COVID-19's Continued Impact on Education & College Admissions
March 13, 2020
Dear friends,
A number of you have reached out given the unprecedented situation we are in with coronavirus impacting education at all levels. I write in brief to share a few pieces of advice:
High School Seniors
A few things to keep in mind as numerous seniors await college decisions in the coming weeks:
Yield: Given the impact of coronavirus on the health and finances of families, yield this year will almost certainly be impacted. This makes wait list offers more valuable this year than in normal years.
Letter of Continued Interest: If you are waitlisted, you should ask yourself whether you would attend that school over your next option. If the answer is yes, write a letter of continued interest, but keep in mind that a generic letter is useless. Rather, the letter should be sincere and specific, focusing on progress in one’s character story since applying, including academic or athletic accolades, and reiterating a student’s commitment to accept the offer if it is extended. Contact us if you would like feedback on your letter.
High School Juniors
Coronavirus perhaps impacts you all the most given you’ll apply to college in just 8 months. For those in regions domestically and internationally whose schools have gone to remote learning, pay special heed.
AP/IB/Subject Tests: One of my greatest concerns for students who have switched to remote learning is whether you will cover enough material to be prepared for AP, IB and Subject Test exams. For those of you learning from home, be sure to stay on top of remote assignments and take home exams. Our expert coaches are available by Skype for those looking to supplement.
SAT/ACT cancellations: Below are the dates remaining ahead of November 1 ED applications.
SAT: March 14 (cancelled in many places), May 2, June 6 (US only; Subject Tests offered internationally), August 29, October 3
ACT: April 4, June 13, July 18 (US only), September 12, October 24
Given this calendar is already limited, and given that we do not know yet whether March SAT dates—cancelled in numerous countries and in several states—will be made up, I recommend every student take a close look at his/her testing calendar and think about a) whether an Early application to college will be possible (typically Nov. 1 deadlines) and b) if so, when will you be able to fit in your best effort testing, plus Subject Tests, where applicable. We don’t know yet how April and May test dates will be impacted. I urge you to take advantage of a test date if it is available to you and to make sure you are prepared for that test.
Academics: Grades still matter. While there is a lot of turbulence, especially for those whose schools have switched to virtual learning, keep in mind that your grades still matter. Yes, health is the top priority right now, but hopefully our students can also remain focused on their big picture goals with college apps just eight months away.
College visits: While spring break is normally prime time for college visits—normally best to see a campus when it is full of life—this year presents an exception. Rest assured that summer visits or virtual visits are not a bad consolation. Students should also not worry about demonstrated interest by way of a visit; rather, focus your energy on getting to know a college intimately by a YouTube channel, for instance, or by digging through undergraduate organizations or course catalogs, all of which can be found online.
Skype coaching: We have been coaching students by Skype plus our suite of online tools since 2010, to world class results. Contact us to discuss setting up a program.
University Students
I sympathize with the many of you who have had campus closures and switches to virtual-only learning. Again, staying healthy is a top priority, beyond which I hope our students can remain focused academically, as grades will still matter in the long run—for job placement and graduate school applications, for instance.
We are here and working if any families would like to discuss specific scenarios they are facing.
Wishing everyone good health and normalcy, or something close to it.
Hafeez Lakhani
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