High School Senior Q&A
The Covid-19 virus has not only disrupted all of our lives, it has also forced current high school seniors to reconsider their college options. There are a number of unknowns and anxiety levels are continuing to rise about a number of critical decisions facing current seniors. I’ve compiled answers to the most pressing questions that parents and students of Frosh College Consulting have been asking me.
How do I evaluate my final college choices now that I cannot travel, and college campuses are closed?
- Check the university’s accepted students link and join the Instagram or Facebook websites; start connecting with other students, perhaps find your roommate this way.
- Follow the universities’ LinkedIn page. Not only can you search to see where people work by industry and location but also by what they studied in school. You could possibly survey if one school offers an advantage over another for areas of interest to you. An added bonus is that many current college students have a LinkedIn profile and it may be possible for you to message them to discuss what they think of their program.
Do I need to take the AP test? Where do I take it? And what about the IB test?
- In terms of AP testing, the College Board announced that May’s AP exams will be administered online, allowing students to take their tests at home. These tests will be computer-, mobile-, and tablet-friendly, and students will apparently even be able to send in photographs of handwritten exams.
- In addition, these exams will be shorter, as the College Board has decided to only include information that teachers would likely have covered by mid-March. Each exam will be offered twice so students can take the test early or take more time to study if they need. Some of the details are still pending, including the specifics of the online platform the College Board plans to use and the new exam schedule, but the College Board plans to release that information on April 3rd.
- All IB 2020 examinations have been canceled. Students will be awarded a Diploma or a Course Certificate which reflects their standard of work.
Has the May 1st deposit deadline been moved for my university?
- Students can check out this website to learn whether their deadline has been moved back:
- Don’t be afraid to contact the financial aid office of the university you plan to deposit to find out if they can work with your family if circumstances have changed.
- Consider reviewing this government website for any financial aid questions: https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/coronavirus
A word for parents of current high school juniors. Your students will be dealing with the most disruptive application cycle ever anticipated. The good news is, literally every school district in the United States will have had to make extraordinary changes and many students will be earning only Pass/Fail grades. Rest assured that university enrollment management officers, and admissions counselors are acutely aware of this and will be taking the circumstances into account. The good news is that more and more universities are now opting to go test optional, (https://www.fairtest.org/university/optional) which means your student does not need to submit a test score this fall. Even the Ivy Leagues’ have announced some testing changes, for example MIT will no longer require SAT Subject Tests for next year. We don’t know what the admission data for the class of 2024 will show but rest assured universities will be scrambling to be transparent and many smaller liberal arts colleges will be struggling to stay afloat.