Madison Grenauer, Editor-in-chief
@madisongcourant
As I’m sure you have witnessed or been a part of, the pandemic has changed more things than not. If you are a senior and you intend on applying to college this year, chances are someone has come up to you and said, “Must be so difficult applying to college this year!” Unfortunately those words could not be more true. Not only is applying to college stressful without a pandemic in the way, but applicants now have to deal with cancelled standardized tests, a lack of college visits, and difficult early decision choices. It’s as if 2020 decided to throw several roadblocks in the way of every senior applying to college.
To start things off, standardized tests have played an important role of the college application process in past years. This year, however, because SAT’s and ACT’s have been repeatedly cancelled, many schools are test optional. There are both advantages and disadvantages in this area for current seniors. Some students don’t test well and have found that standardized tests will only hurt their application. Other students have been studying for this since December 2019, and they just want to get the test over with (my situation unfortunately). Really students have no idea how colleges will react to applicants without tests.
Surprisingly a school once heavily reliant on tests, Dartmouth College, has emphasized that they really do not care about testing this year. In a report on news.dartmouth.edu, Lee Coffin dean of admissions summarized their perspective on the questionable topic.
“Scores or no scores, Dartmouth’s commitment to academic excellence and intellectual curiosity has not changed,” says Coffin. “Admissions officers will not make judgments about the presence or lack of test scores in a student’s application”.
In this scenario, students without test scores are experiencing much less test anxiety if they intend on applying to a school like Dartmouth. However, a similarly academically rigorous school, Georgetown, has stressed and emphasized how important test scores are in the college admissions process. My question is, how much can you learn from a student from one restrictive test? Take Steve Jobs for example, he never went to college and never took a standardized test, but he has helped develop immense amounts of technological advancements. Standardized test scores have been a necessary part of college applications, but are they really necessary?
I guess we will find out after this year.
Now, it is difficult for us seniors to apply to schools without tests, however, the most difficult part so far has been the lack of college visits. Similar to many students currently, I have not toured more than four schools on my college list. With schools saying that they are emphasizing the importance of early decision applicants, it is very intimidating deciding what anyone’s top school or schools are going to be.
Despite how past seniors stated they would rather apply to schools without seeing the campus then go to school without having an accepted students day, I would much rather visit before acceptance so I am aware of how many schools I have to apply to. Visiting schools helps to narrow down your list so that you aren’t applying to 17 schools, like me and many others. At this point, students are applying to a school because they liked their virtual zoom information session. How much can you really get from a college campus virtually? Not to mention the pre-recorded videos of current college students tends to get a bit repetitive going from school to school.
Ultimately I have no idea where I will end up. I don’t even know if it is worth risking my college decision and making an early decision somewhere. Being this unsure, at a time when every other aspect of life is uncertain, is a terrifying feeling. But rest assured. I trust that we will end up where we are meant to be. For some reason I have always believed that the college process is all about fate. Yes, you have to work hard to get into the best school you can, but once you reach your maximum level of effort, your school is chosen by fate.
I firmly believe that if I do not get into a school, it wasn’t meant for me. This is a mindset that I want all future college applicants to take. It is too stressful emotionally and physically for you to blame yourself for not getting into a specific school. You have to make sure you put your best foot forward and you will end up where you are meant to be.
The process of being a college applicant during a pandemic, is one that requires patience and thoughtfulness. I know that I am terrified for my future, but I am just as excited for the amazing opportunities that will come no matter what college I choose. The same will happen for all of you. I know we live in an era where academics are extremely important, but your worth is not defined by what school you attend. So long as you are happy and you get past these pesky roadblocks, you will be the best version of yourself that you can be.
A pandemic college applicant may be different from your regular college applicants, but if we can get through this, we can ultimately get through the next four plus years of our lives easily.
