senior college applications

CONUNDRUM T H E C O L L E G E

StreetA ccording Journal the United States experienced to a study conducted by The Wall a seventeen percent increase in college admissions likely as a result of the covid-19 pandemic. Not only do graduates have to face starting college amid a pandemic, but also have to face the application process where thousands of students are heading back or starting college in a new environment. With the end of the year rounding the corner for seniors, we take a closer look at what the seniors think of the current state of colleges.

Ella Rosenthal is an online West student who plans on attending Grinnell College next year. Rosenthal 21’ stated that the admission process was much more difficult than previous years seeing that there isn’t as much service available to choose colleges and apply for them. “I feel like it was hard to talk to people my own age who are also going through it because everyone was in their own bubble, trying to figure out that while handling ten million other things because of COVID. ” Rosenthal 21’ also faced other application issues that other seniors likely did not experience. “My app for my applications actually put my country code in as Liberia and it wouldn’t change to the US. I tried putting it in, like, twelve times and I ended up just having to submit an application saying that I was from Liberia. ”

“I think the college application process was more stressful than any other normal year, ” says Ella Rosenthal 21’ .

Owen Smith, a West High student who attended his first two trimesters in-person thinks that the admissions process was difficult and limiting in its application process.

However, according to our interviewees, the issue has varied between the population. “I think it was a lot less selective, ” says Alyssa Skala 21’ . Alyssa Skala is an in-person West High student who plans on attending the University of Iowa next year. “I know there's a lot of issues with the app that people were like losing progress which was really annoying for them but I didn't personally have any of that experience, ” said Skala.

“The application process is just really long and some schools you have to pay just to apply which limits a lot of people. ” said Smith 21’ .

Skala thinks that the admissions process was much easier than usual due to the district’s Pass-Fail quota that began at the end of the previous school year. The past school year students were able to take a passing grade by completing their high school course or take a passing grade where they were allowed to stop attending high school courses without taking an F. “You could basically cheat the system with a pass or fail grade, ” said Skala.

With the discharge of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, colleges are resorting back to their old patterns again. In the past two weeks, Covid rates have decreased 26% and we are slowly returning back to the way we once were. While Covid once brought us farther apart than ever before, it now brings us closer than ever.