WiNK

College interviews look very different for the Class of 2021

This year has been very different for everybody, but it's been especially challenging for high school seniors. The college process has changed drastically this year since the SAT and ACT, and campus tours have been cancelled. Many seniors are applying to schools that they may not have visited yet due to travelling restrictions or the schools being shut down. This year, colleges and universities had to scramble to figure out a way to read all of the applications they received and some selective schools really depend on standardized testing. Schools have increased percentages of applicants this year due to covid, as some students from the Class of 2020 took a gap year and some students are applying to more selective schools since scores have been waived. This also makes some schools more competitive and they have lowered acceptance rates.

Mr. Smiley and I spoke about some of the positives and negatives due to these quick changes. Due to the pandemic a lot of people lost their jobs and don't have a lot of money to spend on school. Colleges are not being very understanding because they also lost money, so they are charging the same prices to students who can't afford it anymore. Mr. Smiley stated, "You still pay 45k to stay at home in your living room, so I think many colleges have uncertain financial futures ahead of them. Because of that, some of my peers said that they might lean closer to full pay students. Maybe the ability to afford to pay full outright is going to be a higher priority and they'll have less financial aid to give out because of their budget." This has a very negative impact on students who can't afford to pay full tuition, since some schools cost $60,000-$80,000. This wouldn't be as fair for hard working students who can't afford it. Many people depend on financial aid and scholarships to help reduce the price.

Most students haven't been able to visit campuses, but luckily colleges have added more detailed virtual tours to give you a sense of what the campus is like. This was both positive and negative because students had more time to relax and do research at home, rather than travelling the country to visit schools. We've also gotten much better at doing things online, like sharing things and communicating more. Although we have to talk through a screen and don't get to talk to each other in person, it's better than nothing.

Another important factor in the college process is test scores, SAT and ACT. According to Mr. Smiley, "Fundamentally, students are still applying, they get in or they don't get in. The school looks at their transcript, their attributes, and their activities but the way that they get there has really really changed. I love the thought of the SAT and ACT having less weight in admissions."

Many high school seniors weren't able to take tests which lifted a lot of pressure off of our shoulders. Our lives were certainly less stressful and less hectic since we got to stay home and do our research on schools. Mr. Smiley explains, "I think that the colleges don't really know what they're doing either, we're all figuring this out as we go. Sometimes it's easy to forget that... The whole process is filled with uncertainty because nobody has done this before. By the time we figure out the best way to do this the pandemic will probably be over."

We're all working through this difficult time together and there are definitely many pros and cons to this year's college process. Hopefully next year things will go back to normal and the college process will be smoother.

Here's what some of the Class of '21 had to say about the pandemic's impact on their college process:

"During the college process, I went through a lot to get to where I am now. For example, I was supposed to visit three schools over spring break last year; but, the pandemic hit, and I couldn't visit schools or take the ACT. Luckily, all of my schools became test optional due to the pandemic which was a great relief because I didn't feel safe taking the test, and my dates kept getting canceled. Additionally, I completely redid my college list halfway through the summer, which prevented me from being able to have more time to write supplements for my schools. However, the school I ended up applying Early Decision to was relatively close, so I was able to visit (although the college didn't have students on campus during that semester). Luckily, I got accepted to the school I applied Early Decision to, and I feel a great deal of relief because I now know where I am going" - Charlotte Kaczmarek

"I actually loved the college process. I loved writing all of the essays because it was a way for me to stop and breathe and to think/ reflect on everything I've done so far in life. In terms of difficulties, I really didn't face any. I got all of my supplements done for the 15 schools I was planning on applying to if I didn't get into my ED over the summer and I HIGHLY recommend this. In terms of choosing the colleges that I wanted, I did a lot of research. I also had an idea on what I wanted to major in/ what route I will take in life so that definitely helped with narrowing my options. I made a check list of all of my needs but ultimately, the social factor is what helped me determine which school I saw myself most at and thus, that's the school that ended up being my ED. The biggest challenge was being able to determine the social atmosphere of a school without being able to step foot on campus. The online virtual seminars really didn't give you any social details so that didn't help. However, I know a few schools did student Q and A's but then again, those are monitored by faculty so you won't get the full experience." - Izzy Garcia-Fischer

"When I go to see colleges, if I even can, I can't see any students there or go inside of any buildings" - Julia DiCarlo

"The college process for me was actually much easier than I thought. I wasn't very stressed and was making sure I was always on top of my stuff. I also didn't take the SAT or ACT so it was one less thing I had to worry about which was great. I think the only thing that was "difficult" or "challenging" was making sure I met the requirements for my apps and had everything good to go. Now I just can't wait any longer and just want to hear back from the rest of my schools." - Khamya Christodonte

"I think the biggest thing for me was that I couldn't visit most campuses. I also think that it almost took the pressure off a little because less of it felt in my control and made me feel like what was meant to be would be." - Lily Newman

On Sports Recruiting:

"I can say one big thing was getting recruited was definitely much more difficult and stressful for soccer since we didn't have a season. The other big difficulty was applying for the Air Force was difficult without having ACT or SAT scores. All of my test dates were canceled. So I had to hope they waived the test score requirements. Besides that I had a big plan so it was not that difficult but I can imagine others found it difficult." - Kat Mancinone

"The recruiting process was a lot different for lacrosse this year; almost every coach from schools I was interested in was on travel ban, so film was really important. Worse, I didn't have a high school season, so I went into the summer with no film and very limited tournaments scheduled. Because no one had much film yet, there were a lot of open spots on teams, but it all came down to your highlights, which can be kind of luck of the draw with who you play and how the video is. I ended up getting a video together, and was able to send it to quite a few coaches in late summer. I ended up gaining support from my top school, but I was very lucky. I know a lot of really good kids that would have been recruited in a normal year, but due to not having a high school season to shine, they didn't even get looks. I think I probably benefited from my size on paper as a safer bet, but even so, I think I would have been recruited quicker, and shown better, if I had been scouted in person." - William Russell

"Once my club season started, I filmed all of my matches and began emailing my list of colleges that I was interested in. Only a few college coaches were able to see me play because most of my later scheduled tournaments were canceled due to the virus. This meant that the whole recruiting process took place online and through email exchanges which was very challenging. Everything seemed a little crazy and confusing because it was hard to tell if a coach was genuinely interested in me or if I was number 20 on their list. By the summer most of the colleges I was speaking to were making their final decisions." - Emma Shorten