As seniors approach submitting their college applications, members of Carlmont High School’s administration are taking new measures to prepare them in an online environment.
Nina Rasor, the College and Career Assistant at Carlmont, is working avidly to adjust college preparation services to the current distance learning format.
“Our college information method of delivery has changed dramatically from the Class of 2020,” Rasor said.
The suspension of in-person schooling caused Rasor and counselors at Carlmont to rearrange how they assist seniors with their applications.
“The counselors and I usually meet with seniors one-on-one with application instructions and advice,” she says. “For the Class of 2021, the counselors and I have been delivering their information via Zoom and email.”
Due to the ongoing pandemic, colleges nationwide have chosen to waive SAT and ACT scores for this year’s graduating class. The college application process has undergone immense alterations to support students. According to an update from The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest), over 1,240 of the 2,330 American bachelor’s degree-granting schools have said they will not require students to submit ACT or SAT scores when they apply for admission in 2021.
“An overwhelming majority of admissions offices will assess applications from high school seniors without requiring ACT or SAT scores,” said Bob Schaeffer, the interim executive director at FairTest. Schaeffer added that after 2021, many of these admissions offices would remain test-optional.
Counselor Connie Dominguez explained how test-optional application would affect seniors applying for college this year.
“Current seniors applying to colleges do not have to submit any SAT or ACT scores because testing nationwide shut down last spring,” Dominguez said. “The other change to their college preparation is how pass or no pass grades from the spring semester did not impact their GPA.”
Rasor and Dominguez encourage members of this year’s graduating class to advocate for themselves if they need support, as they are experiencing an unusual college application season.
“Seniors that need help should reach out to me or their counselor,” Rasor said. “All instructions for application have been sent out via email to each senior.”
