As the end of the school year approaches another class of Patriots will be graduating during a pandemic.

COVID-19 has impacted the college decision; there have been limits placed on tours, traveling and admissions, all of which have affected the college application and committing process. As this being the second class at John Carroll to graduate while in a pandemic, people are getting more familiar and comfortable with the process while having COVID-19 as a factor.
One of the biggest hardships has been the inability of students to visit colleges and take a tour in order to see if they like them. Some of the seniors have not had the opportunity to take a tour of the colleges they’ve been accepted to; therefore, some have had a hard time making a decision.
Not being able to visit has seemed to be another obstacle for students and staff. Even with virtual visits, students are still having difficulty experiencing a school’s atmosphere.
Maddie Sumwalt, a Towson University commit said, “COVID has canceled many college visits which was difficult to get the true feel of the school. Touring your schools is very important and the virtual visits didn’t do as much justice as in-person visits do.”
COVID-19 has also affected standardized testing.
Kyleigh Waugh, a Millersville University commit, said, “I wasn’t required to send in an SAT score [because of the pandemic], so I didn’t even take it. I sent my transcript and GPA.”
What was originally predicted to be a two-week quarantine to control the spread of COVID-19 is still a year later impacting the world, including college for high schoolers.
For students who are thinking about college and are starting the process, Maddie said, “Stay on top of your applications and don’t wait. Time is your friend during this process. Also getting involved on the pages of the school, like joining the Facebook admissions groups is important because you get to meet friends. Take advantage of all the admitted students’ activities.”
Counselors advise students when looking for a college focus on location, fit and cost most importantly before deciding. Also, counselors advise students to start early to make the process easier.
Start the college search process early, and use several different resources to learn about colleges. Talk with your College Counselor whenever you have questions or need advice.
As more students come to the end of their college search, counselors are proud of the fact that this class has persevered through so many obstacles with the college search and application process.
This senior class has seen canceled SATs and ACTs, a lack of in-person college visits, virtual College Planning classes, and independent work as they weren’t in school all year to get help from their counselors in person, but they still were accepted to many colleges.