The Coronavirus has taken the world by storm. Countries are struggling to contain it, with numerous deaths reported daily. This virus is known to infect human beings, causing respiratory tract illnesses, which could be fatal. To date, no vaccine has been found to protect people from the COVID-19. It is highly contagious, and scientists are still learning about it. With this pandemic, college admissions are adversely affected. Currently, colleges are now canceling in-person classes and using online platforms for learning. Also, SATs have been canceled through May, and all the Spring National College Fairs have been canceled.
Currently, TOEFL testing dates have also been canceled and postponed in some countries. International students who wish to travel abroad are also facing challenges due to school closures, the cancellation of testing dates, and the spread of Coronavirus. However, students are advised to continue with their admission preparations and avoid letting anxiety get the better of them.
College admissions officials are also in a state of turmoil during this period due to the coronavirus pandemic. This is because March and April are usually the months that many schools send out the bulk of their acceptances and denials. Also, it is during this period that financial packages are also sent. Since the deadline for students to submit their deposit is usually the 1st of May, there is pressure to move it forward to maybe June. This will give the families more time, but it has not been decided yet. There are so many unknowns during this period, affecting many things, and it is unfair to the students.
Also, high schools are now moving to online classes for the remainder of the school year. This will impact the high school transcripts of the students as they think about their college choices. It may be difficult even to get the final transcript in some places, and manage to send it off to the college of your choice since buildings are closed, and most of the staff are working remotely.
Guidance counselors are also going to have a hard time confirming whether students have graduated. This is because many of the states rely on the end of year grades and testing to confirm the status of the student. Many students are now more likely to change their college decision, while some of them will opt to defer their acceptance for a year so that they can attend the school of their first choice.
With high schools closed, most students are left in a dilemma as they cannot go to their counselor’s office and get advice on their college choices. With many colleges shutting their campuses, things are getting hard. However, students are advised to reach their counselors via phone or email.
With the onset of this COVID-19 pandemic, colleges, and universities are adversely affected. However, students can now access information online, as more colleges are moving their operations online. All is not lost; all that people need is to avoid panicking and see how this plays out. Hopefully, a vaccine will be discovered soon, and life will go back to normal.
If you are a college admissions officer and would like to reach out to high school counselors with the latest information. Start your strategy, contact us. We have high school counselor email lists available.