What to Do Now in Light of COVID-19

The last thing people want to read about right now is the novel coronavirus… but for families of college-bound high school juniors and seniors, it can’t be ignored.  Spring is an important time for college admissions, but with so many things out of our control, what can you do?

First, please know that colleges will not penalize your student for this.  The current pandemic is completely out of everyone’s control and nobody’s fault, so please do not stress about feeling behind.  Know that colleges are stressed themselves and are working diligently to make new policies to accommodate juniors and seniors being affected by the virus right now - which is everyone.  Remember to be respectful of college admissions offices, who are overwhelmed and working very hard to change policies and plans to accommodate incoming students. Refrain from showing up on campus and call with questions instead.  Check out this article to learn more about how institutions are handling this pandemic.

Second, if your student is feeling up to it, there are things they can work on right now.  Juniors can research and “visit” colleges via You Visit and Campus Reel. Students can also begin keeping track of how COVID-19 is impacting their life in ways that would affect college admissions.  For example, students could share, “I was hired to work at Target in March 2020, but due to the Coronavirus, I was unable to begin my job until June 2020.” If your student regularly volunteers at a nursing home, but is unable to do so now, that is something worth documenting, but not stressing about.  Juniors (and sophomores, if they feel so inclined) can continue to prepare for the ACT and SAT. While they have been postponed, it’s a great way to get in additional study time and keep your mind sharp!

Lastly, while we’re all feeling stressed, remember that your children may be internalizing much of this anxiety.  Daily schedules have been upended and teenagers are old enough to realize that we really don’t know when this will end.  They are likely thinking about how the end of their high school experience will be and what the beginning of college will look like.  Encourage them to take a deep breath, and to talk about their stress and anxiety as the pandemic evolves. The New York Times wrote a great article on teenage anxiety surrounding the coronavirus.

This is an imperative time for high school students and college admissions.  I’m here doing Zoom calls and meetings with students and still taking on new families for the upcoming year.  I also have a running list of resources pinned to the top of my Facebook page for you to reference.  If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed around how COVID-19 might impact your student’s college admissions process - or just the process in general - do not hesitate to reach out.