By ELLIE KORNBERG and LINDSAY LANDSBERG
As the threat of COVID-19 still looms large, one grade of high school students is facing unique issues–juniors in high school preparing to apply to college.
One major burden that falls upon high school juniors is pre-admission testing. In mid-March, as schools across the country began to close, spring ACT and SAT tests were called off. The College Board announced that the next administration of the pre-college examination will be August 29th, unless the circumstances regarding COVID-19 change.
Students who have been prepping for these exams are unhappy. Junior Hallie G. said, “I have been studying for the ACT for a little over a year now, and I was only able to take the actual test twice. It’s very upsetting since all of the time I’ve put into studying for the test has been for nothing.”
Some colleges and universities around the country have begun to waive their standardized testing requirements for 2021 applicants. More than two dozen institutions, including, but not limited to, Cornell, Williams, Amherst, Tufts, Northeastern, Boston University, Vassar, Pomona, Haverford, Rhodes, Davidson, Tulane, Case Western Reserve, and Oregon State have declared a test-optional stance for the upcoming admissions cycle. In addition, University of California schools have gone even further to phase out the SAT and ACT as an admissions requirement over the next four years.
Stacey Brook, founder and CEO of College Essay Advisors, believes that while it may benefit students to submit scores for these tests, the significance of these tests has been slowly deteriorating. She said, “I do think the importance of standardized testing as a whole is fading. It has been recognized as racially-biased and an ineffective indicator of future academic and professional success for years now.”
The 2020-2021 Common Application has added a new, optional section for students to explain and address the ways in which their lives have been affected by COVID-19.
In addition, juniors have also been affected in the way that spring semester grades will be reported. Jericho High School guidance counselor Ms. Moriarty believes that colleges will be examining 2021 applicants in a more holistic manner. She said, “Admissions officers will need to learn about a student through past activities. So, colleges will need to look more closely at the students’ past activities, class selection, and performance and strength of their essays and supplements.”
Due to the shutdown of college campuses around the country, juniors have been unable to physically visit and tour a school, being forced to explore various schools virtually. Junior Jade S. believes that COVID-19 has had a dramatic effect on this aspect of her life. She said, “Seeing and visiting a school is crucial to making a final decision of where to apply to. Not being able to visit schools this year has prohibited me from narrowing down a final list of where I will apply to next year.”
In addition to changes in standardized testing and grading, extracurricular activities and participation in sports have also been impacted. These traditional factors used by college admissions officers now must be reconsidered. College application advisor Stacey Brook said, “I think colleges will have to be understanding of dips in grades, absence of meaningful metrics by which to judge students and a host of other aberrations that are surely headed their way.”
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to influence everyday life, current juniors must continue to cope with looming questions concerning college admissions that will greatly impact their college application processes and therefore the fall of their senior year.