Post COVID-19: Part 4 – What will College Admissions look like?
By Peter M on Updated:
As a whole, higher education is making major changes during this time of uncertainty. To better grasp the plans that colleges and universities have to meet their community’s needs, we have been conducting interviews with higher-ed professionals to collect key insights. We recently had the opportunity to speak with Paul Seegert, the Director of Admissions at the University of Washington (UW), to hear his valuable feedback about what the future holds for UW. Our CEO, Reetu Gupta, conducted the interview via video call to follow the self-isolation policies.
Mr. Seegert shares his bright outlook on this time of change by revealing that his staff has learned an abundance on how to provide quality content, services, and support online for students. This enhances the ability of college admissions officers to connect with prospective students who may have otherwise not been able to visit the campus. In addition, Mr. Seegert also acknowledges the importance of continuing to provide in-person services as well. While this may raise expenses in the enrollment department, he shares his thoughts on the vitality of continuing in-person activities. Mr. Seegert also explains how COVID-19 has accelerated the re-evaluation of admissions processes and provides his insights on standardized testing. He shares some of the same sentiments expressed in our CEO Reetu Gupta’s article on the impact of COVID-19 on standardized testing.
Moreover, Mr. Seegert goes into detail about how UW is maintaining its enrollment goals and strives to admit their normal number of students in the following years. Obviously, economic uncertainty is a major factor that may make students more hesitant in continuing with their college plans. Cirkled In’s survey of 1,100 high school students, revealed that a majority of students are rethinking their post-secondary plans. To accommodate for this, Mr. Seegert explains how the number of offers from UW has increased, and they hope to provide additional financial aid. Clearly, with funding for public universities in question, the availability of financial aid is also in jeopardy.
Overall, Mr. Seegert encourages students to continue with their plans amid this uncertainty and embrace it. He hopes students will pursue their college plans and emphasizes that UW is taking enormous efforts to remain connected with students digitally.
Before he was the Director of Admissions at UW, Paul grew up in Wisconsin. After earning a Master’s in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he served as a Rural Community Development Peace Corps Volunteer in Papua New Guinea. After completing Peace Corp service, Paul moved to Seattle and joined the University of Washington Office of Admissions in 1998 as an Admissions Counselor, advanced to Assistant Director for Counseling and Outreach in 2001, Associate Director of Admissions for Operations in 2006, and Director of Admissions in 2013.
Paul is a frequent presenter at ACRAO, PACRAO, NACAC, PNACAC, and other conferences. Paul has served for six years on the Executive Board of the Washington Council for High School-College Relations, including two years as President.
Watch the full interview with Mr. Seegert below to learn more about the effects of this pandemic on overall enrollment and recruitment processes!
Watch more from our new series, What Will College Admissions Look Like?
Post COVID-19 – What Will College Admissions Look Like? With Terrence Izzard.
Post COVID-19: Part 2 – What will College Admissions Look Like? With Jonathan Lindsay.
Post-COVID-19: Part 3 – What Will College Admissions Look Like? With Patty Lemon