Getting a feel for the college campus isn't the same this spring for those planning to attend in the fall.
Campus visits and, later, student orientations are virtual this year.
The restrictions of social distancing amid the covid-19 pandemic present a challenge to colleges trying to recruit students and guide those who have committed to going through the process of enrolling in fall courses.
"Summer melt," the phenomenon of committed students failing to ultimately register for courses, weighs on administrators' minds.
"As an admissions administrator, summer melt is really something in the back of my mind and a concern," said Courtney Bryant, director of admissions at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. "Because I know there's a sense of instability for students and families because of covid-19, and so it remains to be seen how that's going to impact behavior."
Will students take a gap year? Will they go to college closer to home?
Bryant will know closer to August, but that won't be the final answer to the question of how covid-19 affects enrollment.
"There really doesn't seem to be an end in sight for covid-19," she said.
Videoconference calling, phone calls, one-on-one video chats and emails must replace the personal touch admissions officers try to offer students to persuade them to choose that school.
That's not all bad, said Brian Terry, vice chancellor for enrollment management at Arkansas State University.
He can see how people react to him now. Before, he might not notice as he's walking and talking through a bustling campus.
"We're finding out a lot about ourselves, and we're finding out a lot about our institutions and our abilities and our weaknesses," he said.
Although the experience is different in light of the pandemic, many questions in the virtual campuses experiences posed by prospective students and parents are the same.
Chats in Henderson State University's "Reddies Online" video series feature questions such as, "Can we bring small houseplants?" Students want to know if the beds are twin or full, if they can bring humidifiers, how much clothing to pack and when can they start the courses that count toward their major.
Some questions have to do with covid-19. Because Henderson State canceled Heart Start orientation, one attendee asked when they can pick up their identification cards, decals and other items.
The video series guides students through various topics, such as housing, certain academic programs or campus life.
Colleges across Arkansas have web pages offering virtual campus tours, with videos talking about landmarks and 360-degree shots of campus.
Some had virtual tours put together before the pandemic or were working on one, as was the case at Arkansas State.
But once students commit to a school, a new process of enrolling them begins. That includes applying for and accepting scholarships and financial aid, understanding how to register and which courses to select, knowing what paperwork must be filed, or getting placed into the correct level in a given subject.
Typically, at Arkansas State, students take an exam at orientation to determine math placement. The school and student will now use the ACT score alone to make that determination, Terry said.
Orientations are where students connect with one another and make friends for their first year of school, Terry said. It's also sometimes where they discover a school isn't for them.
"We're trying to do the best we can to make that experience," he said. But so far, the virtual experience "doesn't feel real" to everyone.
That feeling could differ among populations, some said.
"Honestly, for your average 17- or 18-year-old, this online thing is not as unusual for them," said W. Joseph King, president of Lyon College in Batesville. "So in a lot of ways it's not nearly as awkward for a 17-year-old as it is for a 70-year-old English professor."
But hurdles remain for students trying to navigate college for the first time.
"From the school's point of view, there's a lot more relaxing of rules we've already had in place, and from a student's point of view ... a lot of them are saying, 'I'm not even sure where to go right now,'" Terry said.
Terry and the university's admissions staff are trying to call students more and let the students know they are available to help. They are also trying to explain to students why certain things are important, such as attending orientation.
Some colleges have pulled more admissions staff over to make more calls to students.
Reaching out is especially important for students who are first-generation and not as sure about what to do to get successfully enrolled and set up for the fall term, King said.
Emphasizing that admissions officers are just as available now as they were before is key, admissions officials said.
"I think that everybody is kind of living in their own little bubble right now, which they should be because of covid-19," Bryant said. "But I don't want them to feel disconnected, because we're here."
Metro on 04/27/2020