Now that our online classes are underway, I wanted to reconnect with all of you regarding upcoming college admission decision-making and college planning.
For our seniors–with your admissions decisions steadily coming in, the moment to decide where you will go to college in the fall is fast approaching! Normally, at this time of year, your inbox would be filling up with invites to admitted student days, opportunities to connect with current students, and sign-ups for new student orientation. For our juniors and sophomores–you would normally be visiting colleges of interest, developing a tentative college list, signing up for standardized tests like the SAT and ACT, and exploring summer enrichment programs and internship opportunities.
In light of the COVID-19 outbreak across the United States, many colleges and universities have now elected to postpone or cancel many of their normal spring activities for admitted and prospective students. Instead, they are offering enhanced online engagement opportunities, from virtual campus tours and college visits to webinars and tele-counseling sessions with admissions counselors, to live chat forums to connect with current students. Many are also extending their confirmation deadlines and opportunities to apply for scholarships. The College Board and ACT have also postponed or cancelled national test administrations for the near future.
I know that you all have many questions and concerns, so to ensure SKS students have what they need to stay on-track with all things college-related, Storm King’s College Counseling Office will be providing you with up-to-date information and resources surrounding the topics of college visits, standardized testing options and preparation, the college application process, scholarships, and writing college application essays and personal statements in the coming days and weeks.
It is our goal to continue working on these topics with our students and families and minimize disruption of the process as much as possible. To achieve this, it is critical that we stay connected. In the coming days, information regarding college counseling will go out via Naviance, Blackbaud, email, and other forms of communication utilized by SKS, so please stay on the lookout for them.
In addition, I also encourage all seniors to revisit the websites for each of the colleges that you have been accepted to and take a deeper look. Chances are, the content for academics, residential life, extracurricular activities, and career-related experiences has been updated and expanded since you last visited and applied, so take this time to get to really know your college and enjoy!
Please reach out to me if you have any questions or you want to talk about your particular situation, and please stay tuned for more from the Storm King Office of College Counseling!
