A Summer of Transformation & Change

With the constant changes happening in the world and within college admissions right now, we are getting lots of questions from families and students. Students are wanting to know about the changes and how they can be involved in supporting others and making positive changes based on the issues that are impacting the USA and/or globally.

General Summer To Do’s

1. Work on college applications and essays this summer. The college application process always brings an extra layer of stress to 12th graders. Working on and completing many of your college essays and applications this summer can help you get ahead and de-stress your last year of high school.
2. Focus on researching colleges this summer. With spending more time at home this summer, it is a great time to research different colleges. Use resources such as Big Future, Collegexpress, Campusreel, Niche, Collegedata, and the colleges direct admissions websites. In addition, many colleges are offering virtual visits and it is a great opportunity to stay engaged with the admissions process and show your continued interest. Also, we are here this summer to help you build your college list, so you can dive into a more tailored college exploration process. If you would like college list building support, feel free to reach out to us.
3. Colleges will focus beyond the numbers even more this year. Please remember that going test-optional does not make it any easier to get into colleges. Essays, letters of recommendation, the types of classes you are taking, your outside-of-school involvement all matter in the college admissions process. Even in COVID, colleges hope to see students staying active by working on their own self-growth and personal development and through the work they are doing to help others and their involvement in the issues that impact the world we live in right now.

Your Own Self-Growth and Development

Colleges want to see your intellectual and personal growth. They see this through the topics you write about in essays, the academic subjects you explore outside of school, the topics you do more research on, and the personal reading, listening and exploring you do. They want to know what you spend your time learning about outside of school. Spend your time this summer exploring the topics and academic subjects that matter to you and beyond you and your community.

Exposure to Academic Subjects

You may spend time this summer taking Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC’s) through Coursera or edX this summer to learn and get exposure to specific academic subjects that you are interested in. Or you may self-study through documentaries, podcasts, reading books, or YouTube videos. You may find a remote or social distancing internship or volunteer opportunity within the subjects you want to learn more about. Remember some colleges have essay prompts that ask you about the independent reading or researching you do.

Your Personal Transformation

In this year of transformation happening, colleges will be looking for and appreciate students doing their own anti-racist work by educating themselves on the racial injustices in the USA and how they can become an ally, and eventually an accomplice in making the world a better place for all. We suspect there may even be some essay prompts related to this subject. Consider dedicating some of your summer reading to investigating the variety of resources available, Scaffolding anti-racism resources, and understanding what students can do through this article. Some of our favorite books at The Best U include:

• I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown
• Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Tatum
• White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
• So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
• How to be An Antiracist by Ibram Kendi

Volunteering Your Time

With the world going through so much transformation, colleges will be looking to see how students are taking time to grow, to reflect on their roles and impact in the world, and how they can make it a better place through their involvement. They want to see genuine interest and consistent dedication to the issues that students care about and reflect the changing world we are in.

There are many non-profit organizations that are in need of help through remote work or safe social distancing in-person work. Consider reaching out to organizations that you are interested in and see what type of support they are in need of.

We are seeing some students helping the people impacted by COVID through volunteering at food shelters, making art kits for kids, making masks, entertaining seniors in retirement homes, etc. Many students that want to spread awareness about anti-racism work are starting community conversations, creating blogs or podcasts, organizing peaceful rallies, creating student groups, etc. Also, many students are getting involved in political campaigns this summer. How can you use your skills and interest and make a positive impact?

On-Going Changes In Admissions

1. Testing is rapidly changing on a daily basis. We are seeing more and more colleges going test optional every week. Changes in testing will continue to happen throughout the summer and possibly even through the fall. Just last week most of the ivy league colleges went test-optional, which was an unprecedented decision. Make sure that you are doing updated research on your college list and scholarship list throughout the summer in order to know if they will require testing or additional requirements in lieu of testing. The most updated test-optional list or go directly to the college’s admissions website or the scholarship’s websites. Also,
2. So far, colleges are reporting small numbers of students requesting deferments for next year, which means there may be minimal impact for applicants in the class of 2021. However, so much is still up in the air. Keep an eye on the colleges that will offer in-person/hybrid options next year vs. the schools that will be going fully online. Moving to fully online could increase the number of enrolled students that defer for a year. We are seeing private colleges and many state schools doing everything they can to get students on campus in the fall.
3. We are hearing that many colleges are rethinking their college essays for the fall to reflect the world we live in. Many colleges are rethinking their college essay prompts and may include questions about inclusivity, equity, and racial injustice. Also, the Common Application already announced the addition of an optional up to 250 word COVID essay prompt:

“Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces.”

Stay Tuned

Changes in college admissions will continue to happen throughout the summer and fall. We will send updates and big changes that occur. We are working throughout the summer to support students with their work on applications, essays, scholarship searches, financial aid, and their overall college admissions planning process. You can learn more about our services and our team.