The class of 2022 is the second consecutive class to face an unconventional college admissions process as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic, and with many schools introducing different requirements–or lack thereof–from what is traditionally expected, there is a sense of uncertainty for some seniors.
“A lot of schools are test optional so you never really know what they are looking for” Senior Suhani Sheth admitted.
Nation-wide many students feel the same. Now more than ever, students are applying to more schools, given that they do not know what to expect regarding the outcome of their college admissions journey.
CNBC reported that, “As of November 16, 2021, the number of college applicants had increased 13%, and total applications submitted have increased 22%, compared to the previous year.”
For Suhani, she plans to study business and acknowledged that her experience with preparing for college was much different than what she thought it would be like from her perceptions as an underclassman.
After all, the pandemic vastly impacted her main extracurricular of playing tennis from the beginning of the pandemic to now: “There were a lot of instances when tennis was altered and got cut short because of the Pandemic. It was difficult to see things change all the time or not happen at all because tennis is something that I practice all year round, so I wanted to see things play out during the season.”
In terms of gaining insight on applying to colleges, she was unable to partake in the traditional process of college touring. “It was hard to learn more about schools because few had in person tours and those that did often got booked really quickly.”
As a result of this being such a wide problem for future students, many colleges have opened virtual informational sessions: online zoom-esque meetings often with virtual campus tours, presentations, question and answer sessions, and more. These opportunities are allowing students from all over the world to connect with schools versus often needing to rely on admissions representatives to visit their schools.
That being said, perhaps there’s light at the end of the tunnel for future post-pandemic college-bound teenagers. In being able to fully pursue their extracurriculars and completely engage in the college planning process, they hopefully will be able to reap the benefits of the expanded opportunities that have been implemented as a result of the pandemic.
Many schools are continuing to offer both in-person and virtual information sessions in order to maintain furthered access. Moreover, a multitude of universities across the nation have already extended test-optional policies into the mid-2020s, with the UC (University of California) System making the decision to have standardized tests no longer be a consideration in admissions entirely.