Kim Spencer

2021 College Application Cycle

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There were many long-held educational processes and procedures that were upended during the past year. Completing college applications and essays and submitting them to your chosen schools can be stressful in the best of times. As schools moved to virtual models and scheduled standardized testing dates were canceled, students, parents, counselors, and admissions officers had to adapt to navigate the constantly changing landscape with the ensuing consequences.

With students unable to take the SAT or ACT,  many colleges shifted to a test-optional or test-blind admission policy. If a college is test-optional, students may still submit scores for review, whereas test-blind colleges do not look at the scores at all. This is a lingering result going into the 2021 college application cycle with many colleges keeping this policy in place. Many anticipate that the role of standardized test scores in the college admission decision will be forever changed.

The traditional end of semester AP testing schedule also had to be modified, as students moved to taking the tests at home. In addition to the expected hiccups with a test of this size moving to a virtual format so quickly, it also raised questions of fairness and equality to those students who may not have reliable technology at home and for those with disabilities who require assistance or modifications in the testing environment. 

Students had to prepare for these tests and try to maintain GPAs while suddenly adapting to an online environment with many teachers who had not received extensive training in virtual learning. Dropping into your guidance counselor’s office to ask questions was no longer an option; counselors began meeting students virtually. Students could not even participate in the tradition of visiting campuses, as colleges and universities called a halt to in-person tours. It isn’t surprising that there was a record number of students in last year’s cycle electing to take a gap year with so many changes and uncertainty. Would campuses even be open in the fall?

So how is this affecting the current application cycle? With vaccines rolling out across the country as we slowly return to normal, there is hope and expectation that campuses will be fully open in the fall and will start to resemble the traditional picture of college life we know so well. No one has a crystal ball and there are many differing predictions for what the application numbers are going to look like after last year. The students I’m working with now have all had time to adjust to various levels of online learning. They are invested in completing the application package and are excited about attending college in the fall. Some schools are resuming college campus tours, and traditional standardized testing procedures are being put back in place. With so many schools remaining test-optional, the application essay takes on increased importance. Even for schools that are still requiring test scores in the application package, the essay is more important than ever after the past year in a holistic review of the applicant. Admissions officers look to the essay to pull the student’s package together and to get to know the student. The essay really is the student’s voice speaking to the admissions officer, and appropriate topic selection is key. It is not about producing a beautifully well-written essay; it is finding that topic that will help a student stand out from the crowd and make an impression.

Students beginning the process now need to remember that they have just gone through a crucial year of high school during very extraordinary times. They should work to put together an application package that really illustrates who they are and what matters to them. When building the list of colleges to apply to, it is important to look at changes and trends in their applications and admissions. This will help them determine realistically which schools are safety, target, and reach. When this group of students transitions to college life after high school, they will do so with the knowledge that they are capable of persevering in unprecedented times. That is a quality that will help them succeed in college and beyond.

 

College Acceptance and Rejection

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College campus tours are finished, applications are complete, essays are written, reviewed, rewritten, and polished.  College lists are created and modified. Standardized test scores are submitted, transcripts are sent, and letters of recommendation have been requested. 

And now you wait.  As explained in an earlier post on the college application process, it is now multi-layered with many moving parts and can be very time-consuming. Many times, students are honestly just happy to have the task complete to turn their attention to their schoolwork and senior year activities. It is very common initially to not give any attention to the next event in the timeline. The next event in this timeline, of course, is receiving the college acceptance or rejection notifications.

As a college consultant who has been working in Florida for the past four years, I know preparing and planning for a possible rejection from your first-choice school is also a necessary step in this process.  The two biggest state schools in Florida, UF and FSU, have both made US News & World Report’s list of 20 public schools with low acceptance rates. Both schools received over 60,000 applications last year which was over an 8% increase from the year prior which saw a similar jump from the year prior. With this increase in numbers, it obviously has become that much more competitive with the average 50% of students accepted demonstrating outstanding academic achievements:

           UF         FSU
GPA: 4.3 – 4.6 GPA: 4.1- 4.5
SAT: 1330 – 1460 SAT: 1290 – 1410
ACT: 29 – 33  ACT: 29 – 32

When working with a student, I look at the student’s application as a whole and the acceptance rates at the schools the student expresses interest in attending.  I advise applying to a minimum of five schools: two safety, two target, and a reach.  All acceptance rates are publicly published and easily attained.  Students and parents should always look at those rates when starting the college application process to ensure realistic conversations. After watching such hard work for so many years, it can feel disheartening to see a student disappointed but as we all know, disappointments are a part of life, and not getting into the first-choice school is not the end of the world. The internet is loaded with success stories by people who were rejected from their first choice school. Huffington Post listed five reasons why the rejection may actually be a blessing in disguise.

Colleges are aware there are many more very qualified students applying these days than available spots, and many are creating alternative pathways to enrollment to combat this trend. FSU has created their Pathways Program, and UF has both the Innovation Academy as well as the PaCe Program. Similar programs are rolling out at colleges across the country.

When waiting for college acceptance and rejection notifications to arrive, everyone hopes for that “fat envelope” which is now computer screen confetti, but obviously, everyone is not going to receive it.  Parents and guardians can help prepare students by monitoring their own emotions and expectations. When students receive disappointing news, it is important they have the ability to put it in perspective. The focus should continue to be a celebration of all they’ve accomplished thus far and excitement over this next big life milestone.