Fall is a busy time for college counseling at St. Catherine’s, with seniors preparing their applications and juniors and sophomores attending virtual college visits and taking PSAT, ACT or SAT exams. I am very grateful that St. Catherine’s has been able to offer the exams on campus this year, as many testing sites have cancelled or limited their test administrations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This year is quite different in that the college admission industry has gone entirely online. With many university campuses closed, tours are cancelled as are trips by admissions representatives. However, colleges and universities have done an incredible job of pivoting to our new online reality and students have access to more information than ever before.
At St. Catherine’s we have weekly virtual visits from college representatives, and I am keeping our students informed about the many online college fairs as well as the plethora of virtual visits and webinars available on college websites. I have heard many college representatives say that because they are not traveling, they are much more accessible via email, text and phone for students and their families. Virtual admissions interviews are already taking place, and our seniors are participating in those when required.
We have our very own “Admissions 101” webinar coming up on Tuesday, October 27 at 6:00 pm, presented in partnership with the Houston Area Recruiters Network (HARN). Representatives from Rice University and The University of Arizona will give an overview of the college admissions process including finding your academic, social and financial fit as well as the new landscape of testing requirements given the global pandemic.
An Eventbrite invitation will arrive in your inboxes later this week. The webinar is designed for Adolescent Community and High School parents and students, but it is never too early to start planning for college. I encourage all who are interested to RSVP then join us via Zoom!
Sarah Lewis, Director of College Counseling