Before Covid-19, in “Choosing College,” Bob Moesta and I made what, to some working with students from low- and middle-income families for whom the price of college is a big issue, a startling recommendation.

For those students who are experiencing the Job to Be Done of “Help me get into my best school,” we suggested that before they make some choices about where to apply, they should attempt to clarify their vision for what they want and turn some of their unknowns about college into knowns.

We offer a seven-petal diagram—yes, we borrowed the concept from the ever-popular book “What Color Is Your Parachute”— to help students consider what is and isn’t important to them. What do they like—and perhaps more salient, what do they not like? What’s a non-starter?