For high school seniors, deciding which college to attend can be a big decision. This year, that decision may be even harder for those unable to tour college campuses in person due to COVID-19 safety regulations.
Cal Poly hosted a three-week-long series of virtual webinars to help prospective students get to know the Cal Poly lifestyle. This replaced the in-person Open House weekend of events that are typically held.
Incoming business administration freshman Phoebe Liu said that the college decision process has been somewhat challenging with many campuses being closed.
“It’s been a little difficult,” Liu said. “I had to rely on YouTube videos for tours and they don’t show walkways and pathways like how do you get from this building to that building. I don’t know what it’s like to physically be on campus and feel the environment.”
Sophie Lincoln
Liu said Cal Poly was one of the only colleges she was able to see in person, and she said she did not feel a need to attend the virtual open house after seeing the campus.
“My friend said he would show us around the campus and he did and it was so pretty,” Liu said. “I fell in love with everything about it. I think that kind of set in stone my decision that I really want to go here.”
Though Liu did not attend Cal Poly’s virtual open house, incoming journalism freshman Abigail O’Branovich said that the virtual event is part of what made up her mind in choosing Cal Poly.
“The open house answered a bunch of questions, specifically the Coffee Hour,” O’Branovich said. “I loved the amount of breakout rooms; I think I joined every single one. It was really great.”
According to O’Branovich, she was also able to come and tour Cal Poly in person.
“I feel like actually going to campus answered a lot of questions for me,” O’Branovich said.
O’Branovich said that most of the other schools she applied to did not offer virtual sessions like Cal poly.
“They were all closed, they did not allow you to walk on campus and their line of communication was not great either,” O’Branovich said.
Cal Poly’s virtual open house has daily sessions until April 27. The complete schedule is online at the Virtual Open House site.