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Tips and resources during covid-19

4/18/20

 

During the crazy Coronavirus quarantine, here are some tips and resources to help with your college admissions journey.

ADMISSIONS - COLLEGE VISITS  AND ADMITTED STUDENTS DAYS:

  • First, remember that colleges are learning to be flexible here and every student is in the same boat.

  • It is possible that you will NOT be able to do an in-person visit to some of the colleges you have been admitted to/hoped to see. Many of you planned to visit schools over spring break and had your trips canceled. We do not know if colleges will reopen for visits before you need to apply. 

  • Colleges are spending lots of time and financial resources to enable you to still connect with them. There are virtual tours, chats with admissions reps, online opportunities to talk with current students, funny videos and even the option to have conversations with some professors. Take advantage of what is offered, which you can find on individual college websites. Schools will be tracking this! 

  • Take advantage of Virtual College Exploration Week that is getting up and running for April 20 - 23 - https://www.strivescan.com/virtual/

  • Here is a great list that shows details about college visits and whether Deposit Deadlines have been pushed back from May 1 to June 1 or even further - https://www.nacacnet.org/news--publications/newsroom/college-admission-status-coronavirus/

  • If you want to talk to a student who attends a particular university so you can get a better feel for it in the absence of you being able to visit, here is a great link that is being put together nationally.  It includes students at most every college in the country who have agreed to talk to prospective students to help you gather more information on your college choices -  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10uwnSdljcLsO2FRdS3gJvOwm5LIZfGrHinOcZUdI0uA/htmlview?urp=gmail_link

  • Note that it is possible that more than the average number of students will start clearing waitlists due to the restrictions of international students traveling to the US but we are not sure about this yet.  

FINANCIAL AID:

TESTING:

  • Seniors:

  • IB tests have been canceled. Current seniors will be awarded IB diplomas based on coursework and Internal Assessments. We do not yet know what this means for juniors in terms of testing next year. 

  • AP tests will be given. They will be taken at home in a shortened 45-minute format that is open-note. You will have a choice of two test dates for each AP Test -  https://apcoronavirusupdates.collegeboard.org/students/taking-ap-exams/ap-exam-schedule. Most colleges have committed to count these scores for credit as they usually would.

  • Juniors:

  • Some selective colleges have eliminated SAT Subject Test requirements for your year. 

  • Some colleges have gone test-optional related to the SAT/ACT, either for one year or permanently. 

  • If you are in the middle of test prep, please work with your provider to come up with a plan, and sign up for test dates that have not been canceled. Your efforts will not be wasted. When testing happens your strong scores could help you stand out and as we have discussed, I recommend that everyone still pursue taking their tests (hopefully in June and beyond) because they will still give you an advantage in the admissions process.

  • All seven Oregon public universities are now permanently test-optional but the University of Oregon has posted that their top scholarships will still require standardized test scores. Oregon State University is still deciding whether some scholarships will require standardized test scores.

  • All University of California schools have gone "test-optional" JUST for this year.  this means they won't require scores but again, strong scores can greatly help you stand out - uc-eases-admissions-requirements-help-students-families-wake-covid-19  .

GRADES:

  • All Oregon schools will be issuing second semester grades. These grades will matter when applying to college, so take your online learning seriously. Check email at least twice per day because this how many teachers are communicating. 

  • We don’t know if some colleges will eliminate their early action/early decision round next fall because they want to see your first-semester senior grades.  I will stay on top of this and let you know the trend.

SELECTIVE SCHOOL TRENDS (just FYI):

  • Some people predict that it will be slightly easier for domestic students to get into selective schools because fewer international students will apply, or they could be restricted from travel. This is unknown! 

  • If selective schools do not have test scores to consider, and your grades are for one semester fewer, activities and essays will rise in importance. 

  • Selective schools with large endowments will probably continue to meet the full demonstrated need of admitted students. 


PRODUCTIVITY PLAN:

  • I know this is a stressful time and you are all adjusting online school and mourning the loss of your sports and other activities.  The below are just suggestions to keep you busy and add to your "portfolio" of activities but DON'T feel obligated to engage in the below if you are already overly stressed.

  • Traditional extracurricular activities like sports, music, theatre, clubs and community service are all on hold. If school is canceled for the rest of the year, it is possible you will have a supplemental essay or interview question that is some version of “What did you do during your social distancing time?” 

  • If you want to reduce your stress/boredom and stand out, make a detailed plan! Most of us are comforted by routine. Your plan should include a physical component and an intellectual component. Be very specific about your goals and keep a daily log. 

  • Productivity Plan Examples ● Physical: run six miles per day and beat my PBR from cross country season; Intellectual: download Autodesk Inventor and teach myself how to use CAD software. ● Physical: walk every day for 45 minutes; Intellectual: watch every Ken Burns documentary series; categorize all the historical paperwork from my Lutheran Church. ● Physical: do 30 pushups, 50 situps, 15 minutes per day of free weights and treadmill for 20 minutes. Intellectual: mess around with designing a 3D adventure-style, single-player game where you can explore a natural environment--to do this I need to learn some 3D modeling and rendering, how to use vectors and how to code physics into a game. Productivity Plan Examples ● Intellectual: 1 hour per day of reading or watching something related to biology, psychology or neuroscience; Physical: run at least every other day for at least 2 miles; alternate days do strengthening and stretching exercises. 


CLOSING THOUGHTS (FOR NOW):

  • You will not be disadvantaged in the college application process because every student is in some variation of the same situation as you. 

  • Take your virtual schooling seriously and finish the semester strong. 

  • Find virtual ways to stay social and interact with your friends daily, but don’t do that all day long. Balance is still important. 

  • Take this time to deeply pursue something of intellectual interest and stay in physical shape. 

  • Your mental health is critical! If you feel highly stressed, please talk to your parents or a trusted adult and ask for help. 

  • Much ahead is unknown and out of your control. Focus your energy on what you can control: your attitude and how you spend your time.  

with thanks to Jodi Walder for her input and resources