Understandably, the recent news surrounding the COVID-19 situation may have created some uncertainty around your college plans and planned travel to the United States. This is a pivotal time and US college coaches are extremely eager to recruit student-athletes for August 2020.
While uncertainty remains, US colleges are trying to ensure that both current and prospective international students can study in the US.
BeVarsity USA Student-Athletes
US colleges and universities around the country are preparing to address issues specifically affecting international student applicants.
Many U.S. universities are willing to work one-on-one with international applicants and are exercising flexibility with application deadlines, required application materials, English proficiency testing and enrolment deadlines.
At the University of Akron, the Dean of Admissions said via email, "We have decided to defer undergraduate summer applications to fall and the International Center is proceeding with processing international student applications and I-20s for Fall 2020 as normal." The Form I-20 certifies that an international student is eligible to apply for an F-1 academic student visa or M-1 vocational student visa.
Admissions tests are one area of concern for prospective international students. More than 15 countries have cancelled the administration of the SAT exam scheduled for March 14 due to the coronavirus, according to the College Board. Mainland China, for example, has cancelled entry exams like the SAT and GRE and English proficiency tests like the TOEFL and IELTS, which are typically required for international students to study at U.S. universities.
It is important to know that admission decisions are academic decisions and that coming from a country where coronavirus is present has no bearing on whether students are admitted or not.
NCAA Response
In response to the evolving public health threat from coronavirus/COVID-19, the NCAA, effective immediately, has implemented new rules to stop all in-person recruiting and scouting until April 15th. The NCAA has also encouraged all US colleges to stop all official and unofficial visits to their campus.
Our BeVarsity Family
It is important to note, recruiting will not stop. College coaches, our staff and athletes can still communicate over email, the BeVarsity platform, phone, text and social media. At BeVarsity we are focused on helping athletes and families understand the US college recruiting process and find success throughout their US college journey.
Keeping you informed
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is a rapidly changing situation from a public health perspective, we are committed to keeping you informed and we will continue to keep you updated through email, our social media accounts and website.
If you have any questions or concerns you would like to discuss, please drop us a note at hello@bevarsity.com
This post was tagged in: ncaa, scholarships, recruiting, bevarsity, covid-19
