Many colleges and universities moved their student decision timeline up a month, from May 1st to June 1st. If you haven’t given a college your “yes” or “no” answer yet, you can absolutely use this time to determine which school is the right option for you. Try these steps out to select the right college.
Determine their Approach to Virtual Learning
It’s quite possible that virtual learning will continue in to Fall 2020 for a number of schools across the country. If this is the case, it will be helpful to know how the college is handling the online courses. How are the teachers doing with the content? How does the school’s current set-up work for students and facility? Is it easy to get the information you need? Are students still learning?
Taking a look at a school’s social media page can help you determine how the college is handling distance learning, but it’s also recommended to talk to recent graduates or those still attending. They’ve had first hand experience with the virtual learning change. What do they think about the experience? You can try joining college groups on Facebook to ask questions of current students or get an idea of the landscape!
Take Virtual Tours
Although you can’t visit the college campuses, you can instead take a virtual tour of the school. Many schools are offering this on their websites or on their social media pages. This will only allow you to see the parts of a school a college wants you to see, but it still gives you a picture of what the school looks like. You may also want to try looking up student-made videos of the campus to see if you can get a better idea of what the real-life experience is like.
Redo Your Pro and Cons Lists
Back when you were determining your best colleges to apply to, you may have done a pro and con list. Even if you never did one, now is the time to. The education experience is rapidly changing and your new list needs to take that into account. One school that was on top of your list in December may no longer be leading the pack.
You’ll want to consider how a school is handling virtual learning, but also social distancing if the school reopens in the fall. Not all colleges have released this information in regards to fall reopening plans, so you may be a bit restricted, but research here is essential. Compare courses, virtual learning experiences, online options, and more now. You may also have different “wants” in regards to what you’re looking for in a school due to the changes. Comparisons you may not have considered back in December may be on the list!
Select the Right College in Quarantine
With the education world shifting in response to the coronavirus, it’s important to give your school choice extra thought. Some schools will give you extra time too to decide if you need it, so make sure you reach out to them with any questions or concerns about the upcoming semesters.
Fortunately, College Raptor is an invaluable tool that can help you out. With a free College Raptor account, you can get personalized college matches, cost estimates, acceptance odds, and financial aid estimates! Not to mention you can learn all sorts of things about your prospective colleges, like most popular majors, graduation rates, and plenty more.
