COVID Admissions
Shelly Humbach • April 14, 2020
The ripple effects of COVID-19 are just starting to make their impacts. It’s safe to say that the coronavirus has upended the college admission process for the coming year. You probably have a lot of questions and colleges are just starting to consider how they will adjust their admission process for next year. Here are some of the topics that students and colleges are grappling with:
I was going to take the May SAT but it is canceled.
CollegeBoard
and ACT
have been monitoring the pandemic in an attempt to provide students with options. Currently the June 6 SAT is still scheduled. ACT has tests scheduled for June 13 (rescheduled from April) and July 18. However, it’s true that you may only have opportunity to take the test. As a result, many colleges have announced they are going to be test optional (at least for the 2020-2021 application year). FairTest
has a list of test optional schools and schools that will be temporarily test optional.
All of my activities are canceled for spring – what should I put on my activity list?
Colleges understand – no sports, no spring performances, no student council or volunteer hours. Your activity list may look a bit different than what you had planned. Maybe it will include all the books you read while staying at home, a new language you taught yourself on Duolingo, or the tech support you offered your grandmother so you could all keep in touch. If necessity is the mother of invention, maybe boredom is the mother of creativity. Time to get creative.
We are doing online learning – they say our grades will be pass/fail.
Colleges are going to be making a lot of adjustments to the way they consider applications. Don’t panic about your grades not looking like they normally would. High schools across the country are doing their best in this unprecedented situation. Many colleges are doing the same for their own students – offering them the option to have pass/fail grades. They will be understanding of whatever your school decided for grading.
I think COVID-19 will make a great essay topic.
It’s possible that the pandemic has changed your school/life experience in dramatic ways. It would be natural to think this would make a perfect college essay. But don’t forget, many students are sharing this same experience. You want your college essay to stand out, attract attention, or be remembered by the admission staff. Consider whether your experience or perspective is unique. You don’t want to be just another coronavirus essay...
What about college visits?
Many juniors were planning college tours for spring break and those in person tours were likely canceled. However, there are still plenty of opportunities to get to know a college. Take an online tour, attend a virtual admission events, chat with student tour guides, follow a school on Instagram and comment on a post. Not only does this help you gather information, but colleges also track these online connections as part of “demonstrated interest.” Some colleges consider demonstrated interest in the admission process. Hopefully, in person visits will resume in the fall.
Take Action
The best advice as always is to stay informed. Visit the websites for the colleges you are considering to find updates on admission policies and requirements and be in touch with your advisor about changes to your upcoming applications. NACAC is providing this online resource
to students and families as a centralized place where you can check for updates on all your schools.
In June, I hosted my annual Senior Essay Writing Workshop. This was the first in-person workshop since 2019. I bet you can guess why. I was elated to meet my students face-to-face after months, even years, of connecting through the screen. Imagine my surprise at their height, super-smiles, and warm laughter. Dang, it was wonderful. So, essentially, all my in-state seniors gather at my house for a three-hour intensive workshop on crafting a killer college essay. As I was preparing for the event, it occurred to me that I might be in competition with their PHONE. Classic directness (this is probably a character flaw) led me to inform my students and their parents, in advance, that this would be a no-phone gathering. My messaging went something like this, Important: Phones are placed in a basket at the door and retrieved at noon. No exceptions. Parents: If you need to reach your student during the workshop, text me directly at **********. Now, I am fully on board with the phone-free movement. I support it, advocate for it, and live it (I brilliantly quit all personal media last November). And I thought: my event, my rules. I was a little concerned about how this announcement would land. Turns out my concern was mainly about the parents. The kids? Not so much. In fact, research indicates that students crave phone-free learning environments. Suffice to say, the workshop was a smashing success. Not a single student pushed back against the policy. One poor soul forgot to retrieve her phone and left it sitting all alone in the basket. Not to worry, though. She didn’t get far before turning back to grab it. Here’s the truth: We don’t have to bow down to every technological whim or societal pressure. As adults, we know the phone is a problem, and it’s our job to foster healthy, happy individuals. So let's keep this momentum going. As Maya Angelou wisely said, “When you know better, do better.”
I work with incredible colleagues; collaborative, smart and supportive. They make me better and I am deeply grateful. Every year, Jennie Kent and Jeff Levy of Big J Educational Consulting share invaluable information regarding college admissions. Their research is impeccable and accurate and provides crucial data to help students and families make informed college decisions. Read on, share broadly and give a shout out to these generous professionals! Early Decision and Regular Decision Acceptance Rates Class of 2028 Domestic Undergraduate Need-Based and Merit Aid Class of 2028 In-State and Out-of-State Acceptance Rates Class of 2028 Financial Aid for International Noncitizens Class of 2028 International Noncitizens Acceptance Rate and Yield Class of 2028 Percentage of Students Submitting SAT and ACT Scores Class of 2028 Athletic Divisions and Conferences (partial list) Class of 2028 - NEW! These charts are visual, interactive, and easy to use. They make it possible to instantly sort using any column's metrics and to easily compare subsets of colleges. They are free and can be accessed at www.bigjeducationalconsulting.com/resources . From Jennie and Jeff: We hope you find these resources helpful in your work guiding students. Please feel free to share them broadly as long as they remain in their original unedited form. Permission is not granted to those charging a fee for their distribution. If you find an error after cross-referencing with an institution's Common Data Set, please contact us at info@bigjconsult.com . Thank you!
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