The 2020-2021 school year is officially in full swing, but of course looking a bit different than your typical school year. The pandemic has not just changed the way we interact with others, it has made its mark on the college process. College applications are on the horizon for high school seniors around the world and the pandemic has not made the search process any easier. Traditionally, students are able to visit colleges of their interest, but due to school closures across the United States, many students are forced to rely on virtual tours and information sessions to get a feel for what the next four years could possibly look like.

For me, the college search has been both exciting and frustrating. Attending virtual information sessions through both Marymount and colleges themselves have truly helped me narrow down possible college options. While the tours may not be the same as physically stepping foot on campus, it is as close as I am going to get to getting a feel for the campus and student life. Many colleges are offering month-long virtual open houses focusing on various topics such as financial aid, inclusion, and diversity, application workshops, etc. This has been a way for me to explore different aspects of college campuses in the comfort of my own home.

I have attended several college virtual information sessions such as Tufts, Boston College, Dartmouth, and Northeastern which have all given me more insight into how each college could be a possible match for me. For example, Dartmouth has offered several different sessions focusing on all fields of study. I have personally attended two humanities seminars which gave me the opportunity to ask questions about subjects that I am interested in and sit in on lectures by world-renowned professors. Boston College has also been hosting a month-long open house focusing on various aspects of their campus. I have attended diversity and inclusion seminars that specifically focus on the Native American community on campus. As a Native American student, this has been a huge part of my search as I look for colleges that place a high value on inclusion and diversity both in and out of the classroom.

While there are several downsides to not being able to tour colleges in person, I personally feel that information sessions have become more informative for prospective students and their families. Most virtual events are approximately one hour long and have two to three students answering questions and sharing their experiences as well as one to two professors or admission officers. Most colleges use Zoom as their primary platform for these events, so the chat feature on Zoom allows students to ask questions during the Q and A section of the information session which is usually at the end. Virtual tours have given me the opportunity to schedule my college search process around my schedule and in a way that works for me.

Scoir has been a very helpful tool during my college search process as it allows me to compare statistical information, student life, and campuses all at the click of a button. While I have been overwhelmed as I worry about how COVID-19 will affect the college process as a whole for me, colleges have been doing their best to provide students with an abundance of resources to help them narrow down which schools are right for them. While COVID-19 has taken its toll on my college search process, I feel that with the support of my Marymount college counselor, access to Scoir, and the ability to attend information sessions online, I have the resources that I need to have a successful college search

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