ON THE CLOCK Students must contend with new changes in the college application process as collegerelated tasks begin to mount.
COLLEGE
Rethinking the rules
After cancelled SAT writing and subject tests, there are many questions as to what college admissions will look like in the future.
March 11, 2021
Issues
The ReMarker
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his past year has played host to a number of historic changes in the college application and admissions process. With quick, sweeping changes continuing to be put in place, the college admissions landscape has become much more complex. For one, colleges have seen a large spike in the number of applications they receive. College Counseling Director Veronica Pulido sees this surge in applicants as a new factor for college admissions offices to consider in acceptance decisions. “More students are applying to colleges and the numbers of applications have risen tremendously for this admission cycle,” Pulido said. “The applications are definitely rising in a lot of institutions. So, it will be an interesting piece of the puzzle to figure out how the colleges have pivoted to not looking at test scores or considering them depending on how they’re doing to figure out who they’re going to admit, especially in the regular decision group, when the applications have risen tremendously.” Moreover, the College Board recently eliminated SAT writing and cancelled SAT subject tests. Pulido credits this decision to the College Board’s wish for more practical assessment. “They’ve eliminated the writing section of the SAT,” Pulido said. “They figured that colleges did not find that information or that metric useful in the process, or also to accessibility for tests in general.” College Counseling Associate Director Phoebe Kingsak believes these changes may create obstacles for students’ applications to STEM-oriented colleges, but will ultimately lead to increased availability for students. “It’s put up some roadblocks for students who wanted to apply to colleges such as Georgetown or MIT because they strongly recommended subject tests,” Kingsak said. “Now, there is no such thing. I think that it is going to be a lot more accessible to all students and Marksmen to apply with the SAT changes.” However, Kingsak does not forecast great differences in college admission from the past. “We’ve had pretty similar acceptances from schools that St. Mark’s boys are usually admitted to
Facts and 10 FIGURES College process
with the same profile, so not too much has changed,” Kingsak said. In light of current conditions, almost two-thirds of all colleges have announced they will be going temporarily test-optional. Kingsak thinks this new policy will modify the process by which colleges differentiate applications. “Colleges started announcing that they were going test-optional throughout last summer,” Kingsak said. “It was really like pulling teeth, because colleges like having that number because they don’t have to read through every application. With a 1560 and a 1390, they are probably just going to take the 1560. Take away those numbers, and now they have to figure out how to compare those two applications.” While tests are now optional, Pulido recognizes the large role scores still play in the admission process. “I do think that over the next five to 10 years that standardized testing is going to be something that’s eliminated from the process altogether,” Pulido said. “But for the current term, even in the next two, three, four, five years, I do think that it’s still going to be a piece of the puzzle, because so many things have been tied to standardized testing, such as US News and World Rankings, in addition to just anything that trustees care about or that the colleges really want to emphasize to show who is on their campus.” However, Kingsak’s advice to Marksmen who will be entering the college scene is to attempt the SAT and rival ACT at least once. “We here at St. Mark’s definitely say to take both the SAT and ACT once just to have a base score, and you can dictate the future from there,” Kingsak said. “If the score is not within the college threshold’s fifty
percent increase in overall applications
9 21.3 6.1
percent increase in application to applicant ratio
percent increase in Southwest state applications
percent increase in Mid-Atlantic state applications Sources: Inside Highered Ed, Ingenius Prep
percent, then you can choose not to send it. If it is in that threshold, then you are welcome to send it or try to improve upon that score.” Veronica Another factor in entering Pulido the college scene is college College Counseling visits, which were virtual. Director Most colleges are hosting informative webinars and meet and greets to get to know admission officers and professors. Pulido recommends taking advantage of these opportunities. “It’s never too early to start visiting, but because of the virtual potential or ability at this point, we highly encourage freshmen, sophomores, juniors to take advantage of virtual programs at your own time at your own pace,” Pulido said. “Ultimately many of these are recorded and so it’s just like a podcast, you can listen to it, you can find it when you have time and you can fast forward if you really don’t want to hear the whole thing.” STORY Toby Barrett, Shreyan Daulat GRAPHIC Jonathan Yin
