Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 5-6-20

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16 I SCHOOLS I STOP May 6, HURTING. 2020 MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE START LIVING. Back Pain? Acupuncture can help! @MIDRIVERSNEWS MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM COLLEGE IN THE AGE OF COVID-19: Scheduling, scholarships and more • Get lasting relief from aches and pain • Improve stiffness and increase mobility • Promote better back function and prevent future re-injury Start your pain free life today! www.wheelerwellnessmo.com Heather Wheeler, L.Ac. 3904 Old Hwy. 94 S. St. Charles, MO 63304 636-244-0686 Call today to schedule your complimentary consultation Accepting Insurance an ESSENTIAL part of your DAILY ROUTINE Tree, Lawn & Landscape Experts! Remember, Quality Isn’t Expensive ...It’s Priceless! • 4th Generation/Family-Owned Since 1978 • ISA Certified Arborists • Degrees in Horticulture, • Science & Forestry • TCIA Accredited • Fully Insured with Workers’ Comp. MidRiversNewsmagazine.com is updated daily with the local news, events and information that impact your world. 10% OFF Tree and Shrub Spraying of $150 or more Not to be combined with other offers. $50 OFF Any Tree Service of $550 or more Not to be combined with other offers. $75 OFF Any Tree Service of $750 or more Not to be combined with other offers. (636) 332-5535 Allenstreeservice.com By JESSICA MESZAROS The COVID-19 pandemic has created an array of unique challenges from which no educational institution or student is exempt. In addition to the cancellation of proms and graduations, many high school seniors and other individuals looking to further their educative experience are now faced with making the decision of where they will acquire their diploma without benefits like touring a campus in-person or being able to attend an in-person orientation. According to Ivy Hartman, communications chair for Missouri Association for College Admission Counseling [MOACAC] and a Rockwood Summit High College and Career Counselor and ACT Prep Coordinator, one of the biggest questions on students’ minds is if they will be able to physically attend classes on campus for the upcoming fall semester. “I think, as a college career counselor, I drew the conclusion that most colleges might be going online for that first semester, but we don’t know,” Hartman said. However, as a response to Gov. Mike Parson’s plan to lift the statewide stay-athome order on May 4, many universities in other counties or more rural areas have made claims that they plan to have students on campus again for the fall semester. For example, the University of Missouri announced on April 22 that students and faculty were expected to be able to return to the Columbia campus for the fall semester. Missouri State University in Springfield also announced that it planned to have students be able to return to campus for the fall semester this August. Other institutions, especially those in more densely populated areas like St. Louis and St. Louis County, have yet to make a decision about having students and faculty [Source: Pixabay] members return to campus. Andrew Laue, associate director of undergraduate admissions at Webster University, said many colleges are still evaluating factors on a daily basis as news continues to evolve. “It’s a lot of speculation at this point,” Laue said. Summer orientations Due to the ongoing state of the pandemic, many summer orientation events or college fairs have already seen reported delays or cancellations dates. The National Association for College Admission Counseling [NACAC] announced that all its remaining spring 2020 college fairs have been canceled, including National College Fairs and STEM College and Career Fairs. NACAC plans to kick off the fall 2020 season of college fairs on Sept. 10. As of late April, the organization has a total of 55 college fairs planned for fall. In the meantime, this means that many students have had to rely on virtual counseling resources in lieu of in-person meetings during the summer application period. “Colleges would normally be having all these tours on weekends and weekdays to show off their campuses, and they’re just not having that,” Hartman said. This means that many college freshmen are being paired with advisors virtually and signing up for classes at home instead of at a summer orientation or transition event. “What my class of 2020 students are doing is, for community college, they watch an online orientation video, then meet with an advisor that helps them decide their schedules,” Hartman said. “Then the kids go in and sign up for their own classes and the day and time that they want.” These virtual tours and resources aren’t just being utilized by graduating high
