Ongoing list of resources for high schoolers during college application process (COVID19)

High School from in-person to remote & mental health:

• Curated materials from Stanford ChallengeSuccess group for remote learning:https://www.challengesuccess.org/resources/covid-19-resources-for-remote-learning/
• Connecting with friends - video, text, calls - will be important to find a way to keep connected to the high school community (or other activities communities); it might be different from the usual house-device rules!
• Online classes - if possible, chunking up classes to max 1-hour sessions at a time and completing studies, readings, snacking in between
  Spring break - this should still be honored as spring break; doing something different, getting out for more walks/hikes, etc

Other ways to experience colleges at this time:

• Social media - not through the official channels, but check out student club channels/pages/handles
• ​Student newspaper - much of the time found online
• Alumni newsletters - also can be found online much of the time
• https://www.campusreel.org/; https://www.youvisit.com/?fromExperience=true
• Ongoing list of events from schools: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sO7pVos0EvK0BvXoMbnyg00K6r7hXbOQE0HNXF4N4eM/edit?fbclid=IwAR38doSbY4609xgSWILabuvVptXsRuKRg5K6dti6zYmt072D78NbWzS_d8w#gid=0

Extra Curricular Activities:

• Continuing to condition or work on activities that are interesting to you - but switching gears; also good opportunity to consider options if summer programs shut down due to the pandemic
• Sports - conditioning at home, getting into a regimen to keep fit for varsity teams; studying strategy (depending on the sport)
• Club leadership - planning for future events or consideration of events that move online instead (online conference or panel of speakers)
• Find a relevant outlet (as it relates to your interests) to support or adjust activities for pandemic (e.g. interest in fashion design might equate to sewing cloth masks; interest in eating out might mean learning to cook at home; interest in food bank/poverty issues might equate with online fundraising for the same groups locally)

APs

• Can likely still sign up, check in with your school counselor/AP coordinator; truncated test, likely still scored on same scale, some schools will still accept it for credit
• ​If the course wasn’t completed at school (or to your best understanding of the material), might be wise to retake coursework (if necessary for major/interests/career path) when you get to school
• Updates from college board and additional resources for classes: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update
• AP classes via youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/advancedplacement?app=desktop
• ​More AP practice: https://www.khanacademy.org/about/blog/post/163503591115/khan-academy-is-the-official-practice-partner-for

SATs

• College board is trying  to schedule one for one replacement exams throughout summer
• ​Several schools (Tufts, Scripps and more) have already announced going test-optional for the rising seniors applying to college; others have announced dropping requirements for SAT2s (e.g. MIT)
• ​From all admissions officers, I’ve been in contact with - assurance that this odd time will be accounted for in the admissions process
• List of schools that have shifted testing policies for Class of 2021: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17shfjh0LANftkDfBkw7MsYztwc79eWPsNPTPTZucgu8/edit?fbclid=IwAR2VuXsnpUNlsiPIKdgTIpOAI7qsKc8NEI1Iiah913qEXGeGkqe5x9GjEwQ#gid=0​

 For current high school seniors:

• Pay close attention to communication from the colleges to which you’ve been admitted
• College admission officers are still working (many from home), so don’t hesitate to still reach out to them and email them with questions
• The cancellation of admitted student events and campus visits is difficult; most colleges are replacing those activities with online events like live chats, web panel discussions, and virtual live tours
• ​Many universities have already extended their reply deadline from May 1st to now June 1st, in order to give students more time to make their college decision. Watch for emails from the colleges or contact each school for updates; National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) has also created a for colleges to report any changes to deposit deadlines and visit opportunities, as well as how to connect with each admissions office: here; the list will continue to grow real-time
• Please READ letters and notifications from colleges on how to communicate with them; there are deadlines (many extended) and specific ways in which college wants to be communicated with (e.g. for wait list letters etc)
• ​Suspect that wait lists will be longer than in the past (and more generous than in the Fall) as colleges will be protecting themselves from any fallout that might occur from covid19
• As you are notified of college acceptance and financial aid, it's common for questions to arise. If you have questions about a financial aid package, don't hesitate to contact the college; though I’m not an expert in this particular realm, I have heard of negotiations on financial aid packages in the past or clarifications on how schools calculate their need; here are some other resources which may help: Accepting Financial Aid, How to Break Down Financial Aid Award Letters, and Award Comparison Worksheet