Forecast - College admissions for Class of 2022?

[Anonymous]

This is all speculation. If colleges use test optional to take more URM who might have had lower scores and gotten in anyway, test optional wouldn’t have as much of an effect on high stat kids. But obviously there has been an increase in applications for various reasons and admissions are now even less predictable than before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Test optional needs to stop. Test sites are widely available for the class of 2022 and will continue through the year.

I recently attended a virtual college session hosted by our public school and many college recruiters participated. They also said they think that test optional is here to stay. It is what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Test optional needs to stop. Test sites are widely available for the class of 2022 and will continue through the year.

I recently attended a virtual college session hosted by our public school and many college recruiters participated. They also said they think that test optional is here to stay. It is what it is.

That is not appropriate because a.) college is full of tests, and the kid has to be able to test, like the other students have to be able to test and b.) test optional is not leveling any playing ground, because colleges want to know that your kid can do well there, and tests are just one indicator c.) ultimately, it is better for the class if the tests continue, as they always have d.) the more factors to make your kid stand out, the better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harder:

- ripple effect of deferrals
- uncertainty about where to apply due two two years with unusual results
- sophomore and junior year grades impacted by distance learning
- test optional, plus most kids unable to participate in NMSFQT and also not being able to take repeat SATs, like some people usually do.
- the critical year of service hours completely disrupted for many, but not all kids
- summer jobs, programs, internships cancelled 1 or 2 summers
- 1-2 seasons of sports cancelled depending on the sport
- theater and instrumentalists have zero live performances for 1-2 performance seasons, and many with no in person practice/lessons

All during the most critical three semesters and two summers before applications are due. Lots of vacuous resumes from the most locked down areas and populations.

Much of the above totally depends on your kid and not whether there has been a lock down. There have been ways to accomplish much of the above, despite living in a very locked down area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Test optional needs to stop. Test sites are widely available for the class of 2022 and will continue through the year.

I recently attended a virtual college session hosted by our public school and many college recruiters participated. They also said they think that test optional is here to stay. It is what it is.

That is not appropriate because a.) college is full of tests, and the kid has to be able to test, like the other students have to be able to test and b.) test optional is not leveling any playing ground, because colleges want to know that your kid can do well there, and tests are just one indicator c.) ultimately, it is better for the class if the tests continue, as they always have d.) the more factors to make your kid stand out, the better.

Apparently, the colleges disagree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harder:

- ripple effect of deferrals
- uncertainty about where to apply due two two years with unusual results
- sophomore and junior year grades impacted by distance learning
- test optional, plus most kids unable to participate in NMSFQT and also not being able to take repeat SATs, like some people usually do.
- the critical year of service hours completely disrupted for many, but not all kids
- summer jobs, programs, internships cancelled 1 or 2 summers
- 1-2 seasons of sports cancelled depending on the sport
- theater and instrumentalists have zero live performances for 1-2 performance seasons, and many with no in person practice/lessons

All during the most critical three semesters and two summers before applications are due. Lots of vacuous resumes from the most locked down areas and populations.

My kid's robotics competition has been cancelled in 2020 and will be again this year on top of one full season of collecting points for his sport. Really stinks.

But what did your kid do with their time “off.” I think the way to distinguish yourself with the Covid vacuum is to talk about what you did. A kid who is self motivated probably had projects. My daughter wrote a novella and made several graphic novels. Sure, she played plenty of video games but she has stuff to talk about. My other daughter wrote letters to seniors in a nursing home and was able to continue her sport because it is outdoor and individual. Think through what your child did. They can talk about the disappointment of things being cancelled but their individual projects that show their passion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Test optional needs to stop. Test sites are widely available for the class of 2022 and will continue through the year.

Yes. Tests are more available than before but test centers are still cancelling. I just got an email today that our test center in June is cancelled. So now I’m scrambling looking for another place. And this is here in DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Test optional needs to stop. Test sites are widely available for the class of 2022 and will continue through the year.

I recently attended a virtual college session hosted by our public school and many college recruiters participated. They also said they think that test optional is here to stay. It is what it is.

That is not appropriate because a.) college is full of tests, and the kid has to be able to test, like the other students have to be able to test and b.) test optional is not leveling any playing ground, because colleges want to know that your kid can do well there, and tests are just one indicator c.) ultimately, it is better for the class if the tests continue, as they always have d.) the more factors to make your kid stand out, the better.

Actually, much (most?) of college is writing papers and short word answers and doing problem sets that require you to show your work, not taking multiple choice tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Test optional needs to stop. Test sites are widely available for the class of 2022 and will continue through the year.

