The College Application Process During COVID

Photos from a college "visit"; a drive through campus

Courtney Cocheo ‘21
November 2020

As a senior, I'm supposed to know what career I want to pursue for the rest of my life. But how does a seventeen year old figure out the rest of their life over the course of a year? And on top of my career, do I know if I want to stay close to home or move across the country?

Not only is the college application process a huge new concept to me, but so is being a senior and experiencing the lasts of high school: last first day of school, last picture day, last high school sports game. With COVID it’s even harder to say goodbye when so many of those “lasts” of the high school experience -- pep rallies, homecoming, varsity sports and Friday night lights -- might already be behind us.

The application process is already stressful to begin with; applying amid a global health crisis brings it to a whole new level.

The whole college process was completely new to me. Since I don’t have an older sibling -- and my parents never had the true college experience since they only went to community college -- I had to start from scratch.

Starting off with researching everything from campuses to student bodies to majors, I had no idea what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. Though as a senior with so many different interests, once I figured out what my interests were and what I enjoyed, finding majors that interested me wasn’t too difficult. (In contrast to high school, college lets you focus much more on what you enjoy when it comes to majors.)

The only place I've ever lived is New York, so I didn't know what areas to focus on at first. Since I knew I didn’t want to go too far from home, I started researching colleges in states in and around New York: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Upstate, to name a few. Only a couple hours away from Long Island, I knew anywhere in these areas would be perfect for me.

Visiting colleges and taking campus tours is a must in any college search. I know that from having visited two schools before COVID occurred. Knowing about student life and campus size is crucial to figuring out what schools you want to look at. Unfortunately, COVID has made that part of the process a lot harder since campus visits have been restricted or cancelled completely.

The pandemic has been a double-edged sword for college applicants: while it has put a hamper on essentials such as testing and tours, the silver lining is that the process has become a lot more flexible. Now that almost all campus tours are virtual, it’s a bit easier to get to know colleges from your home. Still, it’s not quite the same as stepping onto the campus and getting a feel of the school in the flesh with your own tour guide.

Another important aspect of choosing when looking at a school is the location: is it urban, suburban, or rural? Some schools are in the middle of nowhere, while others are at the height of a city or right outside of one. Of course, it all depends on what you prefer. For me, at least, location is one of the most important aspects. This is where whether a school is online or not really makes a difference. Since tour guides for in-person tours are currently at their schools, they provide more honest, informed answers about campus life and the surrounding area.

The application process overall has many steps to it and, many months in, I still don’t quite have the rest of my life after high school figured out. The application process is very high pressure from the countless hours spent working on applications, essays and test prep; not to mention all the wrenches COVID has thrown into the works this time around. Though when all is said and done and that thick yellow envelope from your dream school finally comes in the mail, it’ll all be worth it.