College Campuses are Closed; Now What? Three Alternative Steps to Researching Colleges.

STEP ONE: START WITH THEIR WEBSITE

This should not come as an epiphany to anyone. The key here is to take advantage of all it has to offer which is usually a plethora of information. Start by going to admissions and joining their mailing list. Do it first so that you don’t forget! Make a note if there is an admissions representative for your local area; they are happy to answer your specific questions. Look at the school’s academic programs to make sure they offer what interests you. Go to the particular college within the university that houses your intended program and read their news clips to get a feel of how their students and professors are interacting with the community and for the sorts of outcomes their graduating seniors are looking forward to. Look for the school’s mission statement to see if its educational outlook aligns with yours. For instance, is the school looking for social justice warriors and, if so, is that how you would describe yourself or do you at least find that appealing. And take the virtual tour!

STEP TWO: SOCIAL MEDIA

17 year olds rarely have to be reminded to use social media, but you may be underestimating it as an information source. You may have seen the shortcuts on the college websites to Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and even that archaic platform your grandparents use, Facebook. These are good places to get current campus news and, in many cases, you can easily discover and follow student groups and clubs. LinkedIn is often a good springboard for researching what recent graduates are doing. Reach out and message them. Ask them about their experiences at the college and how it prepared them for their careers. Social Media is a good place to gauge the energy of the school community and to follow current students with like interests to yours.

STEP THREE: GATHER OUTSIDE INFORMATION

Now it’s time to step away from the school itself and get other peoples’ opinions. The school media is a marketing device, and they are going to show you their campuses in the most flattering light. This is fine, just be aware and consider the bias when evaluating. The flip side, listening to others, also requires caution. These opinions could be borne from rejection or a personal, and not typical, bad experience. With this in mind, talk to people you know who attend the school. These interviews can be quite valuable. The other approach is to use the internet. There are many websites dedicated to disseminating information on colleges and college life. Just “googling” the college will undoubtedly lead you to many sources. With practice you will come to prefer some of these sites to others.

If you were making college visits this spring, I would be advising you to note the things you liked and didn’t like. This applies to this research as well. It will help you to not only build your college list, but also to write college-specific application essays later on. Colleges will tend to blur together in your mind if you don’t keep detailed notes. Juniors, schools are closed and you unexpectedly have time. Research now and build an appropriate list sooner rather than later because we don’t know what the future has in store during this stressful time.

Above all else: take precautions and stay healthy!

For questions regarding the college admissions process, please contact me. I am an Independent Educational Consultant specializing in helping students and their families navigate the college application process.