College admissions season generally marks the start of a stressful time for seniors. Whether students are concerned about getting all of their essays and applications ready or stressed about getting into their dream schools, the college admissions process is difficult, and unfortunately not an exact science. However, with COVID-19 added to the picture, there is even more uncertainty with how admissions will play out this year. Most colleges are making changes to accommodate the situations of their prospective students, such as going test optional or extending their deadlines. Amidst all these changes, the GA college counselors and seniors are still making their way through the process, no matter what complications arise.
About 95% of colleges have made the decision to go test-optional, and although this change occurred in the past few months due to COVID-19, there is a possibility that more colleges will go fully test optional in the future. There is some debate about whether standardized testing is a useful way to evaluate an applicant’s chances of success or academic achievement. On one hand, many argue that there is so much more to a student than how well they did on an SAT on a Saturday morning. Without these test scores, college admissions officers can dive deeper into more personal elements of an application, such as essays or letters of recommendation.
Additionally, many low-income families do not have the resources to pay for SAT/ACT prep classes, giving those who have access to test-prep an advantage in the application process. On the other hand, researchers have found that there is some sort of correlation between test scores and future success. Researchers found at Bowdoin College that students who chose to apply test-optional did worse in their first year of college than those who chose to submit their scores. Despite this research, it seems that colleges are moving towards a more test-optional attitude. Many colleges are using this application cycle as a trial to see how well test-optional students fare during their first few years. If they find that test scores aren’t as useful as they once thought, there could be a major shift in how applications are evaluated. However, it is clear this year that high scores can help, but being test-optional doesn’t hurt the student’s application.
In terms of college counseling at GA, there have been some significant challenges for colleges and students alike. Ms. Mason, Director of College Counseling, notes that since students cannot visit colleges in person, there is more uncertainty about whether they fit into a college or not, causing an increase in schools they apply to and subsequently more essays. She says that even with various online tours and resources, students will probably struggle to make decisions in the spring without in-person touring. Mr. Evans, Associate Director of College Counseling, adds that not being able to visit is difficult for colleges too; students are more likely to enroll if they feel “at home” during their tour. However, they both expressed that the decreased reliance on standardized testing is a huge relief and will hopefully result in a permanent change.
For seniors, the general consensus is that there are some advantages and disadvantages to applying during the pandemic. Rishi Mandapaka ‘21 says that the anticipation of hearing back from colleges is still as exciting as it would be for any other year, but it is hard to feel motivated to complete applications, especially with more time at home. For Sarah Rojas ‘21, the college application process has been pretty positive despite the pandemic, and she expresses gratitude for events like Senior Love Day. She enjoys the extra time at home, as it gives her more time to focus on her applications.
The college counseling team advises seniors to take time to work on regular decision applications over Thanksgiving break; it will be helpful to review the essays before winter break. No matter where you are in the college process, we’ll get through this together!
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2020/08/12/900173338/how-the-coronavirus-has-upended-college-admissions