It’s difficult to understate how difficult this past year has been. The coronavirus has uprooted the way we interact on a daily basis. Usually the college application process is an exciting time for high school seniors. With most high schools and universities still adjusting to online learning, the incoming freshman class has had a very unique experience as they try to decide what they will do after graduation. The pandemic has impacted students all across the country and the world and it’s easy to focus on how it’s impacting those close in proximity to us, so this week I decided to talk to Jannah Said, a high school senior from North Carolina.
Her Campus: Currently, is your high school in person or virtual?
Jannah Said: My school allowed everyone the opportunity to choose whether to remain virtual for the rest of the school year, or to go back in person on a rotational schedule. I chose to remain virtual for the remainder of the school year for safety reasons. However, in a few weeks there is a plan to return all of the in-person students at once.
HC: Do you feel you got adequate support from your school?
JS: While my school is generally pretty helpful to seniors applying to college, I was disappointed with the lack of support I felt this year throughout the process. Although we couldn’t see our counselors in person or attend in-person assemblies, my school made little effort to connect with or inform seniors undergoing the application process. I had to learn about and apply to Common App, schools that didn’t accept Common App, FAFSA, CSS Profile, and scholarships all on my own. I emailed my counselor once inquiring about my class rank for a scholarship application I had found and was doing independently, and never even got a response. It was frustrating that in a year where the application process and admissions were so unpredictable and different than past years, we were left with little to no guidance.
HC: Overall, how did you feel about the application process?
JS: Overall, the application process wasn’t too difficult, since the Common App makes it easier to apply to different schools. I did learn a lot about the application process that I wish I had known beforehand, such as that the Common App provides only 10 activity slots. Since we didn’t have much guidance, I had to do a lot of research on my own to figure out what my Personal Statement should be about and how to write it effectively, which took several tries. Writing individual short essays for each school was definitely the most time-consuming part of the process in my opinion, but submitting each application was a satisfying feeling.
HC: Do you think the schools you applied to would have changed if we weren’t in a pandemic?
JS: While I would like to accredit my rejection from certain schools to the pandemic and increase in applications, there’s really no way of knowing what my results would have been otherwise. However, I do think that the decision not to weigh in standardized testing scores impacted many applicants’ results. I, for one, had been holding my SAT and ACT scores as a key factor in my application, so the decision not to weigh those scores into application review was disappointing to me. I understand why the decision was made, though.
HC: Have you received any advice that has helped you with the process in general?
JS: Probably the most important piece of advice I received that helped me with the entire process was to be true to myself. As simple and obvious as it sounds, many high school students tend to become involved in any club they can or seize any little opportunity just to put it on college applications. Choosing activities, clubs, and involvements that speak to you and your interests is far more likely to make you stand out. Instead of spreading myself too thin, I became involved in things I cared about and strived to achieve leadership roles and make a difference in those areas.
HC: What aspect of campus life are you looking forward to most?
JS: The aspect of campus life I am most looking forward to is the social environment. I love making friends and socializing in a variety of ways, so having all my friends and lots of hangout spots all in close proximity will be lots of fun. I have already met many of the people who were accepted into the same university as me, and a group of us have already started planning a poetry slam. I can’t wait to meet all sorts of unique and interesting people and make cool memories with them!
I know we’re all exhausted from talking about the pandemic, but I find it beneficial to talk through what we’re going through. We’ve never experienced anything like this so there’s no right or wrong way to react to it. The most important thing to remember is to be kind to yourself! I’m wishing the best of luck to all the incoming freshmen and can’t wait to meet you in the fall!