Applying to College during COVID

3/15/2021

Given the changes across the country in how college's operate, how is COVID affecting the way students apply to colleges, and how are colleges working to help them? Written by Hannah Robertson

Learn More...

Read the Full Transcript

1

00:00:00,660 --> 00:00:02,241

In a year of can'ts, colleges

2

00:00:02,241 --> 00:00:05,930

and college-bound seniors are

figuring out how they can.

3

00:00:05,930 --> 00:00:09,060

And with more online

applications, more technology,

4

00:00:09,060 --> 00:00:11,651

and more creativity, colleges

are finding their place

5

00:00:11,651 --> 00:00:14,150

in a pandemic world.

6

00:00:14,150 --> 00:00:15,700

You're watching the Local News Network,

7

00:00:15,700 --> 00:00:17,670

brought to you by Kroeger's Ace Hardware

8

00:00:17,670 --> 00:00:19,540

and FastSigns of Durango.

9

00:00:19,540 --> 00:00:21,570

I'm Wendy Graham Settle.

10

00:00:21,570 --> 00:00:24,860

Over the years, the college

admissions process has consisted

11

00:00:24,860 --> 00:00:28,510

of an application, maybe a

college visit and interview,

12

00:00:28,510 --> 00:00:30,070

and a decision.

13

00:00:30,070 --> 00:00:33,060

That much hasn't changed since last March,

14

00:00:33,060 --> 00:00:34,470

even though colleges now have

15

00:00:34,470 --> 00:00:37,760

to accommodate social distancing

and other safety measures

16

00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:39,400

during the pandemic.

17

00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:43,460

After all, many perspective

students can't visit campuses.

18

00:00:43,460 --> 00:00:44,910

Many have also been unable

19

00:00:44,910 --> 00:00:47,260

to take standard college entrance exams

20

00:00:47,260 --> 00:00:51,160

and remote learning has

disrupted their lives.

21

00:00:51,160 --> 00:00:54,050

So at Fort Lewis, our

application for admission

22

00:00:54,050 --> 00:00:56,760

typically opens in early September.

23

00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:00,173

We've seen a bulk of our

applicants come in from September

24

00:01:00,173 --> 00:01:04,490

through about January in a typical year

25

00:01:04,490 --> 00:01:06,170

and an application

26

00:01:06,170 --> 00:01:08,900

for a traditional first-year

student would include

27

00:01:08,900 --> 00:01:12,050

a high school transcript

showing their work completed

28

00:01:12,050 --> 00:01:14,830

through their junior year,

standardized test scores

29

00:01:14,830 --> 00:01:17,490

as required by the state of Colorado,

30

00:01:17,490 --> 00:01:18,800

either ACT or SAT scores,

31

00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:21,720

and then the application form itself.

32

00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,210

Colleges have found

creative and different ways

33

00:01:24,210 --> 00:01:27,310

to show off their campuses

without in-person visits,

34

00:01:27,310 --> 00:01:29,670

and at smaller schools like Fort Lewis,

35

00:01:29,670 --> 00:01:33,850

they've kept the tours operational

with some modifications.

36

00:01:33,850 --> 00:01:36,081

We are really fortunate that we get to do

37

00:01:36,081 --> 00:01:40,284

in-person options both

based on our location

38

00:01:40,284 --> 00:01:41,980

and using the best, you know,

39

00:01:41,980 --> 00:01:46,490

San Juan Basin public health

COVID guidelines in the state,

40

00:01:46,490 --> 00:01:47,980

we felt we could do our visits.

41

00:01:47,980 --> 00:01:50,100

We're a small enough

school that we could give

42

00:01:50,100 --> 00:01:53,530

these students and families

a personalized visit.

43

00:01:53,530 --> 00:01:55,849

So instead of 35 people

sitting in a presentation

44

00:01:55,849 --> 00:01:58,880

and then going on a tour around campus,

45

00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:00,861

now students and families

come to our office

46

00:02:00,861 --> 00:02:02,810

and it's a one-on-one meeting

47

00:02:02,810 --> 00:02:05,578

or like a one-on-family meeting

where the family comes in,

48

00:02:05,578 --> 00:02:07,626

they sit on one end of a conference table.

49

00:02:07,626 --> 00:02:10,400

We have our admission

counselor on the other end.

50

00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:11,780

There, of course is a health screening

51

00:02:11,780 --> 00:02:13,630

when they arrive, they wash their hands,

52

00:02:13,630 --> 00:02:18,030

everyone has masks and

they're keeping distance,

53

00:02:18,030 --> 00:02:20,310

but we're still able to do that,

54

00:02:20,310 --> 00:02:22,130

to kind of give that

personalized experience,

55

00:02:22,130 --> 00:02:26,020

and what we have found

is that both our staff

56

00:02:26,020 --> 00:02:28,410

and the students and families

actually really enjoy

57

00:02:28,410 --> 00:02:29,243

that experience.

58

00:02:29,243 --> 00:02:31,160

It's much more individualized.

59

00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:32,890

Many colleges now offer

60

00:02:32,890 --> 00:02:36,830

online admission applications

and have added virtual tours.

61

00:02:36,830 --> 00:02:39,770

It's now an expectation

that every college is going

62

00:02:39,770 --> 00:02:42,120

to have virtual visit options.

63

00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,870

You know, I think, like I said,

we're constantly refining,

64

00:02:44,870 --> 00:02:47,670

so what we're offering today might not be

65

00:02:47,670 --> 00:02:51,410

what we're offering a

year and a half from now.

66

00:02:51,410 --> 00:02:53,470

If you'd like to learn more about changes

67

00:02:53,470 --> 00:02:56,426

to college admissions, contact

your high school counselor

68

00:02:56,426 --> 00:02:58,900

or college admissions advisor.

69

00:02:58,900 --> 00:03:01,170

Thanks for watching this

edition of the local news.

70

00:03:01,170 --> 00:03:02,733

I'm Wendy Graham Settle.

PAST DURANGO LOCAL NEWS STORIES

November 26, 2024
November 20, 2024

Need more  Local DURANGO News?

News for Locals. By Locals.
Editorial Policy | Copyright © Local News Network Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy