COVID-19 is Changing College Admissions, Here's What You Should Know

Critics from both inside and outside the admissions profession have long argued that the admission process is broken. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, change is coming. Long-standing debates about standardized testing, holistic admissions, endowments, equity, and more are coming to a head because of COVID-19. 

For those of you with teenagers going through the process, you are probably hearing and experiencing real changes that might be worrisome. Yes, there is some uncertainty up ahead, but here are a few things you can expect. 

Standardized testing will not play the same role in their college admissions as they have for previous years’ applicants. With the canceling of the March and May SAT test dates, colleges are already starting to announce test-optional policies for next year. Selective schools like Case-Western Reserve, Scripps, Tufts, and Boston University made announcements recently; more will undoubtedly follow. Fair Test is keeping a running list and updating it daily. In fact, it would be surprising if 100% college didn’t go test-optional next year, given that the limited time left for testing may not be able to accommodate every student who wants to sit for a test. 

Also, given the uncertainty around test dates, the inability for students to participate in traditional test prep settings, the mental fatigue students are feeling, it seems inevitable that averages for the SAT and ACT will drop next year.

I also predict that colleges who are going test-optional for 2020-2021 will use it as a test case and will ultimately choose to remain test-optional. Standardized tests have been under fire for decades; this is the perfect opportunity for colleges to make a change they have been cautiously considering for years. 

Students will likely receive Pass/Fail grades for the Spring of 2020. Juniors who were hoping to show an upward trend or get a GPA boost from this semester’s grades simply aren’t going to be given that chance. Colleges are not going to be able to place much, correction, any weight to this semester’s grades because there are none. As unconventional and inconvenient as this may seem, Pass/Fail grading makes a lot of sense for teachers and students right now. 

Prepare for summer programs to get canceled. If the Summer Olympics can get canceled, so can your child’s summer program. We’re still in “wait and see” mode for most programs, but you should operate under the assumption that your child is going to have to do something unstructured this summer. Instead of camp, international service trips, pre-college programs, etc. COVID-19 is sending teens back to the days when summers were spent hanging out and doing things you loved. If you loved reading, you read more. If you loved being outdoors, you were outdoors more. If you loved drawing, you drew more. Be prepared to get creative and help your teen discover ways to pursue their interests independently. 

So how will all of this affect the admissions process next year - especially selective admissions? Holistic admissions will continue to reign supreme. The good news is this is what selective colleges do all the time. Undoubtedly, a student’s character and personality will need to shine through on their application more than ever. Letters of recommendation, personal statements/essays, and interviews may be scrutinized more closely because of it, but otherwise, the application review process shouldn’t change significantly. 

I often get asked, is test-optional really test-optional? The answer is yes, it really is. Students who do well can still submit their scores and have them considered, but students who don’t won’t be at a disadvantage. Especially given our current circumstances, colleges won’t think twice about students not submitting test scores. 

A silver lining is that colleges are admitting more students this cycle. Colleges are unable to roll out the red carpet at conversion (admitted student) events and are worried it will lower enrollment for the Fall. At the same time, they must meet enrollment goals to make up for lost revenue due to tuition and housing refunds and other losses this spring. The economic downturn and loss of endowment will likely continue this trend for years to come. 

The rumor mill will undoubtedly be worse this year than others. Look for updates and news directly from colleges, admissions professionals, or reputable news outlets. There is a lot of uncertainty that we all have to live with, so take care of yourself and have faith that everything will work out in the end.