Thousands of high school students around the Rio Grande Valley are not only navigating distance learning, but also applying to college.

For the first time, many are doing this without a counselor by their side.

Juggling school classes and extra curriculars is tricky enough. Try doing this virtually and adding applying to college to the list.

While navigating distance learning, high school seniors are also figuring out how to make their college app stand out from thousands of others.

That's what college counselors like Eduardo Lopez are here for, even if students aren't physically coming into his office.

Counselors at McAllen ISD are using different platforms like Remind 101 and Google Classrooms to connect with students.

Watch the video for the full story.