Shellee Howard of CollegeReady breaks down how to write about COVID-19 for college applications without letting it take over your entire essay. Use the 250-word additional information field for specific circumstances, let your counselor handle school-wide changes, and focus the essay on personal growth and community work instead.
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Hello, this is Shellee Howard with CollegeReady, and I was hoping to reach out and let you know of some news that just happened— breaking news, I guess you would call it. So as of lately, the Common App has added a new essay topic And this is not new to our clients. We've been talking about this since COVID-19 started. What am I talking about? Well, colleges are going to want to know what students have done during this time of staying home and being safe. They want to know, did you use your time productively? Did you make a difference in somebody's world? Did you create change that needed to be changed? So today's Facebook Live, I wanted to share with you 4 important pieces to the puzzle on the Common App and what the opportunity will look like. So before I get started, I wanted to, um, talk about the situations at hand. Obviously COVID-19 has impacted all of us and it's been devastating for many. And then on top of that, we have continual things that are adding stress to students' lives. These are real, these are impactful, and we don't want to miss the opportunity to help colleges understand where these students are coming from. Yes, it's been an inconvenience for some, but it's been devastating for others. And so, as I wanted to share today, it's helping you, the college student and the family members, best understand how to answer these questions. So puzzle piece number 1 is there is going to be a new section for you to write about what has it been like being impacted by COVID-19. Colleges are giving you this opportunity for your insight. I know it's kind of hard to imagine, but colleges really do care. They need you, the student, as much as you need them, and so it's important that you speak from the heart, but be very careful about what you write about. There are some great topics, and there are some not so great topics. Be mindful, you don't know who's reading your essay. So if you need help picking essay topics, we would be happy to help you. So as we think of puzzle piece number 1, It's going to be important that not only do you share about how COVID impacted you, but please be careful not to make your whole application about the devastation that you've been dealing with. Please highlight your interests. Please continue to share your greatness. You've worked these last 3 years making yourself a better person. The last thing we want to do is turn it all sideways. So yes, share, but at the same time, don't make the whole application part of the process on the COVID piece. That's puzzle piece number 1. Puzzle piece number 2: the Common App will also ask, um, the normal question that they always have, and that is, is there anything that you haven't put in your application that you think is worthy, that you think they need to know about. Please complete this. They're inviting you to let them in. Now, if you've already told them everything in your application, you don't need to fill it out. But this is a place to maybe explain something, an injury, a family situation that you weren't able to explain anywhere else. So these questions are each 250 words. So be very, very mindful to what that looks like and how you can get across what you want them to know. Puzzle piece number 3: This question will be in addition to any questions that are normally sent to your high school counselor. Yes, your high school counselor is going to have the opportunity to share with colleges how your school handled the situation. They're going to have the opportunity to talk about the grading scale and policy, graduation requirements and if they were adjusted, instructional methods, schedules and course offerings, testing requirements, academic calendar changes. You know, this didn't just happen to one of us. This happened to all of us and every school. I will tell you, is doing it different. Even within a school district, they're just— they're each— each high school is seeming to do a little bit, um, different situation. Some are doing pass/no pass, some are doing letter grades, some are— some are doing smiley face. So, um, it's okay. Please, my goal is always to take anxiety out of the process by giving you information to help you take that deep breath and know that you have everything you need to be successful. Colleges will understand, and they want you to know that. So as you think about puzzle piece number 4, is this is an opportunity for you to share about you. What are your interests? Other than just putting down, I, um, you know, had 25 hours of community service. This is a great opportunity to share what did you learn about yourself, what do you now know is important to you. So be mindful, essays are way more important than they've ever been. It used to be GPA, test score, community service, leadership, all of this opportunity, and then the essay was the, the bow on the gift. Now the essay is them getting to know you, what happened to you, how you were successful. We have many students at College Ready who have banned together and done some amazing projects like the COVID-19 Relief Passion Project. I would encourage all of you to share with colleges and know that yes, it does matter. At the same time, be mindful who's reading your essay. Thank you so much. We will be sharing on Wednesdays for Wisdom Wednesday, where we have open office hours at 8 AM to 8 PM Pacific Standard Time. You don't even have to be a client. We're here to help. It's an open hotline, 949-235-7350. I hope this has brought you a little sense of understanding and knowledge that you can Take a deep breath and appreciate and enjoy the process. Have a wonderful summer!
