Preparing for college might not seem like the easiest thing these days. However, it’s something that you must do if you want your academic journey to continue. While institutions are prepping for attendance by taking precautions, it will be up to you choose the right one.
To put your mind to rest on account of staying safe, use these UNC Health experts’ tips. But aside from health safety, this is how you can find a good college:
Preparing for College with a Scholarships Search
Yes, the conditions sure are far from ideal. But there are still many scholarships waiting to be applied to. We usually recommend our students to look for ones that ideal for them in terms of:
Academic qualifications
- Financial aid needs
- Interests
- Personal characteristics
Don’t think that the pandemic excuses you from delivering a high quality essay. Even now, you must put all your mental energy and writing skills to use to send in your application to said scholarships.
Finding a Virtual Study Group to Begin Prepping
Continuing your study endeavors while maintaining social distancing can be difficult. However, it is also the only way to remain safe. However, acing your SAT and ACT are both vital parts of preparing for college.
The answer lies in a virtual study group. Join one by either creating it with your friends through Facebook and other social media websites. Or, get in touch with your mates from school and ensure you do not lose traction. You can use tools like Zoom, Skype, and UberConference to study together.
These groups provide the support network that most of us so desperately need right now. Aside from that, they produce an atmosphere of accountability that will motivate you. Friendly competition and the creation of an enjoyable experience are two other benefits of study groups.
Other resources that can help include virtual ACT and SAT prep classes.
Don’t think you want to do that? Consider these 3 Ways Online Classes Will Keep You From Going Stir Crazy During Self -isolation. Hopefully, it will change your mind!
Preparing for College by Focusing on the Context
High schoolers who are perusing colleges to get admission into shouldn’t forget this. Panelists on the admission committee of most colleges won’t evaluate your application in a context-free zone. In fact, we think this won’t happen for the next few years and not just in 2020!
So, while preparing for college, remember to take care of yourself, loved ones, and your community. Because that is equally important. Any college worth its reputations and claims about caring for their student population won’t penalize you because of the pandemic.
In short, that means do what you can to accomplish things that these restricted circumstances allow. And don’t stress out about the stuff that isn’t possible right now. Internships, extra-curricular activities, and other forms of experiences aren’t on the table at the moment. So, don’t keep fretting yourself sick about not being able to add them to your academic profile.
Developing Skills Online
You might not be able to go out to gain the experience you want to bolster your profile. But for most students, the availability of the internet can be a solution to that problem. Therefore, consider preparing for college by going virtual.
Look for ways through which you can develop certain skills and bridge gaps without leaving the house. So many institutes and experts are now offering resources online. Access those and acquire the skills you think would help your profile shine.
We’d suggest searching for courses and diplomas that have the following qualities:
- Free
- Self-paced
- No credit
- Limited in the topics they focus on
- Suitable to your requirements, based on:
- Subject choices
- Filling syllabi gaps
Knock on this article, 7 Ideas to Acquire New Skills during the COVID-19 Lockdown, for some great suggestions!
Preparing for College by Selecting Test-Optional Institutes
The CDC guidelines clarify how we should be behaving during the pandemic. Many educational institutions are factoring in those rules. And they are responding by canceling standardized testing requirements. It means that they won’t penalize you for not making the test scores a part of your application.
Why not look for a college that is going test-optional – at least for the next two years or so? You might have to contact the school in question directly to check if they will adopt this approach. Do so and protect your mind from the additional strain of passing SATs and ACTs.
Focusing on How Top-Choice Colleges Respond to COVID-19
A crucial part of preparing for college today should be to check the way a college responds to COVID-19. Many of them are caring for their communities and students by converting parts of the college into hospitals. Others are using dorms to house first responders. Providing public benefit is a great standard to aspire to. And it will be colleges like those who will take care of you when you are a part of them. To sum it up, COVID-19 has given students an opportunity. Now, you may predict what you can expect out of a college after signing on the dotted line!
Additional things to look for in the college you should select include the resources they offer to their students, such as:
- WiFi
- Laptops
- Online classes
- Financial help
- Temporary living quarters
And once all that is over, move on to the next step: gearing for your admissions interview. The tips we mention here in, 4 Recommendations for Successful Virtual Interviews, so you ace yours!
Conclusion
You may not realize it, but not every college is responding to the pandemic in the same way. We’d recommend looking for institutions that are taking the conditions into account. In the long run, those are the kind of teachers and staff you want to associate with.
Finally, if you’re having a difficult time deciding which college to apply to because you’re unsure of your career path, we’d suggest reading, The Career Counseling You Need in the Time of COVID-19.