Because protocols and college admissions requirements have changed drastically due to COVID, the playing field has been leveled. This means that selective colleges are receiving more applications than ever before, which translates to lower acceptance rates for these highly competitive school. Because many colleges are now test-optional, and may continue to be for the foreseeable future, the spotlight will focus on the rest of the college application to determine which students are a good fit for their programs. In addition to GPA and class rank, the student’s activities will be scrutinized for year-long learning opportunities. Now more than ever, selective schools are analyzing how students spend their summers.
If your high school student is considering applying to a flagship university, or any school with a selective acceptance rate (less than 30 percent), your students must be engaged in summer learning opportunities. This conversation should take place long before the student is a senior, ideally the summer your child enters high school. The good news is that students can find lots of ways to engage in the time of COVID.