The coronavirus pandemic transformed how high school students are learning about prospective colleges. Instead of attending traditional college fairs or visiting their dream schools this fall, students are now connecting with admissions representatives online and going on virtual tours.

With the right technology, colleges are able to re-create most of the live interactions that students expect to get from an information session or campus visit. There are other long-term benefits to bringing these experiences online too. Students can easily explore out-of-state options without needing to travel, while colleges are able to expand their reach.

Michelle Luraschi, co-chair of the Missouri Association for College Admission Counseling, tells St. Louis Public Radio that switching to online college fairs has helped connect students with out-of-state universities that don’t typically send representatives to their area.

“Colleges have a finite budget, and so they travel to where the numbers are, to where they get students,” Luraschi says. “And so, we think it’s especially exciting for our smaller and our more rural districts who don’t have these opportunities.”