Applying to College During a Pandemic

From the College Counseling Office

Applying to college during a pandemic

This fall there were so many, many things we simply did not have answers for regarding the year for the seniors. Will we have Spring Formal? We don’t know. Will graduation be like my brother’s a few years ago? Well, probably not quite like that but maybe also not quite like last year’s joyful yet very unique car parade. Will we get into college even though we have pass/fail grades, truncated resumes, no standardized test scores and we haven’t seen any college campuses? This question was actually a relief because we had an answer. YES! Yes, you will! Of that, we were 100% sure. And they did.

??What are some words you would use to describe your college search process? ■ "My overall college process was both rewarding and stressful. Choosing the college I felt fit me like a glove overwhelmingly made up for any stress associated with the process." ■ "Stressful, exciting, rewarding." ■ "Tedious but gratifying." What is something you learned about yourself during the college decision process? ■ "I had never worked so hard on something before. It was a lot of work but I now know I am capable of that." ■ "I have different interests and there is no 'perfect school.'" ■ "That I know what I want and should follow my gut."

If you were going to offer advice to the Class of 2022 about their college decision process, what would you say?

■ "You’ll end up where you’re supposed to be." ■ "Start early. Do as much as you can as early as possible." ■ "Ask for help if you need it."

We asked our seniors:

Seniors pose with the colleges their peers are attending at the Senior Grill Out. Enjoying lunch al fresco after planting the first wildflowers in the brand-new Alumni Wildflower Garden.

Jumping for joy at Senior Grill Out!

Analicia Castillo and Aaliyah Gutierrez-Cano enjoy the Senior Carnival. Seniors celebrating the colleges they will soon be attending.

And while it’s tempting to focus on the end

result, for the Class of 2021 especially, we mustn't forget the journey. What we saw this year was the creativity of students in the face of setbacks, the resilience of students in an everchanging world, and the kindness of students as they looked out for one another, whether it was through wearing masks or reaching out to a friend about whom they were worried. These attributes are some of the biggest gifts they have to offer their next communities and are some of the skills that will help them navigate life. Congratulations, Class of 2021 - we are so proud of you!