The Covid-19 global pandemic has affected most aspects of our day to day lives. We know by now that these changes will be felt for years to come, and the college admissions process is certainly not immune to the impact of the Coronavirus. In hopes of updating our blog readers as to how the college admissions process might change, here are six things to keep in mind as you consider the application process:
Standardized Testing:
Anyone who tried to take the SAT or ACT this year knows that the situation was a complete and total mess. We’re now seeing test cancellations for the rest of 2020, and there’s no telling what might happen to early 2021 scheduled tests. And while most colleges adopted a one-year test-optional policy for the class of 2025, there are several schools that are testing a multi-year pause on standardized testing. We wrote a longer blog post about our stance on standardized testing here. To sum it up, we know who does well on standardized tests and that the things required to do well on them (tutors, solid internet connection, practice test booklets) are generally a function of wealth. We’ll be monitoring this situation, and would love to see more (or all) schools adopt test-optional policies in the future.
Students Step Up in Other Areas:
Here’s the flip side of doing away with the SAT. In the absence of a standardized test, all of the other metrics that students are judged on become more important. We’ve seen awesome and tremendously creative efforts by students after schools closed in March: community engagement, online activity, and passion projects that are done within the confines of your own home. Without the SAT, grades, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, and your college essay need to be that much better. And yes, that applies to this application cycle as well.
More Early Decision Spots Could Be Filled:
Colleges are businesses that need to make money to survive. It’s possible that colleges will choose to admit more students early given that they’re committing to the school in December. What does this mean for regular decision applicants? There will be fewer spots to compete for if you wait to submit your application.
You Might Not Be Able To Visit:
Trains, planes, and automobiles – the things we’re all urged to avoid (as of now). This was the year of the virtual tour, and they could be here to stay. We understand why students want to visit schools that they’re interested in, but the health and well-being of your family, and the people working at the schools, needs to be considered. We’re seeing people get creative – stalking Instagram, reaching out to current students, and emailing professors directly to get a feel for the school. Once travel becomes more realistic, visit if you have the means to do so. But there are other ways to learn about schools, and that’s always where you should start.
Location Becomes More Important:
We’re already working with a number of students who are reluctant to apply to schools across the country. Let’s face it: there is a lot of uncertainty. We create school lists based on five factors: admissions viability, academic programs, location, size, and culture. We’re seeing that location is being pushed towards the top because many students would prefer to stay closer to home. This could change in the future, but it’s already impacting the college lists of current high school juniors.
Brand Appeal Could Be Tested:
We’ve written a lot about creating school lists based on status. This year, as schools across the country closed and transitioned to distance learning, a lot of students and parents rightfully asked: “What am I really paying for?” Sadly, we don’t have a crystal ball, but depending upon what happens in the future, it’s possible that actual academic programs could become more important than applying to every single Ivy League school, just because. We like to lead with “fit,” as in, how much does our client like the academic program and culture of the school. College is expensive, and we’ve seen various lawsuits from students asking for refunds. Time will tell if applicants will start to move away from the idea that all top-tier schools are automatically the best decision for their future, and start considering more important metrics such as academic fit, special opportunities, and cost of tuition.
We want to help our blog readers make good decisions when it becomes time to create college lists and start the application process. We have plenty of blog posts college and Covid-19, and will update the blog with any relevant information in the future.
Want to talk to someone about strategizing your college application process? Contact us here.