Distinctive

By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D.

I think everyone will agree that the pandemic has disrupted college admissions. From the lack of in-person events to meet reps to the proliferation of random grading policies, the pandemic has disrupted not only how colleges get to know students, but what’s in students’ admissions profiles. Being one year into the change, I wanted to reflect on some of the biggest differences, so you better understand the ways that admissions game has changed:

Test-Optional Policies

In my opinion, this is by far and away the biggest change. While the test-optional movement has been around for a long time, the pandemic has accelerated the institution of such policies on campuses all over the world (yes, not just the United States). While over three-fifths of campuses went test-optional or test-blind for the 2020-21 admissions cycle, nearly as many have declared similar policies for the Class of 2022, and several others are planning to extend that offer even beyond. This is taking away one of the two major academic metrics on which admissions committees have historically based their decisions, and it’s forcing them to take a more genuinely holistic approach.

I now frequently get the question, “Should I test?” My answer always is, “If you feel comfortable doing so.” While some colleges, like Tufts University, seem to have genuinely embraced the test-optional spirit, others like Georgetown University, have not. When you make your decision about whether or not to test, just keep in mind that it could impact where you should apply.

Massive Swings in Acceptance Rates

As any senior will tell you, there have been some surprising decisions this year. With the introduction of test-optional policies at the majority of U.S. colleges, many selective schools saw increases in application numbers. UCLA saw a 24.6% increase, Columbia University saw a 51% increase, and Colgate University saw a 102.6% increase, just to name a few. While these numbers may seem frightening, do keep in mind that these colleges are not in the majority. A number of colleges also saw big decreases in application numbers (though they haven’t widely publicized this news). It is not harder to get into college during the pandemic; it is simply harder to get into certain colleges, so keep this in mind if you are applying next year. 

No On-Campus Visits

With the risk of visitors bringing the coronavirus onto campuses, almost every college has shut down its on-campus visit options. This means that everyone will have to continue delaying their plans for in-person tours, information sessions, lunches with students, or conversations with reps. With that said, colleges have been amazing about producing virtual visit opportunities, and some families are even opting to drive through campuses to at least get a sense of what they and their surrounding areas look like! While it’s up to you to decide what’s right for you, and up to colleges to let you past their gates, don’t expect to be able to conduct a proper in-person visit until at least the fall.

COVID-19 Statement

To allow students to address the impact that COVID-19 has had on them, the Common Application and some school-specific applications have introduced an opportunity to provide a COVID-19 Statement. While some people will try to convince you that you should only use it to express traumatic events in your life, that really isn’t true. Depending on what has happened to you over the last year, you can use it to explain disruptions to your life or you can use it to show how you’ve turned a challenge into an opportunity. If you truly have nothing to say, because your life continued on mostly unaltered, then you do not have to use that space at all. Use your judgment.

Social Justice Essays

To pretend that social justice movements, ranging from the Black Lives Matter movement to climate justice, were in no way accelerated by the changes created by the pandemic would be an injustice in and of itself. That’s why numerous colleges asked for social justice essays over the last year. This situation, however, can be tricky for students who are not politically motivated. How do you talk about fighting for rights when that’s simply not who you are? Think about this over the coming months. You may find that there is an issue that you care enough about to do something about it, or you may ultimately decide that applying to certain schools won’t make sense because of this question. Either way, be yourself and you will ultimately end up at a great school.

Decreased Extracurricular Opportunities

This year has been very difficult for some students when it comes to extracurricular activities. For many athletes, it has meant postponed, shortened, or completely cancelled seasons; for others, it has meant more time in front of a screen after a full day of Zoom classes and online homework. Some students have made the shift quite easily, while others are still struggling with the lack of in-person opportunities. If your extracurricular involvement isn’t quite up to par, check out these ideas. You don’t have to wait for others to create opportunities for you. You can create them for yourself!

Online Summer

We know that spending your summer in online programs is not what you were hoping for. Unfortunately, the majority of internships, pre-college programs, college courses, and even study abroad opportunities have transitioned once again into a virtual environment. We encourage you to hang in there and choose what you feel is the appropriate amount of time to spend in front of a computer. We also encourage you to make time for yourself away from a screen. Even if it’s for a walk in the woods, or a bike ride around your neighborhood, don’t forget to treat yourself to downtime outside. It will do you a world of good.

Shifted Admissions Calendar

Over the last year, pieces of the admissions calendar have moved to accommodate the pandemic’s evolution, and we expect some of the changes to carry over into the next year. The ACT and SAT administrations have been a mess with cancelations and extra dates. The AP schedule has already shifted into three different tracks. The traditional rite of passage of a spring break college tour has been cancelled because of few available in-person campus visits. Application deadlines, especially in the early round, got pushed back, while applicant notification dates trailed into April, too. This chaotic environment is certainly stressful, especially for those of you who prefer stability and routine, but be patient and flexible as colleges try to do what’s best for everyone.

Video Interview

Since in-person interviews didn’t make sense this year, several colleges opted to offer the option to create video interviews, instead. Typically 1- or 2-minutes long, these quick “get to know you” shorts allow students to showcase their personalities and creativity. They’re also fabulous alternatives for those who get nervous or awkward during live interviews. While they haven’t become fully mainstream yet, we imagine that more and more colleges will pick up on this great use of video technology!

Longer Waitlists

As if waiting to hear from a school by sometime in April wasn’t hard enough, many colleges have already indicated that they will be putting more students than ever on their waitlists. The reason for this is that their predictive models for understanding who is likely to enroll have been turned upside down, and they have no clue who will accept their invitation to enroll. So, if you get waitlisted, get moving on your waitlist strategy immediately, because there will be more people to vie against. Alternatively, if you’re applying in the Class of 2022, we encourage you to consider using binding Early Decision and to use it wisely. This will increase your control over your results in what will likely be another very messy year.