Kristen BixbyFirst things first, the entire staff at Campus Bound hope that you and your loved ones are safe, healthy, and practicing social distancing as much as possible. We adore our students and families and are keeping everyone in our thoughts. But there is no doubt that the world of college admissions has been thrown on its head, as has everything it seems. In this blog, we hope to address some common concerns and, ideally, alleviate some of your concerns.
Testing
This is a big one, predominantly for juniors. Most colleges, as of now, still require the SAT or ACT for admission. There is a list of colleges that are test-optional that can be found here. But assuming you will be applying to at least one college that requires a score from one of these tests, it can be concerning to hear that the March, April and May test dates have all been cancelled as of now.
The College Board has yet to make an announcement about AP Exams and SAT Subject Tests, but with many students out of school and missing out on in-person teaching time, some kind of creative solution will likely come forth in the near future.
It’s unclear exactly how the College Board, the ACT, and colleges, will deal with all this, but we can assure you that strategies and discussions are already taking place with the powers that be. Perhaps the testing requirements will be waived, perhaps more test dates will be added. No one knows yet. But please have patience and understand that there will be some resolution. It may not be entirely fair for everyone; not everyone will like it. But we have to remember the big picture in times like this and not get hung up on the details.
For the most current testing information, go to CollegeBoard.com, ACT.org or NACACnet.org
College Tours and Visits
Most colleges have shut down their campuses. This can be troubling both for juniors who are trying to visit schools in order to create their college list, and for seniors who may have some acceptances in hand and wish to see some colleges one more time before they have to make their decision about where to attend. Well, college tours aren’t going to be happening any time soon. There are some proposals out there, such as extending the May 1 decision deadline out. And, there are great websites that offer virtual tours such as YouVisit. It’s not the same as the real thing, but for now it will have to do.
For more information about college admission policy changes, go to NACACnet.org.
The fact of the matter is that, even as I write this, changes are happening. And frankly, people just don’t know what to do right now. Tackle the things you can do. Stay home and enjoy quality time with your family. As soon as policies and announcements are made we will do our best to pass this information on to you. But please know that the world keeps spinning, and when the dust settles it will all be okay.