With April round the corner, the date for accepting a college admission is fast approaching. However, the excitement to begin a new course, in a new country, to take some big steps, explore education is tempered with worry this time. The uncertainty around the COVID pandemic and its possible aftermath are pointing to an increasingly morbid immediate future. Given that the public and official opinion is to sit tight till at least July, one cannot predict travel and overseas education for some time now. 

And at this time, if you have offers coming in, it would be a nail-biting task to choose the right path. What do you think you should do?

For One year programs - 

Most of this year will be uncertain, and might go by in lockdowns, partial, complete, or maybe your target country (US, UK, Europe may not open borders for a while) is in lockdown. In such a scenario, it is inadvisable to accept any admission for a one year course. In the likelihood that a college in fact is willing to conduct a course, you might not be able to gain full advantage of the material. There will be limited interaction if classes are only online. The exposure you need for optimal learning will be low. Considering that one year courses are specialised areas, you would not get a complete return on your investment. 

Suggested course of action: decline one year courses.

Two year programmes:

A two year program usually is a post-graduate one. Upon close evaluation of the course, you could be better placed to make a decision. 

If the course is very hands-on: decline the offer

• These programs are short, often intense, and experience heavy. You need to be on campus to gain full advantage of the course. The community is a big part of the experience and in online courses, you might not be able to make the most of this investment.  

If the course is theoretical: accept

• Programs such as philosophy, literature, public policy are possible to be held online. The college might revise their tuition fees, you might save on living costs, and travel costs. All in all, if the course is prestigious and the economics balance it off, you could accept this one. When the classes begin, they might only be online, but modules and some such could be planned. It might resemble a certified MOOC in the long run. You might want to reconsider the benefits of spending that kind of time and investment on the course. But if it gives you a professional boost, you might just hit the ground running by the time the COVID cloud finally lifts!

If the course is prestigious: accept

• In case you have been accepted for a dream course from one of the best universities in the world, you could re-consider your approach. The times ahead are going to be tough. No qualification can properly prepare us for the new world and we can take all the help we get. A degree from a prestigious institution would make all the difference. Again, if the economics and logistics balance it off, you should go ahead and accept it.

Long term courses - 4 years

Given that the four year program is at an undergraduate level, the first year is usually a foundation course of sorts. The college should, or would, try to accommodate modules and theory programs online. The aspects of the course that are more high-touch and exposure heavy could be re-structured to appear later in the course. Classes could be planned online. Once the situation settles, classes would move back offline, and you could join the program at the campus itself.

Suggest course of action: accept.

Deferral policies

A college or university will try to offer as many courses and seats as they can in order to remain financially viable. Universities may extend or change deferral policies in order to keep their institutes up and running. The policy for deferred admissions might change to include all admissions, and they might insist on all students accepting their offers - deferrals might not be accepted at all. 

All in all, a college or university is a financial establishment as well. In order to stay viable they need to adapt to the times. There is a great sense of responsibility too towards their students, because after all, students make the college. Rest assured that you are in good hands if, and only if, the time is right. It is critical to be mindful of the times we are going through before taking any decision about college admission acceptance. 

We remain hopeful that the situation will improve at the soonest and everything will resume. In the meantime, stay safe, stay home, read, wash your hands, and don’t touch your face!