College in the Era of COVID-19: What has Changed?

Another major change, courtesy of the pandemic, is the lack of college visits. Due to Covid-19, all colleges closed their campuses to visitors, further complicating the college search process. Many students would visit colleges to learn more about them and see if the environment was right for them. Without this, it has definitely become more difficult for students to make their final decisions. Many colleges have set up virtual tours, but they are simply not the same as experiencing a physical campus tour where you can feel the vibe of the college for yourself.

As colleges either go virtual or enforce social distancing rules on campus indefinitely, many prospective students have decided to wait to attend entirely due to the lack of the true “college experience”. This is especially the case for students who have enrolled at more expensive colleges, as paying $70,000 for zoom classes isn’t exactly a good bargain. The rollover of these students has uncertain effects on the applications for the class of 2021, as it’s still not clear whether Covid will have subsided enough for colleges to at least operate somewhat normally.

Furthermore, the real world circumstances of many students have complicated their ability to keep up with college. Everything from lost jobs to sick relatives has upended the lives of students across the world. These chaotic circumstances make it difficult for students to focus on school, which has definitely had an impact on academic records. In response to this, the common application has added an optional section where you can explain the effects of Covid-19 on you and your education that you believe they should see. This allows for admissions to take into account any of these extenuating circumstances. (Being lazy isn’t one of them, unfortunately.)

These factors have certainly changed the landscape of applications this year, and the long term effects of these changes — from the effects on students’ mental health to the learning lost — are yet to be seen. Although it is hard to be sure, colleges will definitely put more weight on other aspects of the application, such as the essay or extracurriculars, then they have in the past.