A closeup view of anxiety

Having wreaked havoc on their final year of high school, the pandemic proceeded to disrupt the Class of 2021’s postgraduation plans. Some students answered the uncertainty by applying to more colleges than they’d previously planned, perhaps aiming higher. Others saw their best chance at higher education slip away, undone by financial catastrophe the virus brought with it. School counselors, tasked with guiding students through applications and keeping them on track to graduate, also bore witness.

‘I worry about their mental health. I worry about their stress