The Coronavirus pandemic has brought about many changes in higher education. Most news, lately, highlights the movement from in-person to online instruction of students. To many, Texas A&M Law faculty performed miracles practically overnight when the virus contributed to the university closing in March. However, professors aren’t the only university "miracle workers." Despite working from home, the Texas A&M Law admissions team is hard at work preparing for the incoming class--Class of 2023. In order to do so, they’ve had to get creative with their efforts. The team:
- Added a virtual tour of the law school that can be viewed here.
- Posted over 30 videos on Facebook where they’ve interviewed alumni, faculty and staff. View them here.
- Hosted a virtual “Admitted Students Day.” While other schools have created a website in lieu of hosting an event, the law school’s admissions team took the event online. It gave admitted students the opportunity to interact with Dean Bobby Ahdieh and Professor Aric Short along with current students.
- Hosted virtual events for the prospective students, students who are waitlisted and with the school’s diversity council.
- Created a private Facebook group for the admitted students so they can get to know each other. The team periodically posts questions to initiate conversation. Social media metrics prove that engagement has increased this year.
Admissions team spokesperson Jeff Green says that the team believes Texas A&M Law will benefit from how accessible its office has become in a short amount of time. Prospects have reported that they are not hearing much from other law schools they’ve been considering. Nationwide, law schools are seeing a four percent decline in applications, but Texas A&M Law has seen a 23 percent increase. The team is realizing that out-of-state students are provided greater access, and the number of out-of-state applications is seen growth.
Students will be allowed to return to campus in the fall, but the Texas A&M School of Law adapted quickly to the new normal and hasn't skipped a beat getting prospective and admitted students the information they need to make informed decisions. BTHO of the Coronavirus!