As we make every effort to adapt to the challenges of current events surrounding us, grade 11 and 12 students are dealing with a lot of uncertainty about their future. In the meantime, we must keep in mind that universities are also having to deal with these unknowns, rethinking their policies in order to adapt to all these changes – coming up with alternate solutions to be able to tackle multiple scenarios for next fall.
Testing Policy
Some universities are waiving their SAT and ACT testing requirements for next year. Some are implementing a 3-year test optional pilot project while others are making a permanent decision to go test optional. This is good news for many of our students but preparing for and taking the test, when possible, will allow you to keep more options open. The biggest piece of news this week has been that the NCAA has waived its testing requirement for athletes wishing to be recruited for their sport for the coming year.
Deadline Extensions
In order to better accommodate applicants during these trying times, some universities have extended their decision date from May 1 to June 1 or later. If you need more time due to extenuating circumstances, you can always call universities and see if an extension will be granted.
University Start Dates
Given the uncertainty of what the pandemic will look like by late summer, whether borders will be open or not, some universities will be considering virtual classes, at least for the fall term. Others, like Stanford, have been discussing the possibility of starting classes in January and running them all through the following summer. UPenn sent an email to admitted international students (Canadian passport holders not included) suggesting they consider taking a GAP year if need be – especially if U.S. consulates and visa offices remain closed in their part of the world.
My advice to you is to not stress about what is not in your control. Look at this period as a gift from the universe. It is a time when you can be flexible, you can be generous with the time you spend on yourself and your loved ones – hiking together, cooking/baking together, playing board games, or just chilling. You’re getting a small taste of what life at university is like and all the freedom you will have, realizing the fact that time management is essential. See this as a positive, an opportunity to create a routine for yourself. Set up a foundation for your time at university and for a successful future. Invest in your personal development by engaging in some self-reflection and one or more of the following:
Make Learning a Priority: Take online classes. Instead of paying thousands of dollars to a university program such as JHU online, find free online courses via EdX and Coursera and enjoy learning for the sake of learning. Take a course in psychology or one in coding. Read what interests you – a historical novel, a biography, or fantasy.
Be Proactive: Research universities. Choose 2 universities per day, research them, take a virtual tour, go to their websites, and take notes about special programs, courses, professors, and student organizations, which excite you. Use technology to establish contact with students who attend the university you will be matriculating at or the university you are targeting and get an insider’s view of what the school is like inside and outside of the classroom. Most universities, realizing that you will not be able to visit their campus this summer, are offering webinars and virtual meetings. Take advantage of these and demonstrate your interest to those universities that keep track of your interest.
Be Productive: Work on your resume, learn a new language, get ahead in mathematics or a subject you want to accelerate in.
Be Creative: Explore and try something new or adapt existing interests to managing them from home. If you love sports, write a blog on your sport of choice. Start a power-washing business – you could even donate the income to something related to COVID-19. Write a children’s book and collaborate with a friend who is an artist for illustrations. Write poetry. Try photography.
Do Some Good: Mow some lawns for your more elderly neighbors. Bake bread and do some cooking to feed the homeless. Sew some masks and distribute them or sell them and donate the profit.
There have been articles in the papers about a 14-year-old on Vancouver Island using a 3-D printer to create valves for ventilators to allow them to be used by two patients instead of one. Another teenager, a 12-year-old on the North Shore, used his 3-D printer to create ear-saver head straps for health care workers, preventing the chafing that occurs behind the ears from having to wear surgical masks all day. Even though there is a lot of sadness in our world, students must not allow themselves to feel stymied by it. Instead, make an effort to make your community a better place by exercising patience, embracing the reality of life as it is, and making a positive difference in whatever way you can.
Don’t be surprised if there are questions about what you did during the COVID-19 probationary period on next year’s university applications!