We have been collecting a comprehensive list of resources for our families, which we will be adding to as new information becomes available. The goal here is to be comprehensive without being overwhelming. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact one of us directly.
And for the latest postings, follow us on Twitter @collegeladydc or at www.facebook.com/thecollegelady/
Webinar Powerpoints and Resources
College Status Updates
Here’s a List of Colleges’ Plans for Reopening in the Fall https://www.chronicle.com/article/Here-s-a-List-of-Colleges-/248626 (regularly updated)
College Status Updates: Via the National Association of College Admission Counseling, a central resource for information about changes in college admission events, deposit dates, and more as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Deposit Deadline Changes from ACCEPT: List of colleges that have moved their enrollment deposit deadline to June 1st or later
UK Universities status updates https://sites.google.com/view/covid-19-uk-response/main-page/uk-responses
Student Athletes
NCAA COVID-19 Response: Updates from the NCAA for student-athletes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
How the College Football Season Could be Shaped by the Pandemic (from Sports Illustrated)
Other Activities
Curious Cardinals aims to ignite passions in our students with engaging, challenging materials and inspiring mentors https://www.curiouscardinals.com/
50 Virtual Volunteer Opportunities to Make a Difference from Home: https://wikibuy.com/blog/virtual-volunteer-opportunities-8d4244dad3a2
Summer 2020 Virtual Skills Development Opportunities from Careermatchpoint.
https://www.careermatchpoint.com/blogs/careersummeropportunities
Uncommon Summer: A 4-week mini-course for helping students develop their leadership capacities, then brainstorm and potentially launch a self-directed project. https://www.collegeessayguy.com/uncommon-summer
Volunteer.
* BookShare Is designed to help people with reading disabilities. If you are 15 or older, you can volunteer to edit, read a description or scan and proofread documents.
* Be My Eyes is a free app connecting blind and low-vision people with sighted individuals. As a volunteer, you will have the ability to help people with disabilities manage daily challenges through live video calls.
* Amnesty Decoders is an innovative way for volunteers worldwide to use their computers or smartphones to help researchers sift through critical information. Join a global network of volunteers helping locate and expose human rights violations.
* The Zooniverse provides an opportunity for anyone to help out with important research. Simply select a project in an area that interests you – such as space, nature, or the arts – and get started. You could be part of a new discovery!
For more ideas, see 25 Volunteer Jobs to Do From Home .
Volunteer to go grocery shopping for seniors in your neighborhood. https://teenshelpingseniors.org/
A myriad of ideas from the folks at Art History Abroad
Improving Your Art Portfolio: www.iartusa.com
Learn about a topic: www.greatcourses.com
Nightly streaming operas: https://www.metopera.org/
Virtual Tours of 12 Top Museums: www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours
Tour the Smithsonian: www.si.edu/exhibitions/online
Online Opportunities During Coronavirus: How to Build Your Profile
Interesting experiences from AirBnB: https://www.airbnb.com/s/experiences/online
Interest-Based Online Opportunities
Becker College OutReach
Becker College, a school known for its Game Design major, has initiated weekly livestream programs on game design, interactive media, business, and e-sports. Led by professors from Becker’s School of Design & Technology, the classes will help students interested in these fields learn more about game art, programming, e-sports trends, and virtual job shadowing. If you’re a high school student who’s got your eyes on conceptualizing and designing video games, take advantage of this opportunity!
Nikon School Online
Nikon, a big name in the photography industry, is offering free classes all through the month of April. The lessons posted by the Nikon School Online cater to people at different levels. They cover all bases, from how to get started with a DSLR camera and fundamentals of photography, to how to create video content and photograph in certain weather conditions.
Fender Guitar Lessons
As an aspiring musician, you might be frustrated by the lack of open mics and opportunities for classes due to COVID-19. Fender, which is arguably the most famous brand of guitars, is offering free online lessons for the next three months. Taught by professional musicians, these courses are open to guitarists of all levels to hone their skills.
Milk Street Cooking School
Christopher Kimball, known for creating the PBS show America’s Test Kitchen, has announced that his Milk Street Cooking School will offer free lessons online throughout April. From mastering the use of herbs to making the perfect pasta, these lessons are ideal if you’re looking to sharpen your cooking abilities as you practice social distancing.
Ethan Sawyer, The College Essay Guy is blogging a weekly list of things to do. Here is week 1: https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/things-to-do-during-a-pandemic-week-1
Researching/Visiting Colleges
How to Research Colleges (Without Visiting a Campus) https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/how-to-research-colleges-without-visiting-a-campus
New Common App resources with links to virtual tours: https://www.commonapp.org/explore/
How to Research Colleges During the Coronavirus
Campus Reel: Check out 15,000 real videos, tours and experiences from 300+ college campuses.
YouVisit: Virtually visit 600+ colleges for free.
Virtual Admission Events: Crowd-sourced list of colleges offering virtual admission events/open houses.
College VirtualTours: Crowd-sourced directory of virtual tour platforms offered by colleges
induck: Student-focused college guide providing a “detailed rendition of what happens socially, how different types of students navigate the social scene, and how they feel about the social scene.” Currently offering a free trial.
UCAS/Study UK Updates: Information on the COVID-19 impact on universities and study in the United Kingdom and the UCAS system
Hillel is offering a number of virtual campus tours/info sessions, including Illinois, at https://welcome.hillel.org/hillelathome/campusvisits/.
Suggested Reading/Listening
Finding Purpose in a Pandemic: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_im_finding_purpose_and_connection_in_a_pandemic?utm_source=Greater+Good+Science+Center&utm_campaign=61dd1393f2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_GG_Newsletter_May_12_2020&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5ae73e326e-61dd1393f2-51739647
College Campuses Must Reopen in the Fall. Here’s How We Do It.
