College Process Adapts to Pandemic

Senior year introduces the stresses of signing up for final high school courses, preparing for graduation, and thinking of the future, which for college-bound students entails a process no other past seniors have experienced.

Through the outbreak of COVID-19, the road to college has had to adapt in order to work for those in admissions helping students and for students trying to figure out what they want to study and where they want to call home for the next four to six years.

Admissions counselor Aaron Zimmerman at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point tries to be understanding of the pressure students go through in school and looking towards their future.

“I remember the anxiety of senior year making sure things were done and submitted as well as prepping for college with the placement tests and things,” Zimmerman said. “Now with the challenges and uncertainty students face, I can only imagine compacts that and pressures students even more.”

Working towards college is a big step made so young in one’s life, that it can become overwhelming if students don’t handle it correctly. For senior Grace Nelson it is easier to tackle one task at a time, like starting with what works for them and what they want to do.

“I knew what I wanted to do for a career, so I worked backwards and researched what programs support it,” Nelson said. “Then I looked for schools in Wisconsin that had that program, limiting my search down to three [schools,] beyond that, size, location, and campus life narrowed it down even further.”

Through the processes of finding interests, applications, acceptance letters, and financial aid, there is always a helping hand. This can be through family and friends who have gone through the process, as well as the help of school counselors like David Lynch.

“I think [what’s been effective] is just the follow up and asking questions and making sure that they’re getting all the support they need,” Lynch said. “Being available as counselors just to work with students, to help [answer all] of their questions, especially [covid related ones] has been [critical].”

With adapting to state mask mandates and policies by the CDC, colleges that still offer in person campus tours do them in small groups and require each person in attendance to wear a mask and be as socially distanced as possible. However, most schools unable to provide on campus touring have been able to develop some form of a virtual tour and seminars through Zoom to find out more about the school on a one-on-one level.

“We have virtual tours, zoom presentations, virtual maps and a virtual [view book] with videos but this year more than ever we are personalizing messages going out to students,” Zimmerman said. “When we text students it’s not a robo-system, it’s us, the admissions counselors sending out that text to each and every one of the students who is in our territory.”