Normally at this time of year, Lakehill’s halls are bustling with our 150+ university visitors who come from coast to coast and from overseas. This year, due to travel restrictions, universities are not sending their representatives on the road this fall.
So how are universities connecting with students? A bright side to the pandemic is that university admission offices quickly pivoted to an online format. They are offering synchronous and asynchronous tours, information sessions, open houses, class visits, student panels, and workshops on special topics relating to the admissions process such as essay-writing and financial aid. This has opened up a wealth of information to families who otherwise couldn’t take time from school or their jobs to visit every school and it makes seeing each college much more affordable.
Universities are also offering events such as college fairs and information sessions for students around the world and for students specifically in Texas. Often groups of colleges with similar characteristics will present together, providing a wealth of information to students and families.
In addition to promoting these events and presentations, Lakehill is also fortunate to be able to host individual college information sessions for its students. Colleges such as Rice, Vanderbilt, University of California at Davis, Savannah College of Art and Design, Trinity University, Pitzer College, and many more have visited with our students via Zoom during the Upper School open periods and lunches. We have also provided an opportunity for our students to explore different types of universities by hosting college panels for each grade level. Our juniors learned about small, medium, and large universities by visiting with Lynn University in Florida, Bradley University in Illinois, and the University of Connecticut. Our sophomores learned about the benefits of liberal arts colleges by visiting with Grinnell College in Iowa, Kenyon College in Ohio, and Rollins College in Florida. Our freshmen also learned about colleges of varying sizes from coast to coast by visiting with Temple University in Pennsylvania, St. Edward’s University in Texas, and Willamette University in Oregon.
Universities, high schools, and professional organizations have been working to give the students the opportunity to learn as much as they can online, so that when it comes time to apply, students will have the information they need to make well-informed decisions.