For the Class of 2020 graduating high school seniors, nothing about the end of their high school education has been normal. Sadly, nothing about the start of their college experience in the fall will be normal, either. Schools are doing a great job adapting to the shifting regulations that are being imposed in an effort to keep everyone safe in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but with so many changes happening to our current situation, how do we know what to expect months down the road? COVID-19 isn’t going away anytime soon, and plans and regulations will continue to change, but here is what we know about the current state of fall 2020 college education right now.

For many young people across the country, going away to begin college is a special rite of passage. It marks the first time that students are on their own, turned into adults overnight away from the guidance of their parents. Most will go live in a new place and meet all new people and test the boundaries of their minds, exploring new topics and ideas that are of interest to them.

For students beginning or returning to college in the fall of 2020, there are still many unknowns. Where will they take classes? Will they be allowed to return to their college campuses, or will their classes resume from their laptops at home with their families? If they do get to return to campus, what exactly will that look like? Colleges have to consider everything from dormitories and on-campus living to food services and building maintenance. Virtually every aspect of college education is currently up in the air for schools and students throughout the country.

Expect Flexibility

We do know that most schools are extending important deadlines. Students are being given more time to make an official decision on their college admissions. Typically, a deposit to the school is due in May of the spring before the student will start classes. However, colleges are extending this deadline into the summer so that students can wait until they know what exactly they are signing up for in the fall.

Similarly, many schools have dropped requirements related to submitting ACT and SAT standardized test scores with admissions in light of the fact that so many exam dates have been cancelled, which may have taken away from seniors being able to retake the test as they had planned. For some schools, this requirement has been changed through fall 2021 or even indefinitely!

We also know that colleges will start making decisions about fall 2020 SOON. Since new and current students need to be able to plan and know what to expect in the fall, colleges and universities will be deciding in the very near future whether or not to open their campuses in the fall. We expect schools that decide to offer in-person courses to also offer a virtual option for students who do not feel comfortable attending in-person classes.

Colleges want to be able to offer the best education they can to their students, and what that looks like during a pandemic is still being decided. Schools will be flexible with their decisions because they hold the well-being of their students, faculty, and staff to be of the utmost importance.

Expect Frequent Changes

This past spring, colleges were forced to quickly alter their teaching methods and transition to online platforms. For schools that have always advocated for the importance of in-person teaching and learning, this transition may have been frustrating and difficult. Yet, many professors and students alike are now seeing the positives of an online learning atmosphere. While there are also drawbacks, such as not being on-campus with peers and being immersed into a college community, students are able to effectively learn via the internet.

Many colleges are instructing professors to spend this summer planning two different teaching methods: one where they can teach on-campus, as well as an online learning approach. This is because the colleges themselves do not know what the right approach is here either. Everyone is trying to figure this out together.

Colleges are hard at work trying to determine what the safest approach will be for the fall 2020 semester. A key objective for all schools is public health and keeping their students safe. As the situation with COVID-19 changes, as it certainly will, we can expect colleges and schools throughout the country to continue to modify their plans.

Fall 2020 semester may end up looking much different than spring 2021 semester, and it’s important to accept that now and embrace the unknown as students embark on this upcoming semester.

Expect to Still Learn

We’re all in this together. These are circumstances we haven’t experienced as a country, so we’re all learning and adapting together. We’ll all continue to learn about COVID-19 and try our best to make the right choices and right compromises to keep it from affecting our most vulnerable populations.

But COVID-19 aside, you go to college to LEARN, and this will not be taken away from you. While the method of teaching may shift more than once during this upcoming school year, you can certainly expect to be challenged academically and grow as a student.

This past spring has shown that colleges CAN effectively teach online (and many colleges have been doing this for years!). Where professors were thrown into online teaching in the fall, they now have been planning and learning and modifying their online teaching methods all summer. Online school this fall will, therefore, likely look much different than this past spring, and colleges are hopeful that the quality of education will not be sacrificed simply due to students and professors not meeting in person, should that prove to be the best option for higher education at this time.

INTERESTED IN TUTORING?

Working one-on-one with a test prep & college counseling expert can help you maximize your score on test day and get accepted to your dream school. Whatever your college prep goals, our team can help!

I want to sign up! - Set up online lessons using the link to our scheduling system.

I want more information! - Fill out the information in the link, and someone will reach out soon.