Can’t tour colleges because of coronavirus? Here are other ways to experience schools.
A Message to High School Seniors from College Lady Robbye Fox
College Admissions? It Will Be Okay.
A Letter from the University of Chicago Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid
Virtually Possible: Locking Down the College Search in a Global Pandemic
Coping in the Time of Corona: Jeff Schiffman, Director of Admission at Tulane University
The College Search and COVID-19 (webinar by Jeff Selingo interviewing college thought leaders)
The 3 Questions Campuses are Now Asking
What’s Next: Will coronavirus fuel big changes to college admissions?
Summer Programs From Colleges
Database full of summer program suggestions: https://www.connectwithcinch.com/
WPI is offering Flexible online experiences offered in two summer sessions for students interested in engineering and STEM. https://www.wpi.edu/academics/undergraduate/summer-courses
Free Ivy League online classes: www.classcentral.com/collection/ivy-league-moocs
Volunteer Tutoring: www.Volunteercroud.com
Learn a Foreign Language: www.languagebird.com
Learning Physics: www.physicsclassroom.com
Take an on-line course: www.coursera.com
On-line summer research for credit: www.pioneeracademics.com/
Stem Cell Research (small July-Aug research program): www.stemcellpath.com
Pharmacy Summer Camp (now free but still requires an application)
https://pharmacy.buffalo.edu/news-events/events/annual-events/pre-pharmacy-summer-camp.html?fbclid=IwAR2bbLE7-sMR8ncoXpNAu826JH-t0OIP31DPN7Ndo88VdAuMWWAPyes95Xw
Crowdsourced summer online opportunities: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cHfuzW2Am7fAgJRyV_1fQXmJYmZoY6UlPII0DZTdKDk/edit
Other online college programs
- Boston University
- Brandeis University
- Brown University
- Cornell University
- Duke University
- Harvard University
- Stanford University
- University of California — Los Angeles
- University of Pennsylvania
Free Online College Classes in 2020
So what are the top free continuing education options?
With access to some of the nation’s top schools, including Columbia and MIT, edX online classes gives you access to a variety of topics to learn about, including the arts and computer science. Pay separate fees to obtain grades or get a verified certificate of completion. You can work through a degree program for a fee.
Although you can’t earn college credits for the courses offered on Academic Earth, you can peruse subjects and select a free course based on your interests and goals. Staff at Academic Earth will even organize groupings of courses that can further your learning in some subject areas.
MIT OpenCourseWare
You can access all kinds of free online college courses from the lauded Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for free. You won’t receive credits for the archived courses, some of which are graduate-level studies, but you can take the actual classes. The only expense might be picking up the textbooks used in some of the courses.
The platform that prestigious Stanford University uses for all its online courses, Stanford Online allows the public access to open learning courses, too. Online master’s degrees and custom courses are available to fit any needs. The courses are taught by the school’s actual instructors or industry experts and cover practical topics like medicine, education, and engineering. Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits can even be earned through these courses.
With course offerings ranging from fashion to COVID-19 diagnostics, FutureLearn has gathered courses from schools around the world that it offers free of charge. Like other platforms, obtaining verified certificates or grades will cost an extra fee.
This online platform provides access to fee-based or free courses from the upscale Harvard University. Browse subject areas like public health, computer science, machine learning, programming, and business, or filter by trending topics to see what’s available.
Canvas takes a network approach to online learning, offering a collection of classes from institutions around the world. Self-styled as a professional development site to help educators hone their skills, Canvas also allows students access to course materials even after the class end-date.
If you thought taking courses at Carnegie Mellon was out of reach, it’s time to reassess that belief. The high-end school uses its online platform to host classes for its registered students and for “independent learners” alike. The courses, offered at your own pace and without an instructor following your progress, offer a variety of topics for your interest and education.
Virtual College Fairs
Strive for College Knowledge: Virtual College Fair
Virtual HBCU College Tour, Sat, April 18, 2020
NACAC Virtual College Fairs! Get ready for a dynamic, new, digital meeting space for high school students and college admission reps. Powered by VisitDays, the NACAC platform gives students the chance to learn about different colleges and universities via a mobile experience that is totally intuitive, informative, interactive, and fun. Learn more at VirtualCollegeFairs.org .
https://virtual.gotocollegefairs.com/?fbclid=IwAR18-XPLVKJ7p2ubx82OfAAAKVv82Sd1vfc0Wp3FoPJlyUgfnm_6E6n9JYc
Testing Information for 2020
Blogpost on Test Optional: All the Answers to Your Test-Optional Questions
FairTest: List of test-optional colleges and universities
AP Updates/Exam Calendar: Updates on “at home” test administration and exam schedule
SAT Test Updates: Updates from the College Board on upcoming test dates, cancellations and postponements
ACT Test Updates: Updates from ACT on upcoming test dates, cancellations and postponements
IB Program/Exam Updates: Updates from the International Baccalaureate (IB) organization on upcoming exams
and results
TOEFL Updates: Updates from the Educational Testing Service on TOEFL “at home” testing
FREE Test Prep Resources:
Applerouth: FREE online SAT and ACT practice tests with detailed score reports
Revolution Prep: FREE downloadable official ACT and SAT practice tests
Summit Education: FREE online SAT and ACT practice tests with detailed score reports
Khan Academy: FREE online SAT practice tests and resources
ACT Academy: FREE online ACT practice tests and resources
Financial Aid
Federal Student Loans: Updates from the U.S. Department of Education on Federal Student Loan Forbearance
Competitions
Hope during a pandemic: www.crowneducationchallenge.org/challenge