College App FAQs (2021)
As the Early Decision and Early Action deadlines for 2021 admissions cycle loom ever-nearer, students and parents alike face numerous uncertainties that have carried over from last year. Here are answers to some of the most common questions Ivy Link has been asked lately.
What to do about test-optional policies?
As we’ve discussed in several blog posts since Summer 2020, “test-optional” is somewhat of a misnomer. Will you be immediately rejected from a college if you don’t have an ACT or SAT score? No, but you will be put in a separate pile with the rest of the students without test scores and then judged accordingly. This might not have that big of an impact at your average state college, but you’d better have a good test score if you want to be a competitive applicant at the nation’s top universities. The data shows that while some students were accepted to such schools without test scores, the vast majority (we cannot emphasize this enough) submitted test scores at or above the 95th percentile.
What to write about in the application essays in the time of COVID?
Short answer: not COVID. In the 2020-21 cycle, the Common App did include an optional COVID-19 Prompt for students to communicate to colleges the severity of the impact COVID had on their lives, and it will be available again this year. While all students should answer the prompt, the Personal Statement and any supplements should be focused on a student’s achievements, aspirations, and unique experiences (while answering the given prompt or question).
How do you make an impressive activity record when you’ve been stuck at home?
This will be different for every student and their given skills and interests. At the end of the day, you must sit and brainstorm, do some research, and come up with something that is creative and impressive. This is obviously much easier said than done, which is why so many students turn to Ivy Link advisors for additional help. There isn’t a lot of time left for rising seniors, but there is enough to come up with an independent project. One last bit of advice: if you the student don’t find your project interesting and exciting, neither will colleges.
For additional application assistance and essay advising, contact Ivy Link today.
