how will colleges decided between kids when missing a year of grades and SATs?

[Anonymous]

By next year, schools should have distance learning figured out (if necessary) and be giving real grades. I’m really hoping the high school students don’t miss more than 2 quarters of grades. Also hoping for at east one more opportunity to take ACTs and SATs. Those companies should be ready to test as soon as it is safe.

[Anonymous]

Can they add a FortNite section to the essay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can they add a FortNite section to the essay?

No, only Animal Crossing is appropriate.

[Anonymous]

SATs were already getting dropped from requirements at many places, so this is just accelerating a trend. They can evaluate them the same way SAT-optional colleges have already been evaluating homeschooled students for many years -- essays; transcripts that list what they have been learning in depth across the board, not just through formal classes; grades from community-college classes (demonstrating they can complete college-level work); recommendation letters; and portfolios of their work.

[Anonymous]

They probably need to use pre-Covid grades and ECs and post-Covid essays and recs. It will not be pretty, becuase kids are changing during this process. There is no easy way to know what students will be like in fall 2021 on campus (hopefully) after this nightmare for some, and video game binge for others. From what I've seen, straight A students are falling apart, B and C students are stepping up and doing amazing service projects. It's thrown everything off. SATs were a small factor in recent years, and now they will have to adjust the rest of their process to be fair to all the applicants.

[Anonymous]

Colleges can accept every kid that applies. It can be done. There is nothing wrong with having every kid who wants to go to college go. Why do you guys enjoy having people left behind.

[Anonymous]

Problem is that 9th grade at my kid’s public Hs in DC is super easy and a waste of time. 10th grade is better but only mildly indicative of college level work. Junior year is where kids really get an opportunity to step up. My worry is that private school kids will have an even stronger advantage in the next admissions cycle. Unfortunate but that is how the virus has been playing out - much greater impact on people with less money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They probably need to use pre-Covid grades and ECs and post-Covid essays and recs. It will not be pretty, becuase kids are changing during this process. There is no easy way to know what students will be like in fall 2021 on campus (hopefully) after this nightmare for some, and video game binge for others. From what I've seen, straight A students are falling apart, B and C students are stepping up and doing amazing service projects. It's thrown everything off. SATs were a small factor in recent years, and now they will have to adjust the rest of their process to be fair to all the applicants.

This i straight up BS. The B and C students are being handed goof grades, they are still the same people, no matter what.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colleges can accept every kid that applies. It can be done. There is nothing wrong with having every kid who wants to go to college go. Why do you guys enjoy having people left behind.

Except many students aren't college ready. They go, have to take remedial classes and then drop out owing a lot in student loans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SATs were already getting dropped from requirements at many places, so this is just accelerating a trend. They can evaluate them the same way SAT-optional colleges have already been evaluating homeschooled students for many years -- essays; transcripts that list what they have been learning in depth across the board, not just through formal classes; grades from community-college classes (demonstrating they can complete college-level work); recommendation letters; and portfolios of their work.

For clarification, in normal times, colleges that are test optional for public schooled applicants might not be test optional for homeschoolers. Some college have additional testing recommendations for homeschooled applicants. (No clue what they are doing with that this year, though presumably they will be more flexible if fall test dates don't happen.) For homeschooled applicants to top schools, the more outside verification, the better, such as test scores and dual enrollment grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colleges can accept every kid that applies. It can be done. There is nothing wrong with having every kid who wants to go to college go. Why do you guys enjoy having people left behind.

Selective colleges cannot accept every kid that applies; there isn't room. However, any kid that wants to go to college can find one to admit them. If all else fails, there are community colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can they add a FortNite section to the essay?

Oh my kid is SO in, if that’s the case.

LOL, thank you for the laugh today!

[Anonymous]

My 11th grader has not taken the SATS. Maybe official PSATs (from in-school test day) can be submitted.

[Anonymous]

My junior is only receiving P/F grades and has to compete with these kids still getting letter grades (mostly As!). AP classes are still demanding a lot of work be done but they will carry no extra weight for both 3rd and 4th quarter this year. It’s going to be an ugly admissions process no matter how you slice it. In February, we made a list of “match” schools in which he as interested. Now I’m worried that those will be reaches due to these P/F grades that mean nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 11th grader has not taken the SATS. Maybe official PSATs (from in-school test day) can be submitted.

This would be very unfair as they are completely different tests.