COVID-19 HAS MADE THIS FALL an important semester for both high school and college seniors. They’ve already missed so much — lost time in face-to-face classes and labs; missed opportunities to participate in internships, sports, and other extracurriculars; and in many schools, missed chances to boost GPAs as grades switched to pass/fail — not to mention social unrest, isolation, financial worries, and concerns about the well-being of their family, friends, and community.
If you’re a senior, you’ve been through a lot, but get ready to regroup with strategies that will help you make the most of this important semester. Even if you aren’t a senior yet, you’ll find some tips you can put to good use.
Take charge of your “brand.†This fall you’re counting down to your next step — be it choosing a college or grad school or launching a job search — so control what you can. If you haven’t already, snap up the domain of your name and create a personal website that features your bio on the first page. This is the place to showcase who you are — you can highlight your academic record, work experience, and other successes so recruiters and admissions officers get a well-rounded picture of you.
The pandemic has upended many things, but consider how you can highlight your personal experience of this epic crisis in your admissions essay or on your resume. Did you take outside classes, collect PPE for frontline workers, deliver food to elders, or run errands for vulnerable people? And don’t wait to note the accomplishments you are racking up in school — maybe you have a leadership or TA role, volunteer work, or a cool science project that tells more about you. Draft a description now in real time. And while you’re at it, ask those teachers and advisors for recommendations so they will be ready to go.
Take it above and beyond. When you are looking for your next academic step, take your search beyond virtual experiences. Official videos promoting schools and companies are informative, but remember that they are marketing tools. If you want a more complete picture, you need to dig deeper — which is a bit more challenging in an era of rolling lockdowns. For prospective students, look on sites the school doesn’t control for postings and videos from current students that talk about the reality of life on that campus. Similarly, virtual job interviews may be part of the new normal, but try to go beyond the recruiter and ask a couple of employees in your prospective area what it’s really like to work there (if there is a Native employee resource group, start there).
Take another look at your college list. The virus has prompted many schools to offer more flexible admissions as well as more financial aid to fill their seats. You might expand your list to include not only another “reach†school but also a school or two lower in the rankings that might be more generous with funding. Also, consider whether the possibility of more outbreaks of the virus means you’d really be more comfortable at a campus closer to home.
