8 Tips for 2020 College Admissions Amid the Coronavirus Crisis
The coronavirus has emptied dorms, disrupted graduations, and pushed courses online. It has also upended the college admissions cycle in so many ways. For undergraduate institutions the impact has varied. Here is what to expect in the admissions process:
1. Decisions will be released on time. Colleges want to get students enrolled.
2. Changes in the undergraduate admission reply date. For most schools, the deadline is still May 1, however, a number of schools have extended their enrollment deadlines to June 1 or later.
3. Cancelled Admitted Students Weekends. For students who have already been admitted for fall semester, many schools are cancelling Admitted Students Weekends, including Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, MIT, Princeton and Georgetown. Some schools announced that the Admitted Students Weekend will be held online.
4. Cancelled college visits. Many admissions offices have canceled all campus visits. Parents and students are advised to take virtual tours. While not quite an equivalent substitute for a real visit, links to virtual tours can be found on a college’s website or try https://campustours.com/ or https://www.youvisit.com/collegesearch/
IMPORTANT RESOURCE: As a service to students and families, the National Association for College Counseling (NACAC), of which our company is a member, is providing an online tool as a resource for information about changes in college admission events, deposit dates, and more as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. https://bit.ly/2Qnv4dV
Otherwise, for information about changes, check your school’s website or call/email your International College Counselors advisor.
5. The number of international students will decrease. New travel restrictions bar entry to the US for many foreign nationals. However, colleges are considering ways to help admitted international students with options such as online classes until its safe for students to come to the U.S., or a promise that admissions can be deferred.
6. Cancelled standardized tests. The College Board has canceled the administration of the SAT exam scheduled for May 2. The makeup SAT testing date of March 28 was also canceled. The ACT rescheduled its April 4 national test date to June 13 across the US. We anticipate more make up exams over the summer months. TOEFL, GRE, HiSET, Praxis, GACE and EXADEP testing has also been affected in many countries, including the U.S.
7. AP Exams. AP exams are all scheduled to proceed but possibly will be administered online as take-home exams.
8. More emphasis on waitlists. Colleges may be using waitlists to navigate uncertainty about enrollment. More students may come off the waitlists if students can’t travel from other countries or choose to stay closer to home.
As events keep evolving we expect more changes. We will keep families updated as best as possible in these trying times. Please visit our Facebook and Twitter pages for latest updates. Additionally, please join us for a new, free webinar to answer any questions you may have:
College Admissions in Times of Uncertainty
March 24th at 1pm EST
Register here
For help navigating any of the above, or on deciding the best fit school for your student, or for help with any or all parts of the college admissions process, visit http://www.internationalcollegecounselors.com or call 1-954 414-9986.