“Hindsight is 2020”.
It’s more than a little bit eerie how well this expression fits this year.
If the experiences we go through provide us the chance to use what we learn to help us make choices for the future, then both the year 2020 and the vision it provides will continue to be filled with TONS of opportunities.
August 1st marks the unofficial “opening day” of the Fall 2021 application season, and there’s no doubt it is going to be one unlike any other. Which is why it’s important to both go through it AND learn from it at the same time. Yes, it’s hard to do and yes, it’s stressful. But, unlike when it first started and we didn’t really know what hit us, at least we know we’re in a pandemic, we know it’s having an impact and we know it’s going to continue.
Last year’s seniors weren’t so lucky. They may have been able to choose their colleges without the uncertainty of the pandemic looming over them, but as they were hearing the news about their college acceptances, they were having to make decisions about their future, based on choices they had made months before, when the world as they knew it was far different. And they continue to navigate uncharted waters as students and families begin their first semester of college, doing the best they can to plan and prepare based on what information is available and knowing that things can and are changing constantly.
I’ve often referred to the application process as a journey of self-discovery, where students are learning about themselves through both what they do and how they do it. And everything that is happening now provides real time “hindsight” that this year’s rising seniors and their families can use throughout their entire application process - from choosing where to apply to choosing where to attend.
And that’s what they’re doing! They are pausing to take time to reflect and ask questions and use their insights and awareness to make choices for now and for the future. And I see it happening earlier and more often!! And I’m so proud of them!
Here are a few things students and families are noticing and incorporating into their choices:
1. Focusing on how the colleges treats its “customers”: I’ve said it many times before but it can’t be repeated enough: colleges are businesses. The current students are their customers and the prospective students are prospects and watching what and how the college handle both is valuable. From a “prospect” perspective, you can look at how they reacted in a crisis, as well as what they’re doing now that they’ve had time to prepare. Did they go test optional or test blind? Is their policy temporary or permanent? From a “customer” standpoint you can look at if they, are they offering in-person classes or online? If they are a hybrid or online only are they offering tuition discounts? And how they continue to respond to the ever-changing events that are happening this year. There are no “right” or “wrong” responses, but it gives you a chance to see how their responses feel based on what you’re looking for.
2. Evaluating the college more on academics than extracurriculars: Most recently, I’ve had students really thinking about which college has the major areas of study and the classes they are most interested in. They see things like football games being cancelled and students having to attend online and ask themselves “if all the “other things” were unavailable, what do I want to learn and where is the best place to do it?”. Not that they are replacing those colleges with others, but they are enhancing their list so that they are prepared for all possibilities. (see #3 below)
3. Planning for both current goals and future possibilities: A recent example is a student who is still applying to all of the colleges originally on their list, but expanded it to include a few more local state colleges closer to home. Then depending on the outcome and the situation a year from now, may also choose to do two years of community college to save money and then transfer. They’re moving forward and also prepared to pivot based on both their individual outcomes and the outcome of where the world is next year at this time.
I continue to be blown away every day by the resilience, wisdom and insight of these amazing students. What they’re learning: the resilience, the adaptability, the creative problem solving, their ability to plan for the future while navigating an unstable present, will prepare them no matter where they go!