Where Do We Go From Here?
It’s been about five months since the novel coronavirus caused major changes in our lives. Jobs went remote, schools went online, and colleges sent students home. With the classes of 2021 and 2022 diving headfirst into the college admissions process, where do we go from here?
It’s first important to remember that we’re all in this. While that may sound obvious, as your student is working with their counselor or consultant, and you’re speaking with various colleges, just keep in mind that they may not have the answers quite yet. We’re all figuring things out as we go and doing research daily, and every day provides us with new information. With that said…
What should your high school student focus on right now? Overall, the basics. Arguably most importantly, students should work on earning and maintaining good grades. With other factors of the admissions decision more variable and less measurable than usual, colleges will likely be using grades as a reliable indicator of admissibility. Encourage your student to focus on academics first and foremost.
Essays will also have more weight for both the class of 2021 and 2022 for the same reason. Essays are a simple way for colleges to really get to know the core of the student applying to help determine if they would be a good fit. The summer before senior year is the best time for students to begin writing their essays and can finalize them within the first few months of their senior year. They should work hard with their consultant or counselor to ensure they are distinctive! Keep in mind that the Common App has added an optional COVID-19 essay prompt to avoid personal statements and supplemental essays being overrun with all things COVID. With other factors in the college admissions process less reliable than usual, grades and essays are arguably the most important elements of the next two admissions cycles.
The process in which colleges admit students this year will be a much deeper dive into who each student is. Admissions counselors may be looking for detailed trends in transcripts more than usual and also focusing more on the student’s character. Colleges want to ensure that they are admitting students who are a positive addition to their student body and exemplify the values of the institution. Of all years, they may be focusing more on these attributes to admit students.
All of this means that it is vital to fully understand your student’s college list. With the process differing from the average admissions cycle, you must have knowledge of the schools your student is applying to. They might be test-optional this year, or they aren’t, or they require more essays than usual, or they’ve changed their deadlines. Keep track of all of these details for a successful admissions cycle.
Pandemic or not, junior or senior year of high school is not the time to abruptly join student council or begin playing a sport for it to be significant on a college application. These days, extracurricular activities aren’t the same or maybe won’t happen at all. Instead, have your student think about what they can do with their time to make up for missing activities. This could be anything from a community-serving activity organized by your student to an independent study project where your student can demonstrate interest and knowledge of a particular subject. That thirst for knowledge and desire for an extracurricular activity, even when all of them are cancelled, will matter and help to set your student apart.
Some admissions offices are preparing for more applicants this cycle than usual due to less measurable indicators. Students may hope for the best and apply to more “reach” schools than they would have if they had a more accurate way to measure acceptance. I don’t recommend this, and encourage students to really research whether or not a school is the right fit for them and that their list has a healthy range of options.
Because of this expected development, colleges may be looking deeper into whether students are truly interested in attending their school. If a college is one of your student’s top contenders, they shouldn’t hesitate to communicate with their assigned admissions counselor. Ask questions, express interest, and build relationships.
Lastly, please do not wait until the last minute to dive into this process or wait until things become easier to understand. Things won’t become easier to understand during this cycle, and will likely require more time and effort than usual. I always advocate for starting earlier than you think you need to, and that advice rings true more so this year than previous years. Find a counselor or consultant you trust and can rely on or develop a schedule for “college time” each week to stay on track. Whichever you choose, understand that there is more to work through this year and due to many high schools going online, your student may have more limited opportunities to work with their guidance counselor.