A view of the unique architecture, a feel for the warm weather, meeting the passionate students and teachers and exposure to schoolwide pride. This year’s senior class is missing the experiences that allow them to fall in love with a college due to COVID-19 related precautions.
Sophie Lynch ’21 hadn’t visited any colleges before the COVID-19 outbreak and has only done online tours.
According to Lynch, these tours aren’t giving an “authentic” image of the school.
Some students were fortunate enough to visit schools before COVID closed campuses.
“I did three [college visits] before quarantine, and got to really explore some schools, but the quarantine ones don’t [offer] anything at all,” Justin Franklin ’21 said.
Having a unique experience of already going to tour schools, Franklin is faced with different problems.
Live info sessions have been held by colleges (Barnard University recorded info session above) to explain admissions and answer questions as they would have done on college visits.
According to The New York Times, “Vanderbilt University in Nashville is matching high school juniors with current students for virtual coffee meetings.”
Processes such as this are being implemented to have more personal connections to a college.
Universities have continued to adapt to an online admissions process but might not be able to spark the same interest that in-person experiences did.
Credits:
Aidan Rogers