COVID-19 makes choosing a university challenging for high school students

COVID-19 has presented new challenges for senior high school students making plans about what to do after Grade 12, says a P.E.I. guidance counsellor.

Colleges and universities would normally host in-person sessions at Island high schools in the fall. Students, too, would be free to travel and tour schools of interest.

But that is not possible under current health restrictions.

Instead, information sessions are being held online via Zoom,and students are relying on virtual tours to make decisions about their future.

Carolyn Black, a school counsellor at Kensington Intermediate Senior High School, said it's not ideal.

"I think it is unfortunate that students aren't able to always visit the campuses that they're considering because every post-secondary campus has its own feel. And it's really good for students to have that experience of visiting a campus, getting a feel for it. Is it a friendly environment? Is this a residence I would actually live in or is it yucky?"

For many students who graduated last year, much of their post-secondary experience has been online thus far.

But Black said this year's graduating class is hopeful that by September, enough people will be vaccinated that colleges and universities will return fully to in-person learning.

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