August 1st

Every year, the first day of August marks the beginning of a new, challenging, excitingly stressful journey for class 12th students. Starting from the 1st of August, the applications for American universities officially open and potential candidates can work on them. Some of these universities include ivy League like Harvard in Boston, Columbia in New York City, Yale in New Haven and other high-ranking institutions like Stanford in California, MIT in Boston & University of Chicago. Public schools like the University of Virginia, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have also opened up their respective applications.

Worldwide, students have the option of applying to the aforementioned prestigious and well-renowned universities through the Common Application, Coalition Application or sometimes through the institution’s official website. The Common App is a great way to start working on one’s application as it is accepted by 900 schools in and outside of the United States. Moreover, the application also provides its users essential information about deadlines, materials required like letters of recommendation and financial aid packages. As of the writing of this article, the online platform boasts about a million years.

How has the pandemic affected the college application process?

Ever since our lives have been drastically upturned by the deadly pandemic, students have found it harder to cope with the stress and pressure of filling out applications, writing answers to supplementary questions and most importantly, framing the extremely crucial and integral- Common App essay.

In addition to this, offline classes have proved to be a hindrance for almost every student who was looking to add more extracurricular activities, internships and awards to their applications. A major change that has been made is that the submission of standardized test scores like SAT and ACT has been optional for the year 2020-21 and 2021-22, contrary to what happened pre-covid. Now, the aforementioned change has divided people as there happen to be both pros and cons to the policy.

Pros

1. Considering these unprecedented times of Covid, this provision undoubtedly makes the college application season less distressing. The worry of consistently studying and preparing for these examinations while also having to secure good scores in the school’s internal tests is something teenagers deal with often. With the deadly pandemic on top, the whole process can become easily overwhelming. Now, students don’t have to worry about preparing for these exams and they can easily devote time and concentration to other integral parts of the college application.

2. This makes the process fair and just for international students. With low acceptance rates and preference for domestic students, international students have to deal with the competitiveness with the added uncertainty of their college decision. A lot of schools in the U.S offer SAT or ACT coaching to their students. As a result, students from outside the U.S who do not have the resources or the means to afford private tuitions or coaching for the SAT/ACT often lag behind those who can.

Cons

1. The SAT and ACT have been considered to be a reflection of a child’s potential, scholastic ability and effective time management. A good score on either of the tests also indicates an impressive command and grasp of the English language and mathematics. Since these tests are optional, students who miss out on them might not be able to demonstrate any of the aforementioned qualities.

2. In a way, the new policy increases competition. Before 2020, the SAT/ACT which was obligatory was considered a very crucial and integral part of the college application. Getting a good score on these standardized tests indicated that you could be accepted into at least one prestigious university. Earlier, students who didn’t secure a ‘good’ score on the SAT usually held back from applying to Ivy Leagues. This, in turn, would somewhat decrease the competition. The fact that you don’t have to submit any scores, incites and invites more children to apply.

Despite the pandemic, the number of applications submitted is prominently increasing thereby decreasing the number of applications accepted. The harsh college season awaits.

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