Changes to college admissions process

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS ADAPTS Colleges offer virtual tours, make tests optional

SANGMIN SONG REPORTER

The Class of 2021 has seen several changes to the college admissions process as COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the country.

In-person college campus tours that most students look forward to were canceled and held virtually.

“There were no official campus tours this year, so I used the online tours that some schools featured on their websites,” senior Hayden Formica said. “While they were better than nothing, I found them nowhere near as helpful as an actual tour.”

McLean’s college visits also went virtual this year.

“We are in the middle of our virtual college visit schedule of over 150 colleges,” said Laura Venos, the college and career center specialist for McLean. “The visits connect students directly to the admissions representatives who read McLean applications, and students are receiving the same information they would in the career center.”

Before the pandemic, standardized testing scores, which include the SAT and the ACT, were required for first-year applicants. at most colleges However, as testing centers closed and the exams were canceled, a majority of colleges and universities announced that they will have optional test policies for Fall 2021 admissions.

“Most colleges are allowing the class of 2021 to apply ‘test-optional.’ This means that students can decide whether to apply with SAT/ACT scores,” Venos said. “Many seniors did not have an opportunity to prepare for and take a standardized test for college admissions, and most colleges recognize that and are not penalizing students.”

Seniors throughout Fairfax County were able to take the SAT during the school day on Sept. 23. The fees for the test were paid for by FCPS, and classes were held asynchronously for the whole day.

“I was scheduled to take the SAT in August and assumed earlier in the spring that things would return somewhat to normalcy by August,” senior Ryan Sim said. “I couldn’t have been more wrong, unfortunately, but still got a chance thanks to the SAT McLean offered to its seniors.” In order to give students sufficient time to prepare for college, many colleges are extending their application deadlines. “Writing the essays has been a huge pain as it’s been tough being able to balance out with schoolwork, but extended deadlines helped me portion parts of the day to do both tasks,” Sim said. Regardless of the situation, seniors have full support and all of the usual resources available to keep them on track.

“We want seniors working on their college applications to focus on a ‘stress less’ approach,” Venos said. “Make sure your list is well-balanced, make sure you stay organized and don’t wait until the last minute.”

“WE WANT SENIORS

WORKING ON

THEIR COLLEGE

APPLICATIONS TO

FOCUS ON A ‘STRESS

LESS’ APPROACH.” - LAURA VENOS COLLEGE & CAREER CENTER SPECIALIST

Due to the rapidly evolving application processes and requirements for each college, Venos advises checking regularly for updates.

“The only changes happening at this time are more colleges going test-optional, and the best source for that information will be the colleges’ websites,” Venos said. “The weekly Student Services Newsletter is emailed to all students and parents each week, so all students should check their email every day.”

For juniors, Venos suggests they start getting ready for the college application process they will go through next school year.

“Don’t panic! Think about which colleges you would like to visit and go on their websites to see if they’re offering socially distanced tours, and you can also participate in their online programs to learn more,” Venos said. “Juniors should leisurely start their self-exploration and research with tons of support from me and the school counselors.”