I recently attended a virtual college session hosted by our public school and many college recruiters participated. They also said they think that test optional is here to stay. It is what it is.

That is not appropriate because a.) college is full of tests, and the kid has to be able to test, like the other students have to be able to test and b.) test optional is not leveling any playing ground, because colleges want to know that your kid can do well there, and tests are just one indicator c.) ultimately, it is better for the class if the tests continue, as they always have d.) the more factors to make your kid stand out, the better.

Apparently, the colleges disagree.

this is the answer, people. You can keep telling yourself that you know better, but the colleges will do what makes sense for them. They know what they want and they are best positioned to know how to get it. The schools that think test scores contribute meaningful information will continue to require them (or will describe themselves as "test aware" LOL). The schools that don't think they need those scores to make good admissions decisions will continue to be test optional (and may even say they won't consider them). End of story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Test optional needs to stop. Test sites are widely available for the class of 2022 and will continue through the year.

I recently attended a virtual college session hosted by our public school and many college recruiters participated. They also said they think that test optional is here to stay. It is what it is.

That is not appropriate because a.) college is full of tests, and the kid has to be able to test, like the other students have to be able to test and b.) test optional is not leveling any playing ground, because colleges want to know that your kid can do well there, and tests are just one indicator c.) ultimately, it is better for the class if the tests continue, as they always have d.) the more factors to make your kid stand out, the better.

Apparently, the colleges disagree.

I don't think so, and I work for a college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Test optional needs to stop. Test sites are widely available for the class of 2022 and will continue through the year.

I recently attended a virtual college session hosted by our public school and many college recruiters participated. They also said they think that test optional is here to stay. It is what it is.

That is not appropriate because a.) college is full of tests, and the kid has to be able to test, like the other students have to be able to test and b.) test optional is not leveling any playing ground, because colleges want to know that your kid can do well there, and tests are just one indicator c.) ultimately, it is better for the class if the tests continue, as they always have d.) the more factors to make your kid stand out, the better.

Actually, much (most?) of college is writing papers and short word answers and doing problem sets that require you to show your work, not taking multiple choice tests.

Easier to cheat or have someone else write your paper, so the colleges are not keen on doing away with the entrance exams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much is test optional hitting kids with high test scores?

They are lumped into a lottery bowl with a now much larger group that includes kids who would have had scores too low to have applied to the school in prior years.

+1

Crowding the application process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Test optional needs to stop. Test sites are widely available for the class of 2022 and will continue through the year.

I recently attended a virtual college session hosted by our public school and many college recruiters participated. They also said they think that test optional is here to stay. It is what it is.

That is not appropriate because a.) college is full of tests, and the kid has to be able to test, like the other students have to be able to test and b.) test optional is not leveling any playing ground, because colleges want to know that your kid can do well there, and tests are just one indicator c.) ultimately, it is better for the class if the tests continue, as they always have d.) the more factors to make your kid stand out, the better.

Apparently, the colleges disagree.

I don't think so, and I work for a college.

Curious what college (or what type, ie SLAC, large public, CC, etc.). Do you think your school will go back to require tests and if so, when?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harder:

- ripple effect of deferrals
- uncertainty about where to apply due two two years with unusual results
- sophomore and junior year grades impacted by distance learning
- test optional, plus most kids unable to participate in NMSFQT and also not being able to take repeat SATs, like some people usually do.
- the critical year of service hours completely disrupted for many, but not all kids
- summer jobs, programs, internships cancelled 1 or 2 summers
- 1-2 seasons of sports cancelled depending on the sport
- theater and instrumentalists have zero live performances for 1-2 performance seasons, and many with no in person practice/lessons

All during the most critical three semesters and two summers before applications are due. Lots of vacuous resumes from the most locked down areas and populations.

Much of the above totally depends on your kid and not whether there has been a lock down. There have been ways to accomplish much of the above, despite living in a very locked down area.

That is the point -- some kids will look like normal times (like mine) and others who had no opportunities will be at a disadvantage no matter how compelling the COVID essay might be. You may not fully appreciate how horrible this year has been for at risk populations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Test optional needs to stop. Test sites are widely available for the class of 2022 and will continue through the year.

Yes. Tests are more available than before but test centers are still cancelling. I just got an email today that our test center in June is cancelled. So now I’m scrambling looking for another place. And this is here in DMV.

Problems also happen on an individual level. If a class of kids has an exposure and needs to quarantine....if half of them had a test scheduled, they will.have to skip it it or was within the quarantine period.. It is a mess with a lot of unexpected and random cancellations.