High school students are struggling with uncertainty right along with their college counterparts. Seniors are currently making college commitments without an opportunity to visit campus in person. Juniors and sophomores are feeling stressed about the impact on their future college applications.

In this unpredictable new world we find ourselves in, students have to try and make informed decisions about their futures.

How can high school seniors decide which university to attend without visiting in person?

Signing on to a college without an in-person visit can be a giant expensive leap in the dark. Most colleges, however, are responding quickly to provide remote resources to help students make their decisions.

Resources include:

• video tours of campus

• phone consults with admissions officers

• Q&As with currently enrolled students and alumni

• podcasts & blog posts

• social media

• newsletters

Students should utilize all resources available to them to get their questions answered. Pay special attention to how colleges are coping with this crisis. Are they being helpful to their current students, or is communication limited? What financial decisions have been announced given the massive disruption of the economy and reduced funding?

A growing number of colleges are extending decision deadlines to give students more time to make their important decision. Use the time to explore options thoroughly. Write a pros and cons list to visualize options. Above all, trust gut feelings. They are often the best guide to making a decision.

Are admitted students rethinking college?

No doubt about it, this is a difficult time to be entering college. Many newly admitted students are anxiously wondering if they really want to start their higher education journey in the middle of such an unprecedented event. For some with health or economic concerns, this may seem too risky an undertaking right now. A lot of the reasons to attend a college - the personal interaction, the exciting sports events, the amazing study abroad program - are no longer certainties. With remote learning and travel restrictions in place, is financing the next academic year even worth the money?

Colleges are very concerned that many students might decide not to take the financial burden of attending college next year. A big reduction in first generation and low-income students is expected. Many international and out-of-state students are rethinking their options. Colleges have had to cancel summer activities or move them online. It is unclear when colleges will be able to allow students back on campus and are preparing for further disruptions. Student life as we know it is going to be impacted during this time of uncertainty.

Nonetheless, the value of a college degree lasts far longer than the four years of attendance. Job seekers with a degree are consistently in a better position in a depressed economic market than those without one.

Should students defer entry to college this year?

Requests for deferrals and gap years will increase. This is a health and economic crisis, with many students and their families being hit hard. Delaying college could help steady rocky finances. Waiting a year for college life to stabilize is a valid option.

However, with the economy tanking, the decision to defer is not straightforward. With jobs in short supply, what are students going to do with their time?

Some will take online community college classes. Others will learn a new skill or programming language. Volunteering is another option. More opportunities are becoming available online and, hopefully, in-person too once social distancing regulations relax. As economies open up once more, hiring will hopefully expand.

The thought of deferring may add to feelings of uncertainty, though. Many students will prefer to continue as planned, adjusting to the new rules and conditions put in place. Their college experience will just be different to those before them, with a return to many of the usual college experiences hoped for the future.

Will the pandemic impact 2021 college applications?

High school sophomores and juniors are justifiably concerned about the potential impact the current crisis may have on their college applications. Many school districts are not giving letter grades for the current semester. Both the SAT and ACT tests have canceled spring testing, with summer exams looking increasingly unlikely. AP testing is at home and reduced in format. IB exams have been cancelled completely. The lack of enrichment opportunities for those stuck at home is also adding to the stress.

Colleges are starting to respond to concerns. Many are already reducing the ACT/SAT requirement for next year’s high school seniors or making it optional. While the College Board is adding extra testing dates in September and floating the idea of at home, digital exams, ACT/SAT test results will likely be a reduced factor in the next application cycle.

Students should concentrate on factors within their control. With in-person options limited, look for opportunities that don’t risk personal safety. Work on new GitHub ideas, keep a record of home-based engineering designs, take pictures of creative arts projects, record a music video, learn a new skill.

Most importantly, take good care of yourself and your loved ones. Safety first should be the motto all of us live by right now. Nothing is as valuable as health and happiness. Colleges will be taking this unprecedented situation into account.

Admission Pathways is here to offer advice and guidance through these difficult times. Free consults are available.