COVID-19 Effects: Bittersweet Application Results

Open book showing the word 'Confused' and a complicated maze illustration, symbolizing confusion in the application process – COVID-19 Effects: Bittersweet Application Results | The Red Pen

March is application results month. It is normally a time for celebration and excitement around future studies abroad. This year, in 2020, with the global COVID-19  pandemic outbreak, application results are causing anxiety about the future among some families. Will I be able to go abroad to study? Should I go abroad to study? How do I assess the risks of sending my child so far away?

Previously families felt proud to send their children abroad to study after grade 12. But the lockdown of many countries caused by COVID-19  has made families rethink the risk-reward equation of higher education opportunities. Stories of stranded students en route to their home countries cause worry, as families imagine yet-unknown global calamities of the future.

The ease of travel, simple connectivity due to WhatsApp calling and FaceTime were comfort factors as parents planned to send their children far away for an international, holistic learning experience. Hopping onto an overnight flight at a moment’s notice to support a child in the UK or expecting US colleges to take care of students during a crisis has come into question with COVID-19. Expecting students to vacate dorms and find accommodation when colleges shut down, worrying about quarantine or being unable to reenter one’s home country are realities many students have faced. The situation in each country and institution are different, but there is no doubt that most international students are being affected by measures being taken to stem the virus globally. There are a few notable exceptions of colleges hosting international students who cannot return home. Still, fear of being caught up in this uncertainty is causing 54% of aspiring students to report that they are no longer planning to study abroad. 

Also, with increased social distancing and extended lockdowns, we do not know when universities will resume activity on campus, or whether new students will be able to matriculate in the fall. Planning for an uncertain future, colleges themselves are taking diverse approaches to the situation. For example, at least one university has asked some admitted international students to pay their enrolment deposit earlier than usual to confirm their spot. Most colleges plan to run online classes if students cannot get a visa in time or if campuses continue to remain closed. But online classes are uncharted territory for most students and colleges, and parents worry that the high cost is not justified without the complete on-campus experience. While many colleges have said that their tuition fees will not be reduced, the cost of housing and travel will obviously decrease the total cost of attendance. On the other hand, a growing list of colleges and universities are pledging to extend their enrolment deadlines from the usual May 1 decision date to June 1. This will give families more time to assess their financial situation and allow students time for research before making a final decision on colleges to where they are admitted. 

When it comes to making decisions, colleges are eager to connect with students to help them navigate the process despite being unable to visit. Admitted student open days and campus tours are mostly cancelled. Still, admissions officers (now all working from home) are eager to speak to admitted students and give them as much information as possible to help them decide where they want to spend the next four years, once the COVID-19 situation has been managed. A recent New York Times article outlines several ways that students can tap various resources to learn more about colleges. As students rethink their plans and weigh their options, colleges are planning for business-as-usual in Fall 2020 and they are keen to yield admitted students through new technologies and techniques. Indeed the Amherst College admissions dean says “We will enrol, as planned, a typical class of 473 incoming first-year students.”

Another option for students who are still unsure about the fall is to defer their admission by a year, until September 2021. In fact, even before the COVID-19 situation, taking a gap year was common and even encouraged by many colleges. Here are some of the reasons why taking a gap year can be so beneficial. With so many unanswered questions about the future, taking a gap year might be the best solution. If you are admitted to your top choice college but prefer an on-campus (rather than online) experience or you want to spend one more year closer to your family, planning a gap year to gain valuable skills can be a great benefit. Considering the situation, it is also likely to be a solution your family will support. 

For students who are still certain of accepting a place at a college abroad for Fall 2020, admissions offices suggest various strategies to make a final choice. These range from creating a checklist of categories to reading your email regularly (something most teens don’t do) to connecting with other admitted students on social media. Whichever of these works best for you, keep an open mind and a positive outlook. Colleges, students, parents and counsellors are all in this together and supporting students to find their best fit, despite uncertainty, is a common goal.

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Anusha Bhagat

Chief Operating Officer

PGDM, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad;
B.A in Economics, Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University

Anusha Bhagat is a growth strategist and operations expert with 15 years of
securities-industry leadership
across Hong Kong, India and Singapore.
At UBS she served as Chief Operating Officer – Equities & Investment Banking, India,
transforming an at-risk equities franchise with legacy infrastructure into a
robust, growth-ready platform and rolling out new products under enhanced
governance.

She has launched cash-equity, equity-derivatives and prime-broking businesses in
multiple Asian markets and sat on the deal-closing teams for UBS’s
acquisition of ABN Amro’s global F&O business (2006) and the GS-JB Were
Australia joint venture (2003).
Her track record spans in-house M&A, technology turnarounds,
process re-engineering and enterprise-wide risk remediation
.

Known for a collaborative, cross-functional working style, Anusha combines
front-office product insight with settlement, control, technology and
regulatory frameworks to deliver end-to-end solutions. She derives energy from
tackling challenging build-outs and supporting teams in achieving
their growth and career goals.

If Anusha weren’t a COO, she would be …
helping early-stage founders scale up as a full-time venture advisor.

The question she’s asked most often …
“How do we turn this legacy process into a competitive advantage?”

Kavita Sonawala

Chief Marketing Officer

Shikha Dhar

Associate Director, Institutional Services

Nainika Ajani

Associate Director, Partner Relations

Aneri Shah

Manager, Boarding School Admissions

Mehnaz Jaffer

Associate Director, Sales, Business Development and Marketing, Undergraduate Applications and Preparation

Aarti Anand

Associate Director, Client Servicing, Undergraduate Preparation

Sheetal Vora

Associate Director, Client Servicing, Undergraduate Applications

Tripti Singh

Associate Director, Postgraduate Services

Natasha Mankikar

Manager, MBA services

Neil Maheshwari

CFO & COO, U.S. News
& World Report,

MBA in Finance, Illinois State University;
Chartered Accountant; CPA; Bachelor’s in Accounting

Neil Maheshwari is CFO & COO of the U.S. News & World Report, L.P. He has overall responsibility for financial strategy, capital allocation, business operations and strategic investments.

He has over 30 years of experience in the media business, especially related to corporate finance, business operations, taxes and digital strategy. He was a key member of the team that led the digital transformation of U.S. News in 2010.

Neil’s career began at the New York Daily News in 1993, following its acquisition by Mort Zuckerman. Over the years his responsibilities have encompassed budgeting, contract negotiations, tax management and IT operations for the New York Daily News, U.S. News & World Report and other media entities under the family’s ownership.

As a member of the executive committee, Neil participates in crucial business-strategy decisions and their implementation. He is also deeply involved in evaluating all potential acquisition and divestiture opportunities for the media companies owned by Mort Zuckerman. His prior experience includes leading the sale of Fast Company to G & J in December 2000, as well as the sales of Atlantic Monthly, Radar magazine, Applied Printing Technologies and, most recently, the New York Daily News to Tribune Publishing in 2017.

Before joining the Daily News and U.S. News, Neil spent over four years with a mid-town CPA firm, specialising in audits and mergers & acquisitions for publishing clients. He also gained experience at the India offices of Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young.

Namita Mehta

President

Dr. Kimberly Dixit

CEO & Co-founder of
The Red Pen