In his blog, Next, Jeff Selingo wrote a compelling piece about the Pandemic’s Long Tail in Admissions, arguing that the impact of COVID-19 on the college admissions process (decisions to become test-optional, ever-more holistic reviews of applicants, expanding wait pools) were responses to a crisis. Now that there is a moment to breathe and take stock of the situation, he opines that it’s time for some lasting (arguably long-overdue) changes to the admissions process.
We can see signs of this process becoming more equitable, more student-centered, and more easily accomplishable. As of this post, according to Fair Test, 60% of colleges nationwide are committed to remaining test-optional for the coming year, a strategy that has been successful in attracting more applications from students from underrepresented and first-generation populations. All the Ivies are committed to remaining Test-Optional for the 2021-22 admissions cycle and Williams College and Duke University have recently joined the growing list of selective colleges that will do the same. Across the board, only 44% of students who applied to colleges through the Common Application submitted test scores, a significant decrease from the 77% who submitted scores the previous year.
The Common Application has announced a new essay prompt that will give applicants an opportunity to write about a moment when they felt grateful for what someone has done for them (replacing the prompt about a problem that they’d like to solve), a decision intentionally made to “bring some joy into their application experience.” In addition, some colleges have chosen to eliminate their supplemental essay questions to simplify the application process for students. Colgate University’s stunning 102% increase in applications this year may be attributable in part to their decision to both become test-optional and make their supplemental essays optional this past year.
Another notable change in this year’s admissions cycle is that colleges extended more admission offers to students in their early pools, sometimes filling more than half their enrolling classes in the Early Action and Early Decision rounds. In a time of uncertainty, it seemed clear that colleges wanted to get a better sense of the strength and character of their freshman class early and to try to yield more students earlier rather than waiting. Further, some schools upped their outreach efforts to underrepresented and first-generation students with good success. Tufts University’s Class of 2025 “holds a historic distinction of its own: it is the most ethnically and racially diverse undergraduate class ever admitted to Tufts—56 percent of U.S. students are students of color, up from last year’s 50 percent.” Further, the wait pools this year seem much deeper than ever before as colleges anticipate more movement throughout the spring and summer than ever before.
While it is hard to know which of these changes are around for good and which were just put in place as temporary fixes, for the 2021-22 admission cycle, we’ll continue to advise students to do the following things:
Start your college process early so that you are in a position to take advantage of the opportunity to apply in the Early Action and Early Decision rounds.
Prepare to take the ACT or the SAT, but focus also on building up your extracurricular activities.
Don’t use your inability to tour colleges in person as an excuse not to research colleges. There’s a lot you can learn about a school without leaving your house.
When you apply, put a lot of time and thought into your applications, particularly your personal statement and supplements. This is the best way for colleges to get to know you personally.
If you’re put on a waitlist, don’t despair, but do take action.
It’s been a hard year. Take care of yourself, and take care of others.
The pandemic has not just changed college admissions, but it has changed all of us. Hopefully, we’ll come through with a better understanding of what we need to keep and what we can let go of.