A Challenging Year

This past year has been difficult for all of us, especially for those students preparing their college applications. Schools were closed, classes were virtual & life as we knew it came to a grinding halt. Even the college application process, a relatively predictable process, was forced to adjust to this new reality, but slowly we are all returning to a new ‘normal.’

On college campuses across the country concerns about Covid-19 and its variants on the campus community remain high as they await the return of students in September. Schools are getting creative in finding ways to motivate students to get vaccinated for their safety and the safety of their fellow students. For example, the University of Nebraska is offering the chance to win weekly prizes to students and faculty with proof of vaccination. Incentives or not, Covid-19 rules will most certainly remain in place at many colleges.

Last year’s uncertainly increased the popularity of the gap year. A virtual freshman year spent confined to your dorm room, or bedroom, with a high tuition bill versus the experiences and maturity gained volunteering or pursuing a passion was not hard choice to make. With the ever rising cost of tuition, it was also an easy financial decision for many.

With life slowly returning to a new normal, so is the college application process. Campus tours, recognized as one of the best ways to gauge whether a school is a good fit academically and personally, are back after having been cancelled last year and asking the right questions is still key to making the most of the visit.

The SAT was repeatedly canceled last year for safety reasons, but is now back to its normal schedule. However, due to last year’s issues the number of test optional schools grew, pushing many more colleges and universities to make the switch. For some this designation is temporary, for others its permanent, but all the schools that did make this choice saw an increase in applications from minority students as a direct result. Some colleges are all together test blind, but you must stay informed because schools are constantly changing their requirements.

The Common App continues to improve, with many new tools to help students navigate the college application process. The essay prompts are familiar and continue to offer students a wide variety of ways to express themselves, but they did eliminate a rarely used essay prompt and replaced it this new one:

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

The optional COVID-19 question, located in the Additional Information section, will remain.

The Common Black College App, a.k.a. HBCU Common App, is celebrating its 20th anniversary helping lower-income students apply to college for only $20. Check here for more details.

So if your child is a rising junior, having a good understanding of the importance of this academic year and a little college planning will go a long way. Create a game plan consisting of how to best improve the rigor of your transcript, when to take the SAT/ACT, which schools to visit, etc.

Note: The minimum amount of credits required to graduate from the average high school is NOT the same as having the credits needed to be a competitive candidate. Only core classes, not electives, are considered when evaluating an applicant, therefore it is in the student’s best interest to take a full load of classes both their junior and senior year within the range of their academic strength.

Rising high school seniors, it’s crunch time. You are only a few weeks away from a very exciting, but stressful time in your lives, and being organized will make the difference between getting everything done effortlessly, or not. Those November 1st Early Action/Early Decision deadlines are right around the corner.

Regardless of their academic profile, the same three stats are key to a student’s college application: the rigor of their high school transcript, their GPA/class rank and their SAT/ACT scores. While the order of importance may vary from school to school, all three form the basis of any application.

The ‘perfect’ school for each student does exist, so start today creating a plan on how to put your best foot forward on your college applications.