(Photo by Alexis Broderick)

By Alexis Broderick – Social Media Editor-in-Chief

Jonathan Law’s seniors are continuing the college process and are now hearing back from some colleges. Some seniors have already committed to college. Social Media Editor-in-Chief Alexis Broderick interviewed Ms. Sylvia, the College and Career Center Coordinator, about this process. 

AB: Where should seniors be in the college process right now? 

MS: Every senior has a different path. Some students will have completed the college application process and are now awaiting acceptances. There are later application deadlines (into the month of February) which means some seniors may be finalizing their last few applications. Some other seniors may be composing their community college applications now. Still others may be preparing for the world of work through creating their resume or connecting with a military recruiter. There is no “one- size- fits- all” post-high school planning process.

AB: How do seniors get to apply for scholarships and what is your advice for the scholarship process? 

MS: The scholarship search process can start in Naviance. Simply log-in, select the “Colleges” tab, choose “Scholarships and Money” from the drop down menu, and finally select “Scholarship List”. You will want to look at the local listings, which I have uploaded to the system and update on a daily basis. Make a plan to check this list at least once per week to see the latest items. Students should also review college financial aid office websites, and websites like scholarships.com and fastweb.com. Outside websites will have you create a free profile and then pair your information with internet-based scholarship opportunities. My advice: pay close attention to the eligibility requirements and deadline dates for each scholarship. Keep track of scholarships that interest you and those that you end up applying for. Don’t discount smaller monetary scholarship awards – several small awards can add up! And finally, even if a scholarship requires a writing component don’t let it discourage you from applying – you may have to do a little extra work, but you won’t have to pay that money back. Need more information? Come see me in the College and Career Center, or schedule a virtual appointment!

AB: Where are some schools seniors are getting accepted to?

MS: It’s impressive to see the wide variety of acceptances: from our state universities (Southern CT State University, Central CT State University) to private colleges in state (Quinnipiac University, University of New Haven); many New England colleges and universities (Brown University, University of Rhode Island, Salve Regina University, Providence College, University of Maine, University of Massachusetts, University of Vermont, and so many more); and schools across the country (University of Alabama, University of Arizona, and University of Hawaii).

AB: What has been different this year from hearing back from colleges compared to other years?

MS: We have witnessed colleges and universities being slightly more flexible with deadline dates. Some extended deadlines to allow students more time to complete the application and to meet with college representatives to help make informed decisions. Therefore, this has pushed out the response turnaround time from those colleges. Despite some colleges making deadline adjustments, many have stuck by their typical timelines and students should be hearing back within the next few months.

AB: Are kids going farther or closer to home this year?

MS: That’s hard to say for sure! As you saw in the list of colleges students were accepted to, we have many students considering staying in-state, but also these students may have applied or been accepted to a school of their dreams out of state. This will certainly be a challenge for students to decide because many are concerned about financial cost, COVID-19 obstacles, and the uncertainty of family circumstances if they leave the state. By the end of the semester we will have stronger data to answer this question based on where students commit to.