Life + Style
College Writing College Applications During Covid: How the Pandemic has Impacted the Path //
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COVID altered nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Even the college application process was not immune to the effects of the global pandemic. While it’s always been a stressful time for high school seniors,
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November / December 2021
the last eighteen months have drastically changed the landscape of applying to college. The lack of SAT and ACT testing availability during the pandemic forced a significant number of colleges to adopt
By Julia Bruce
a test-optional policy. “In the beginning, families and students had a hard time believing that it was okay to not have a score,” says Debbie Schwartz, owner of DS College Consulting LLC. Admissions officers,
however, emphasize that test-optional really means that scores will not negatively impact a student’s application. “Colleges have shifted their focus from a testheavy, performance-driven assessment to a more holistic
I L L U S T R AT I O N S / / J E S S E N A V A R R A