FACEBOOK.COM/MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM school seniors. “You can go to any college’s website and sign up for one of their visits, and that’s what we’re advocating as counselors for our students of 2021 is to get on the email list of colleges you think you’re interested in and [start] meeting with them individually,” Hartman said. ACT and SATs Following the worldwide cancellation of the April ACT and the May SAT, MOACAC reported that many high school juniors are now planning to take the test in June. However, according to The College Board, the exact dates are still tentative and updates could extend into September or October. “For the 2021 kids, I’m trying to think about how we go about preparing them when we have no idea when the next [ACT or SAT] test will be,” Hartman, who is also a parent of a class of 2021 student, said. “You could have class of 2021 kids who have never taken an ACT until their senior year.” Colleges and universities are responding by adopting test-optional admission policies. “What that means is that students will get admitted, but sometimes they might not have the test score to get a merit-based scholarship for those schools,” Hartman said. “From a college perspective, when they go from using a GPA or test score for admission and they go to test-optional they have to have more information from the students, like a letter of recommendation or additional essays.” Maryville University in Town & County has already adopted that test-optional admission policy. However, every school is different in what is required for matriculation. Scholarships and financial aid Adam Davidson is a student at Lafayette High currently finishing his senior year. After looking at multiple in-state institutions like Missouri S&T and the University of Missouri, Davidson ultimately decided on Missouri State University as his college of choice to be among friends. “After talking with my friends and my family, I decided I wanted to be the first person in my family to go to a four-year university,” Davidson said. However, even more of a deciding factor in where he was going to school was the process of receiving financial aid. “A big thing for me was finance and money, because I have to pay for college myself,” Davidson said. Complicating things further for Davidson was the fact that he was previously quarantined with a second family, which included an individual with a compromised immune system from having kidney cancer in the past and having a kidney transplant. “I didn’t want to chance anything by going to work and putting them at risk, so I wasn’t able to work for a while,” Davidson said. “Then it became, ‘Okay, I haven’t been able to work and have a source of income, but I need to pay for college this fall. How am I going to do that?’” Davidson had already been applying for scholarships, but according to him, the recent schedule changes and delays caused by the pandemic have created challenges. “In school, before [COVID-19] happened, it was a lot easier for me to work on scholarships because my school was constantly updating scholarships ... and I’d be able to work on those,” Davidson said.” But, since I’m not in school and those aren’t being updated, along with all the uncertainty about deadlines and how to turn things in now because it’s different. It’s just been a really tough challenge, and there’s a lot of discouragement because I just don’t know if I’ll be able to provide for myself in that way. It’s very different and it’s very hard.” Davidson isn’t alone in his thoughts about financial aid. According to a recent survey by The Scior College Network, 42% of students expressed concern about the financial implications of attending college as a result of the pandemic’s impact on the economy. This feedback has inspired many colleges to extend the traditional May 1 decision day deadline to June 1, allowing potential students to choose a college and look at financial aid. For students that are currently preparing for college, Davidson recommended doing research about each school’s different offerings on their individual websites. “There are tons and tons of others you can go to to find these random scholarships that are super easy to apply for, some that apply only to your major or the school you’re going to,” Davidson said. “Those have been really helpful.” Laue said that, for seniors like Davidson and juniors investigating their options, ongoing communication with high school and college counselors is one of the most important aspects. “Students should stay in touch with their college career counselors because they’re really going to be on the front lines for all these updates,” Laue said. Davidson agreed that staying updated on each school’s plans and taking advantage of any virtual resources, such as virtual Q&As or text update programs, can help make the process easier for anyone on their college journey. “For schools, it’s a hard outlook,” Davidson said. “They don’t really know if this is going to end in summer, or continue through the rest of the year, whatever the case may be.” May 6, 2020 MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE I SCHOOLS I 17 CAN’T FIND THE HOME YOUR LOOKING FOR? LET US BUILD IT FOR YOU! Over 30 Years Experience Custom build, on your land! Use your plans or our plans! Architects available In-house designer Call Kim for details at 636-936-1923 or view our Facebook page for more photos STIMULUS QUESTIONS ANSWERED! (636) 928-1040 RETURNS W/ 1W2 $50 We’re open & filing! Stop, Drop, and Roll We’ll call when It’s ready to go! Sederburg & Associates Income Tax Services Serving St. Charles County since 1966 3023 N. St. Peters Pkwy. St. Peters, MO 63376 26 MacArthur Court • St. Charles Griffey Homes 11-5 Tuesday thru Saturday www.GriffeyHomes.com 2434 Highway K O’Fallon, MO 63368 Builder provides low cost construction financing Base pricing from $105 a square foot New Community Coming Soon 5 prestigious homes - Dardenne Prairie Get on our interest list now! Contact Kim@griffeyhomes.com Craftsman Style Homes Look-Back’s Complimentary! Amended Returns Start at $50 809 E. Pearce Blvd. Wentzville, MO 63385 (636) 928-1040 • www.taxteam1040.com
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Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 5-6-20

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