COLLEGE IS COMI Just under two months away from the National Decision Day, seniors make
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s we get further into the second semester, seniors begin applying to and visiting colleges. This is yet another avenue impacted by COVID-19. One of the most affected steps in the process is people’s list of colleges. Because of COVID, many students are looking closer to home this year. Reasons for this vary, but the most important are the possibility of a campus closure or a home emergency. In-state colleges can often come with a smaller price tag, which matters more for some this year than it has in the past.People who planned on in-state all along have not hit as large of a roadblock, but going out-ofstate this year takes a whole lot more planning and preparation than normal. “Since COVID hit, it has been difficult to organize college visits,” senior Ewan Wagner said. Ewan happened to go on a couple visits in his junior year, so it is not too bad for him. However, for those who had not planned or made any visits before COVID are not so lucky. Visiting an out-of-state college during COVID comes with many considerations. The CDC’s COVID guidelines recommend a seven day quarantine upon returning from out-of-state travel, even after a negative COVID-19 test. For those who don’t get tested, the guidelines suggest a ten day
quarantine. “Most colleges offer virtual tours, but those aren’t the same,” Ewan said. College visits can have a huge impact on a student’s choice. On a real visit, you would get to experience the atmosphere of the school; the environment, the students, etc. A virtual visit is mostly just informational, which while helpful, is not enough to tell if it’s the college, according to Ewan. “The colleges I was looking at all had videos of the campus and dorms,” senior Ella Buss said. “That was the only way I got to see the inside of many buildings due to COVID.” Ella was able to visit the University of Colorado, but was only able to walk around the campus on her own. Most colleges don’t currently have tours due to COVID, according to Ella. Above: Senior Ewan Wagner poses for picture in front of academic building at Belmont University. Left: Ella Buss takes in beautiful mountain views at CU Boulder. Photos courtesy of Ewan Wagner and Ella Buss
