College admissions: A look inside and a look ahead
College admissions: A look inside and a look ahead (6 October 2020)
Presented in partnership with the New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC)
With the help of NEACAC, we gathered a panel of admissions professionals from a diverse selection of New England colleges, plus a college counselor from a high school, to discuss the impacts that COVID-19 has had on the college selection process and evaluation of applicants: the minor, major, temporary, and potentially permanent outcomes.
Panelists:
Brennan Barnard, Director of College Counseling and Outreach - The Derryfield School, Manchester, New Hampshire, USA
Christina Berardi, Senior Associate Dean of Admissions - Salve Regina University, Newport, Rhode Island, USA
Anthony Berry, Director of Admissions and Special Assistant to the Vice President for Strategic Initiatives - Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Jayson Hodge, Associate Director Special Programs, First-Year Admissions - University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
Amy Lee, Assistant Dean of Enrollment, Director of Admissions - Southern Maine Community College, Portland, Maine, USA
Resources
Standardized Testing
- According to Fairtest.org, two-thirds of all US colleges and universities are test-optional or test-blind for fall 2021 applicants - meaning that they don’t require the SAT or ACT. (updated Oct 2020)
- Test Optional? Should I Still Take the SAT? Still Take the ACT? (getschooled.com, October 3, 2020)
- List of All Test Optional Colleges that changed their admission policies due to COVID-19 (Insight Education, September 23, 2020)
- List of US Colleges that are SAT/ACT-optional for international students
Affordability and Access
- The Institute for College Access & Success: Project on Student Debt
- American Talent Initiative
- Great Value Colleges: Is Attending a Community College a Good Option?
International Admissions
- How to Study in the United States: Find out how you can visit the United States as a student, where to learn English, and how the US educational system works (USA.gov)
Deferrals:
- Ask the College Guy: Will students deferring their college this fall make it more difficult for the next class of 2021 to get in? (Brennan Barnard, Concord Monitor, 9/15/2020)
- What to Know About Deferred College Admission (usnews.com, May 15, 2020)
General
- Ethical College Admissions: Coronavirus and College Admission Change (insidehighered.com, September 14, 2020)
- Why Now in College Admission (Brennan Barnard, forbes.com, August 26, 2020)
- How COVID-19 Is Upending Extracurriculars (usnews.com, August 21, 2020)
- Applying to college during the pandemic? College admission deans offer 5 tips (usnews.com, June 29, 2020)
- What More Than 300 College Admissions Deans Are Looking For During The Pandemic (npr.org, June 29, 2020)
Virtual College Fairs