School Column

As the high school year starts, students and their families are also planning for this year’s college admissions cycle. The pandemic has caused a number of changes to both the preparation and admissions process. Following is your guide to the biggest changes this fall, at this time, impacting freshman through seniors.

High school seniors deciding on their college plans for the fall face a unique challenge: Will their chosen school be open for in-person instruction and, if not, will online instruction look as inconsistent as the current high school online instruction? So, should you consider deferring admission and take a gap year?

Megan V. Winslow/Town Crier

Stanford University’s campus sits largely empty as students have been asked to leave campus housing during the coronavirus pandemic.

With schools from kindergarten to college closing and sending students home to continue studies, students and families alike need to alter their routines and spaces as remote learning becomes, at least for the short term, the norm. Here are a few things you can do to make it easier.

Town Crier File Photo

Changes to the college admissions process are coming, which will impact students both locally and nationally.

As colleges are struggling with issues of equity and balancing student protections with admissions competition, a number of changes to the college admissions process are coming.

Town Crier File Photo

Upcoming high school graduating classes will face changes to the college admissions process.

While the college admissions process seems more convoluted and competitive every year, changes currently being discussed and implemented will add unpredictability and complexity for years to come.

Every few years a scandal involving cheating around tests and privilege and college admissions comes to light. This time the scandal touches our local area and continues to underscore the insanity around the obsession our society has with name-brand universities.

Even the extraordinarily wealthy and famous believe they can’t legally influence the admissions office, and that’s actually a good thing. There are certain groups of people who receive a small advantage in the admissions process, including children of alumni (legacy admits), athletes and development admits (those who are donating large sums, usually more than $5 million, which go to helping all students). However, the advantage these students receive is smaller than one thinks – for example, even two-thirds of Stanford University legacy applicants are denied.