Common app pandemic hardship hurts or helps?

[Anonymous]

My child experienced pandemic blues and affected the academics for the first time ever. Did anyone write about it in their common app. Did it help with early admissions or hurt?

[Anonymous]

Hurts unless it is a real hardship, which is not according to your description.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hurts unless it is a real hardship, which is not according to your description.

Just curious, based on experience or judgement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hurts unless it is a real hardship, which is not according to your description.

Just curious, based on experience or judgement?

It's comonlhy advised that do not write about pandamic hardship unless it's it's really something special or extaordinary.
Everyone is effected by the pandamic.

[Anonymous]

How would people know what helped or not?
If they got in, they won’t know why.
If they didn’t, but were in the stats range, they won’t know why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How would people know what helped or not?
If they got in, they won’t know why.
If they didn’t, but were in the stats range, they won’t know why.

Hoping early round results are shedding light.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hurts unless it is a real hardship, which is not according to your description.

Just curious, based on experience or judgement?

I attended a seminar with an admissions counselor from a very competitive school who said to be very very careful with that question. Unless you had an extreme hardship ie having to work to support sick family members, taking care of siblings, etc, you look privileged and disconnected from reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hurts unless it is a real hardship, which is not according to your description.

Just curious, based on experience or judgement?

I attended a seminar with an admissions counselor from a very competitive school who said to be very very careful with that question. Unless you had an extreme hardship ie having to work to support sick family members, taking care of siblings, etc, you look privileged and disconnected from reality.

Good advice!

[Anonymous]

We were told by a financial aid office that they do look at that info when allocating resources.

[Anonymous]

I was told by dean of admissions at T20 last year that they were looking for kids who showed resilience amidst pandemic. I’d keep that in mind, whatever you decide to write or not write.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was told by dean of admissions at T20 last year that they were looking for kids who showed resilience amidst pandemic. I’d keep that in mind, whatever you decide to write or not write.

Thank you for sharing your knowededge!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child experienced pandemic blues and affected the academics for the first time ever. Did anyone write about it in their common app. Did it help with early admissions or hurt?

Cry me a river buttercup

[Anonymous]

I think if a parent or sibling died and she was forced to work for food and spend her college fund on living expenses, you have a case for letting them know about it.

[Anonymous]

A number of DC's friends created projects, assisted existing ones during COVID - projects to help laid off workers, etc. DC basically did nothing save a bit of online tutoring, largely because DH, with anxiety and hypochondria would not allow us outside except in certain circumstances. I really thought this would hurt DC in ED, but doesn't seem to have had an effect.

[Anonymous]

We all experienced the pandemic so the advice we heard was only write about it if there was a unique circumstance.