How COVID-19 Has Changed College Admissions
Will it be harder to get into college because of COVID-19? That’s the question being asked by rising seniors all over America. And the simple answer is … well, not even our college counselors know for sure.
So many aspects of college admissions are being affected by the pandemic that it is hard to know the overall effect on acceptances. With that being said, while some changes to college admissions might make it harder, it likely to be easier overall to get into a great 4-year college during the 2020-2021 application season. Let’s go through each of the different factors.
Becoming Test Optional
This is without a doubt the biggest change being felt by students across the country. While some (usually smaller) colleges had already switched to being test-optional before this year (e.g., Sarah Lawrence College went test optional in 2012), the majority of colleges and universities, whether private or public, have up until now required all applicants to submit either an SAT or ACT score, but because of the pandemic the spring and summer test dates this year had to be canceled. So, many colleges and universities simply said students won’t need to submit test scores at all.
Some schools have decided to make this change permanent (e.g., St. Olaf College), while others have decided to just forgo the testing requirement for this year’s applicants only (e.g., Cornell University). Doesn’t really matter to you if the change is temporary or permanent because you are applying this year and the beneficiary of the change!
Verdict: Easier
(Remember, colleges and universities will still look at your SAT/ACT score if you already took the exam and you choose to submit it, and you will want to submit your score if it strengthens your application. To figure out if your score helps, check whether your score is above the average score of accepted students to the college to which you are applying. You can find that information either on the college’s website or through general college websites, such as niche.com and nonprofit organization College Board’s website.
From Junior Year Grades to Pass/Fail
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck this past spring, almost all the high schools in the country went to online teaching, and a lot switched from grades for 2nd semester to just using pass/fail. How this change affects high school students applying to college depends on how well you were doing in high school up to that point.
Junior year is often seen as the most difficult year for students. Many times, high school schedules include multiple AP and Honors classes, and getting good grades in those classes is really challenging. For those of you breathing a sigh of relief that your school went to pass/fail, the colleges to which you are applying will see that you took the more challenging classes, but they won’t know that you might not have been doing as well as you had hoped in them.
On the other hand, if you were a student who needed to show improvement in your spring semester junior year grades, then going to pass/fail hasn’t been a benefit to you. If that’s your situation, consider taking a community college class or some other academic class over the summer in order to show improvement in your grades. You can sign up for UPchieve’s free 1:1 tutoring to make sure your grades improve.
Verdict: Easier or Harder (depends on your situation)
AP Testing Changed
Students often feel pressure to take Advanced Placement classes, do well on the AP tests (usually considered a 4 or 5), and submit their scores as part of their college applications.
Due to COVID-19, however, AP testing changed dramatically. Gone were the 3-hour closed book exams featuring lots of multiple-choice questions that can trip up so many students. Instead, the AP tests this year were open book, under-an-hour essay, completely online tests.
While we don’t know yet how well students did overall on this style of test compared with the traditional AP tests, you may have found this new style of testing easier, and hopefully your scores will reflect that. Hurray! For some of you, you may have found this new style of testing harder, and unfortunately, your test scores might reflect that. But don’t worry, because you are now under a lot less pressure to report those scores. So hurray for you too!
Colleges know that the change in format was a shock to students, and in fact, students were given the option late in the spring to even drop out of taking the exam. (If you feel it’s needed, you can explain your decision not to take the AP tests or not to report your scores in the section of the Common or Coalition App that asks about how COVID-19 affected you.)
So regardless if you think this year’s tests were harder or easier than the past format, colleges are going to be more open-minded when considering AP test scores as part of the college application.
Verdict: Easier
Showing Demonstrated Interest
Are you aware that many colleges and universities keep a record of whether or not you have shown an interest in their institution before you have applied? This is called tracking “demonstrated interest,” and while it isn’t a large factor in the acceptance decision, it can be helpful if the school is on the fence about accepting you.
The biggest way to demonstrate that you are interested in a particular school before you apply, of course, is if you have actually gone to the campus, listened to their informative presentation, and taken a tour. Pre-Covid, it was wealthier students who could afford to travel to college campuses for tours. Lower-income students were disadvantaged because they often could not travel, which gave them fewer opportunities to demonstrate strong interest in any one particular school.
The COVID-19 pandemic this past spring meant college campuses had to close, so most colleges and universities started doing “virtual information sessions” and “virtual tours” of their institutions. Hurray for you! The playing field in terms of demonstrated interest has been leveled. (Remember when you apply to college this fall, they’ll be able to see if you bothered to participate in their virtual info sessions and tours.)
Plus, because you are home more, you also now have more time to do all of those other things that colleges use to track demonstrated interests.
Did you sign up for their mailing list?
Do you open and read all of the emails they send you?
Have you followed and interacted with them on social media?
All of those things are tracked by the colleges. You can also show tremendous interest in a college by applying to them through binding early decision (and fewer students are expected to apply early decision this coming year), but make sure you only apply this way if you are 100% certain that you will attend that college, regardless of the financial aid package, if accepted.
Verdict: Easier
Personal Statement/Essays Increase in Importance
As previously discussed, colleges are going to be less dependent on standardized test scores than in the past. That means your personal statement and answers to the college-specific essay questions are going to increase in importance for college admissions decisions.
Most students dread the personal statement and essay questions. You shouldn’t. You are going to use them to distinguish yourself from the rest of the applicants. What makes you special? Did you have a unique experience? Perhaps you have a very unusual hobby? Take the time this summer to start working on your personal statement (and essay answers if the prompts are available) and give some thought as to what you want to say. This is the one part of the application of which you are in complete control, and you can use it to help you get into the college of your choice.
Some advice: Don’t use your personal statement to write about the impact of COVID-19 on you if you can help it. Save that for the new part of the Common App/Coalition App which specifically asks you about the pandemic. Keep in mind that admissions officers are going to be reading thousands of personal statements by students writing about the virus, so your creative personal statement is going to really stand out.
Verdict: Easier
Fewer to Apply to Out-of-State Colleges
According to a survey taken at the end of April, 39% of high school juniors said that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they were planning on attending a college closer to home once they graduated from high school. So it follows that fewer students are likely to be applying to out-of-state schools. If you are willing to go out of state, then the numbers tell us it should be easier for you to get accepted.
Verdict: Easier
Final Thoughts on COVID-19 and College Admissions
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of us in one way or another, and it’s natural for you to wonder how it will affect your chances for getting into college. As you have seen, the answer isn’t clear cut, but overall it is likely that this coming year’s admissions process will actually make it easier for you to get accepted into college.
The crisis surrounding the virus has taken away some of the advantages that wealthier students have getting into college:
No longer the advantage of being able to afford those pricey SAT/ACT prep classes as the test is now not required for many more colleges.
No longer the advantage to students who are able to afford traveling to the campuses and demonstrate their interest.
Less focus on AP test scores.
This means you have many more opportunities to distinguish yourself from all the other applicants:
Make sure your senior year classes reflect a challenging curriculum and do your best to get good grades. Sign up for UPchieve’s free online tutoring if you need more support.
Sign up for college mailing lists and sit in on their virtual presentations. Follow up by opening up the emails they will send you, and email the admissions officer who covers your area of the country if you have any questions.
Be creative in what you do this summer. Take free Coursera, EdX, or community college classes.
Think about community service that you can do from home.
Start working on your personal statement that highlights who you are.
While your high school senior year is going to look a lot different than you expected, there is no reason why you shouldn’t continue on with your plan to go to college after high school. A 4-year college degree is in your future!