One in an occasional series of features on Charlotte area businesses, nonprofits, and events, and how they are adapting to the “new normal.
Our Subject: Michael Trivette, PhD, director of operations at College Transitions, a full-service college planing provider in Charlotte. College Transitions helps students and families with selecting a list of target schools, goal setting, course planning, and maximizing prospects for entry. The team’s first book, “The Enlightened College Applicant,” is 4-plus star reviewed on platforms all across the web.
What’s been impacted: College Transitions works with students and families all over the country, so a virtual relationship with clients is not a new experience. But, he added that the last five or six weeks have been incredibly slow. He’s not surprised given that so much is going on globally and economically, and with the news that many schools are considering canceling the start of in-person classes until the 2021 school year.
“I can’t imagine what it must be like for these families and students trying to do this,” he added. “I feel the same for college seniors as well… but at the end of the day, what’s going on globally is taking center stage.”
Innovative pivot: “What’s changed has been our messaging,” said Trivette, “you have to address the elephant in the room, right?”
College Transitions now produces two or three articles a week answering student questions about how stay-at-home orders and other COVID-19 impacts have affected the admissions process.
“I’m having these conversations daily about how seniors can pick a college without even visiting the campus, costs, job placement, outcomes… these are big decisions,” added Trivette. “We’re trying to help students get a feel for a college that might be a good fit and give them as much information as possible.”
The April 15th release of College Transitions’ new book, “Colleges Worth Your Money” may also be spot on.
Reactions: “I think admissions are doing the very best they can, those that I have spoken with are trying to adapt.”
“These are uncharted waters, right? There’s a lot of uncertainty out there and schools are not seeing the same kind of acceptance rate they’re used to,” added Trivette. That can add up to millions and millions of dollars in tuitions and fees; the dollars some schools bank on to stay operating.
“I think you’ll find some of these schools admitting students from their ‘wait lists’ a whole lot earlier than they ever have, since they are anticipating demand will be much lower than normal,” he added.
Economics may play a role, too, if unemployment ticks upward. More students may opt for a gap year. And with so many uncertainties, some students may consider schools closer to home.
“I can’t imagine what it must be like for these families and students trying to do this,” he added. “I feel the same for college seniors as well… but at the end of the day, what’s going on globally is taking center stage.”
Forecast for future: “I’d say going forward we’ll have even more families who ordinarily wouldn’t want an online relationship be more open to the process and the kind of services that were offer,” said Trivette.
He expects the same from colleges and universities, anticipating they’ll offer more virtual sessions between admissions and potential students, and conducting more online interviews with students.
“They’ll need to be more innovative and willing to meet the students where they are… and that’s online.”
Students and families will need to be more open to researching schools online, taking virtual campus tours. But Trivette concedes there’s no denying the impact of being “on campus.”
“Is this the ‘death of the college campus?’ While those models do exist, I don’t think so,” added Trivette. “The only way you get those inherent experiences that come from being in college… that is something that’s very unique to the on-campus experience.”
Trivette’s outlook isn’t so bullish for smaller schools who rely on traditional, in-person enrollment.
“I do worry about long-term ramifications,” he said. “You may see some schools close as a result, but a lot remains to be seen.”
Find out more about College Transitions at https://www.collegetransitions.com