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Writer's pictureDale Price, M.B.A.

Applications Skyrocket Amid Pandemic

COLLEGE APPLICATIONS SKYROCKET AMID COVID’S “NEW NORMAL”


First round decisions from Early Action (EA) and Early Decision (ED) college applications are in for Fall 2020 and the results defy conventional wisdom. While colleges across America expected a drop in applications due to the COVID pandemic, the exact opposite is what actually occurred.


The numbers are startling, especially among highly selective colleges. Harvard’s (restricted early action) applications were up 57%. Yale and Penn’ s ED increase hovers around 50%. MIT’s (unrestricted) EA is up over 60%. And college all across the country are reporting increases in the number of application they are receiving this year.


“The biggest reason for the increase in applications to these flagship, elite colleges appears to be the “test-optional” policies that have been adopted because of the COVID pandemic and the cancellation of so many SAT and ACT testing dates beginning in March 2020. ”

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