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BREAKING NEWS: Application Essays Released

ByCheree Liebowitz
NEW COVID-19 ESSAY
 
Students using the 2020-2021 Common Application and/or Coalition Application to apply to college will find a new dedicated space which they can use to elaborate, if they wish, on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected them personally and/or academically. The question is optional, and there is no need to answer the question if you have not been affected.


This new optional question means that students who want to share how COVID-19 has affected their lives should use that space to write about COVID-19. Students should not use the Personal Statement (also known as the Common App or Coalition essay) to write about the pandemic, unless it’s part of a bigger theme which best expresses the student’s interests and perspectives.


The Common App COVID-19 question is limited to 250 words and asks the following:
Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces.


The Coalition App question is limited to 300 words and asks the following:
Natural disasters and emergency situations like COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the lives of many students and their families. While entirely optional, you may share information here regarding how any of these events have affected you or your family circumstances. Please provide any additional information you would like to share regarding how these events have affected you or your family. 


SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAYS
 
Supplemental essay prompts for students entering college in fall 2021 are being released! Check the International College Counselors website for the essay prompts; we are posting them on an ongoing basis as they come out. Some of the prompts are the same as years past, and others are new. For the first time, the University of Miami is requiring applicants to submit a supplemental essay. The topic will be resilience.
 
OTHER CHANGES

  • Students using the Common App to apply to college in 2020-2021 will see the addition of more than 40 colleges and universities across the United States, including Clemson, Auburn, the University of Georgia, and the University of South Florida. Students can now apply to more than 900 schools in the U.S. and abroad using the Common App.


  • Many colleges that use standardized tests to filter through thousands of applicants, including all eight of the Ivy Leagues, have stopped asking for SAT or ACT scores, at least temporarily. However, it’s important to understand that “test-optional” doesn’t mean “test-blind.” While test scores will not be required as part of the application to test-optional colleges, the majority of test-optional schools will still look at the scores-if submitted-and will give weight to strong ones as part of the application evaluation. For a list of test-optional schools, visit fairtest.org.
  • In addition to changing to test-optional for the coming admission cycle, Princeton University will have one application deadline for first-year applicants– Jan. 1, 2021– instead of separate dates for Single-Choice Early Action and Regular Decision. We will see if other schools follow suit.

If you have questions about college applications, standardized tests, or anything else pertaining to college admissions, please call or email us at International College Counselors. Visit https://internationalcollegecounselors.com/ or call 954-414-9986.

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