The college search has gotten a lot more challenging for high school sophomores and juniors as the COVID-19 pandemic makes it impossible to visit schools and make valuable in-person connections. Dickinson’s admissions counseling team has compiled some tips for the overall college search and for interviewing to help families navigate this challenging time.
How are high-school students supposed to narrow down their college lists without campus visits, college fairs or access to their school counseling team? Check out these 10 tips to successfully explore colleges virtually. Utilize online resources like College Board: Big Future, The Princeton Review: Find Your College and Peterson’s College Search Engine. After identifying some schools you’re interested in, go to their website or to YouVisit.com to see if they have a virtual tour available. It’s the next best thing to being there! Look at college websites and drill down for videos from students and faculty members that "narrate" their experience. Read stories about noteworthy alumni and students at the colleges you’re interested in—this is your chance to hear directly from members of the community and get lots of great examples of their opportunities and experiences. Dig deeper into a college’s social media. Different departments, majors and student organizations operate their own pages that will give you a sense of their personalities. Also, check out the location tag on Instagram to view authentic content from current students. Lots of colleges are offering virtual sessions—join them! This allows you to better understand many different schools from the comfort of your own home! If your school has a platform for your college search (like Naviance), check back there often for tips from your school counselor. Stay connected to your friends and classmates to talk all things college search. Set up a Zoom or FaceTime session to share experiences and information. Make a personal connection. Connect with your regional counselor to ask questions; you’ll get answers plus help that person—who will be your advocate—get to know you better! These are challenging times. Read about how the schools you’re interested in are handling it—it demonstrates the priority they put on their students. Ten Tips for Conducting a Virtual College Search
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This time of year, high-school students narrowing down their college lists and think about scheduling admissions interviews. But COVID-19 may mean you have to do your interview online. Here are some tips for doing so confidently! Explore the college's website, take a virtual tour and/or information session before you interview. Make sure you know basic info about the school. Write down a standard set of questions that you want to ask of each college you interview with, but make sure they’re not things you could have learned quickly on the website. Write down a few questions specific to the institution to express your interest. Provide your academic/club interests and involvements to the college/interviewer in advance. Find good lighting to brighten your face—set up in front of a window or move closer to a light source. If using a phone or tablet, find a place to secure it. Shaky video isn’t fun to watch and can be a distraction. Try to stand during the interview. It will give you a greater feeling of control. Sit/stand up straight—eye contact and presence still matter online! Have a copy of your resume in front of you so you don’t forget to mention important activities. Follow up with a thank-you note. Email is fine, but taking the time to thank your interviewer in the days after your meeting will make a lasting impression. Ten Tips for Successful Virtual Interviews
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