The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of aspects of our daily lives, and for our high schoolers, there are the additional changes and challenges to how they go about the college application and decision processes. For many months now, students have been forced into social isolation, halting extracurricular activities, in-person learning, employment, and even testing. Family circumstances have changed, sometimes affecting teens' ability to do well in school.
The good news is that colleges are taking all of this into consideration. They understand that students have been facing unprecedented challenges and they are looking well beyond grades, test scores, and extracurriculars. The essay part of the college application has become more important than ever before. Admissions committees are encouraging students to write honestly about the obstacles they have been facing during the pandemic. Have students had to share in care for younger siblings or elderly family members while parents worked from home? Have they had to take time to help with their younger siblings' remote learning? Have they been doing the shopping for elderly family members or neighbors who aren’t feeling safe doing so for themselves? Schools genuinely want to hear how students' home life has changed and what they’re up against. It’s an important part of your high schooler’s story.
Here are a few things that your teen should keep in mind when thinking about and going through the college application process:
Test-optional: Many schools have gone test-optional or even test-blind, meaning that it’s just one factor in all of the things they are looking at, and is a smaller consideration than during “normal” times. Again, really focus on your essay. This is where you can tell your story and show them who you are, what your passions are, and how you worked to adapt and overcome the challenges of this new restricted reality. The essay allows admissions administrators to get to know you beyond the numbers, transcripts, and letters of recommendation.
Virtual visits: College visits might be out of the question at this time, but many colleges have developed a means to experience virtual visits. Applicants can “stroll” the campus, attend information sessions, even chat with current students, professors, and counselors. So make sure to sign up for these online events. You’ll not only learn a lot while staying safe, but the college will notice that you’re taking an interest in their school. And thanks to the current explosion of videoconferencing technology, you can now participate in online interviews.
Gap year trend: There is a larger than normal number of students who have decided to take a gap year due to the pandemic. Will that phenomenon impact the number of admissions offered by the school for the next class? Colleges understand this trend and are working to adjust for the potential impact of having so many gap year students.
So, our advice to you is to really engage in the college search and application process this year. Put extra effort into the essay that you’ll be submitting, whether one is required or not, and make sure that it truly reflects who you are, and the reality of the life you are experiencing during this pandemic era. And don’t be discouraged. With all of its differences, this era offers some advantages to college applicants. Admissions offices are adjusting the traditional methods they have used for their outreach and review processes, and this is a great opportunity for students to shine who might not have otherwise.
