For college-bound students across the world, April is what should be an exciting time. This is a month that is usually filled with acceptance letters, campus tours, proms, and getting ready for graduation. However, in the face of COVID-19, with most high schools and universities closed, it can leave seniors without their typical rites of passage – much less any gauge for which college is going to be the best fit for them. 

Author Brennan Barnard recently penned an article for Forbes tackling just this issue. Barnard, for one, is hopeful, writing, “With the right attitude and strategy, students can make an informed college choice. The following considerations with an easy to remember acronym (COVID 1-9) will help newly admitted students in their process of discernment.” 

Barnard’s proposed COVID acronym consists of five key components: creativity, openness, variety, intention, and delight. For the “19,” Barnard suggests ignoring the rankings of the U.S. News and World Report and instead ranking schools on one’s own by creating categories that are important to the student and ranking each college on a scale of one to nine. 

These principles, Barnard advocates, will not only help prospective college-goers make an informed choice, but will also help colleges continue to attract the applicants that they usually would. 

Creativity, for example, is a two-fold step. Not only is it a great time for colleges to be getting creative in their student out-reach, but potential students can also learn a lot from what creative solutions colleges are finding to help out their current student body in the face of a crisis. How effective a school’s given COVID-19 response is and how attentive they are to concerns can demonstrate just how deeply they care about their students – a great thing for a future freshman to take note of. 

Openness, Barnard suggests, should help students look at how transparent a school is with the information that is important to their students. Students should be able to ask tough questions, such as how the school treats minorities, or what resources are available for disabled students, and get straight answers. Variety is helpful for looking at what types of activities are available for students, from clubs, to sports, to on-campus fun, and intention can help students find a college that aligns with their long-term education goals and what they want out of their degree. 

Delight sets this acronym apart, as it refers uniquely to this period of a student’s life. Barnard suggests students, “Take delight in the opportunities you have and find ways to celebrate your hard work—and sometimes privilege—that has gotten you this far.” Being grateful and keeping perspective in check can help manage the anxiety that can go along with this time on a standard day. Look forward to what the future has in store – brighter days are ahead. 

Read Barnard’s full article here.