They cancelled Admitted Students Day. How am I supposed to decide if this is the right school for me?

The Good News/Bad News/Good News for Your Acceptances

This is an unprecedented time in college admissions. Many of you have gotten the admissions decisions you were hoping for, but are faced with the cancellation of Admitted Students Day and closed campuses. So, how do you decide which school to attend when you can’t visit the school?

The good news is many schools are extending the date you need to decide by from May 1 to June 1. Check your schools to see if they’ve postponed their deadline. If some of your schools are giving extensions, but not all, and you need more time to decide, you can request an extension (no guarantee that they will give it to you, but it can’t hurt to ask).

Fortunately, even without stepping foot on campus there are steps you can take to figure out which is the right school for you.

Attend the college’s Virtual Admitted Students Day if offered.
Take a virtual tour. Most colleges and universities have some sort of tour available on their website. You can also visit these websites to find a virtual tour of many schools: https://www.ecampustours.com/, https://campustours.com/, https://www.youvisit.com/collegesearch/
Contact admissions. Ask them the questions you would have asked if you had the chance to visit. Many are offering virtual meetings. All are responding to emails and/or phone calls.
Speak with a current student at the school. If you don’t know anyone at the school, ask your family and friends if they know anyone at the school – you may find someone who’s more than willing to chat with you about their school.
Ask yourself the following questions as you consider each school:
- What is my end-goal for college? Will this school help me reach it?
- What did I originally envisioned college to be? How closely does the school align with my vision?
- Will I fit in academically?
- Will I fit in socially?
- Is this school located in a place I want to be? (City, suburb, or rural area? Near or far from home? Warm or cold weather?)
- How do I feel about the size of the campus and student population? To quote a famous story: Is it too big, too small, or just right?
- What activities/clubs are you interested in? Are they available at the school? (If you’re not sure, check out the school’s activities, clubs, and sports on their website.)
- Do I see myself being happy here? Can I spend the next four years of my life here?
- What is my gut feeling about the school?
- If someone asks you, “Why did you pick this school?”, what will you say?

Click on this link for a list of schools that are reporting changes to their admissions process for Fall 2020. You will find information on admissions events as well as updates to their reply deadlines (if the school has postponed the deadline). Please note, this is NOT a complete list of schools. These are only the schools who have notified NACAC (National Association for College Admissions Counseling). If you do not see a school that accepted you, please go directly to their website. https://www.nacacnet.org/news--publications/newsroom/college-admission-status-coronavirus/

It may not be ideal, but admissions counselors are trying their best to be creative and provide you with the information you need to Find the Right Fit.