Western Washington U! Read on for more on this regional gem.
What else does March have in store? Click here to find out!