Today our nation is responding to a worldwide heath threat. Counties and States across our nation have declared a state of emergency as the Coronavirus virus spreads. There are bans put in place restricting gatherings of 100 or more. Currently, Concerts, Broadway, Disney and Sporting Events have all been canceled.Additionally, Colleges across our nation have been forced to close their doors and move to online classes. Our current state brings a vast mix of emotions. There are those who think everyone is over-reacting and there are those who are feeling panic or fear. Regardless, of where you fall on the scale, as a nation and people we are impacted. In addition to the national health concerns we are seeing a negative financial impact as well. The reality is that we will come out on the other side. We may have a few bumps and bruises along the way, but it is how we handle the situation today that will affect our future. I want to give you a few tips to help your focus on the future and keep your teen on track during this tumultuous time.
At this time a large majority of colleges are closed for outside visit. Make sure that you check with the college you were planning on visiting before traveling. President Trump is expected to declare this afternoon (March, 13, 2020) a National Emergency over the Coronavirus. I would venture to say that it would be difficult to find a university who is still holding campus tours or newly admitted student events. So, what can you do to keep your college admissions process from being derailed. Class of 2020, if you are in the middle of making final decisions and you had scheduled college visits that have been canceled. Don’t panic. There are a lot of great resources online that allow you to get a great overview of a university. Many of the colleges you are attending will offer virtual tour options on their website and you can get a lot of your questions answered there as well. You can also check out You Visit,they offer 600+ virtual college tours.. https://www.youvisit.com/collegesearch/
If you have specific questions about a university you can always send an email to your admissions counselor. Even though many universities may be closed their staff will be available and want to make sure that you are getting your questions answered. Remember they want you to attend their college, so don’t be afraid to reach out.The main thing to remember is that you have a well thought out college list and most likely you will be happy and thrive at the college you choose. Make sure that you are checking emails as many of the colleges are providing additional resources and updates for newly admitted students.Class of 2021, As school districts are extending spring break our students are in full spring fever mode, so this is the perfect time to get a jump on the college admissions process. First, if your teen is scheduled to take an upcoming ACT or SAT, they will need to verify that their test date has not been rescheduled. Regardless of the situation, pulling out those test prep resources and spending time working on them will go a long way to increasing their scores. Additionally, there are many parts of the college admissions process that they can begin working on now. This would be a good time to work on resumes, building your college list (use the resources listed above and go on a virtual college tour) and searching for scholarships. Your college dreams are still a reality so keep moving forward.In my own practice, I will be meeting with students virtually. This will allow students to stay on track and not miss a beat. I will also be holding free live trainings over the next few weeks to help families put plans in place so that your teen will be set up for success. You will find information about these free trainings on the Education Prep Centers Facebook page as they become available The most important thing during this time is that we come together and support one another. My goal is to help you to and your teen stay on track during this difficult time.