DETROIT – Picking a college is one of the most important decisions for students graduating high school, and now those teenagers are trying to navigate the roadblocks presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
COVID-19 has changed the college searching process, but students are still finding ways to connect virtually.
This time of year, many high schoolers take the time to visit colleges, but since those visits can’t happen under the stay-at-home order, some universities have gone virtual.
Online college visits are becoming the new normal.
“You’re going to see 25 different virtual booths, and in those you’ll see videos of campus,” said Colby Spencer Cesaro, vice present of Michigan Independent College and Universities. “You’ll see videos of students. You’ll se lots of information about each institution, and you can even submit questions.”
Members of Michigan Independent Colleges and Universities are participating in the virtual career fair.
Click here to register or get more information.
“There’s the University of Detroit Mercy, also in Detroit, the College for Creative Studies,” Cesaro said. “In the Metro Detroit area we have Lawrence Technological University.”
The colleges will be online for the next two days, answering questions.
“This is anything from questions about student life and academics to financial aid packages and what options might be moving forward,” Cesaro said.
With many people facing changing financial situations, the college fair might be worth logging into for students who are already enrolled and have filled out their FAFSA.
UPDATE -- May 26, 2020: Michigan coronavirus cases up to 55,104; Death toll now at 5,266
“They may have filled it out last year and their financial situation has changed dramatically in the past several weeks, so they can always fill it out again," Cesaro said. “They can contact the institution where their student may have been accepted or may be interested in applying and talk through what their options are.”
The college fair is open to anyone, so if you’ve just lost your job and want to go back to school, now could be the time.