Covid-19 & College Counseling

  • Time Sensitive Updates from the College Counseling Team

College Admission Changes Due to COVID-19

College Admission Changes Due to COVID-19: Colleges and universities are rethinking admissions in a variety of ways as they navigate the impact of COVID-19. Inside Higher Education reported, “At least 17 colleges have dropped the SAT or ACT in recent weeks for one or two admissions cycles, specifically citing the impact of COVID-19.” Boston University’s Associate Vice President for Enrollment & Dean of Admissions, Kelly A. Walter, shared that Boston University will be test optional for first-year applicants applying for fall 2021 and spring 2022. Davidson College announced today that they will adopt a similar test optional process for the next three admission cycles. And yesterday, March 30th, the University of North Carolina System announced that each of the 17 schools in the system can now choose to make admissions decisions based on GPA alone. Although, as of now, students are still required to submit a standardized test score with their application. Because each university will still make its own admissions decisions, it is unclear yet how this will play out at each campus (Wilmington, Chapel Hill, etc.).

Standardized Testing Updates Due to COVID-19

Students who registered for a now-cancelled ACT or SAT should check their email for instructions on how to sign up for a future exam or how to receive a refund. College Board cancelled the May SAT, but currently plans to administer an exam the first weekend in June. College Board is also working through a schedule to add additional testing dates and sites through summer and fall. Current information regarding the SAT can be found on the College Board website. ACT cancelled its April ACT and plans to allow students who registered for this date to test on June 13th. Students will be notified via email how to change their registration to a future date. ACT has established a FAQ page which provides additional details. 

Virtual College Research

Colleges are moving quickly to increase their virtual learning tools to help seniors and underclassmen learn about their programs, admission processes and to remotely explore their campuses. The College of Wooster provides one example of the steps colleges are taking to support high school students. For seniors, they have extended their regular decision and enrollment deposit deadlines. For prospective students and families they have added a variety of virtual connections which include tours and information sessions, as well as remote conversations with admission counselors and current students. Colleges also encourage students to learn about them by following their social media sites: Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.