AROUND THE QUAD
COLLEGE IN THE TIME OF COVID
Director of College Counseling Catherine McGraw talks about how the pandemic has upended the college application process Even as much of the country begins to return to pre-pandemic normalcy, one aspect of Williston student life continues to feel the impact of COVID-19—the process of applying to and choosing a college. Universities responded to the pandemic with consequential changes in how they recruit, evaluate, and admit prospective students, and students in turn have responded with strategic shifts in how they apply to schools and make their final decision. Director of College Counseling Catherine McGraw walked us through the new normal.
1.
SCHOOLS HAVE GONE TEST OPTIONAL.
With in-person testing on hold, the vast majority of schools waived the requirement that applicants submit SAT or ACT test scores, and McGraw believes that schools will not reinstate the testing requirements even after the pandemic eases, a decision she would support. “It’s never been our favorite part of the process,” she says. “Some students test really well, but many students don’t, and it’s not indicative of their ability to succeed in college. I’m very hopeful that we can continue to move in that direction.” That shift, however, has led to another trend…
2.
SELECTIVE SCHOOLS HAVE BECOME EVEN MORE COMPETITIVE.
With selective schools going test optional, she notes, “Many students are seizing that opportunity and saying, ‘Hey, I’m going to put this application in and see what happens.”’ As a result, selective schools are reporting dramatic increases in applications, with Harvard up more than 40 percent and MIT up 66 percent. Following from that, those same schools have been placing more students— including many strong candidates— on their waitlists.
3.
A STUDENT’S TRANSCRIPTS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND ESSAYS ARE ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT.
Without scores, admissions offices are having to do deeper reads of student applications and look more closely at each student’s total submission. “Many schools will say that they do a holistic review of the application, and they can review with or without the test scores,” says McGraw. But that means “they look more deeply at all the other components.”
4.
DEMONSTRATED INTEREST IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER.
Williston students who were admitted to their preferred schools this year often did so by establishing “a very intentional relationship with that particular college,” observes McGraw. “They had expressed their interest, reached out to an admissions officer, taken advantage of the virtual tours, and written very thoughtful essays describing why they wanted to come to a particular college.”
5.
STUDENTS HAVE SHIFTED THEIR EARLY APPLICATION STRATEGIES.
With in-person campus visits off the table, the class of 2021 could assess prospective schools using only online tools such as virtual tours. That limitation led fewer to choose
the binding Early Decision pathway and more to opt for Early Action, the nonbinding alternative that lets them delay their acceptance until May 1. The number of Early Decision applications declined to 65 this year from last year’s 88 (for both Early Decision and the later Early Decision II). Meanwhile, Early Action applications jumped 40 percent, from 168 to 281 this year. “Many students were not ready to make that commitment to Early Decision,” McGraw explains. Instead, they kept their options open with Early Action, hoping that pandemic rules might be eased before the May deadline, allowing them to visit schools in person before committing. “Seeing schools in person is really important,” she says. “We’re hopeful that this year’s juniors will be able to go out and visit campuses.” Despite all the challenges and adjustments, McGraw notes that members of the Williston class of 2021 were accepted early to schools at noteworthy rates. “For both Early Decision and Early Action, we have seen a lot of success and we’re very excited about it,” she says. For a list of where the class of 2021 will be continuing their education, go to williston.com/academics/college-counseling.
SPRING 2021 BULLETIN 9
