We are offering this Zoom presentation to help families understand how COVID-19 has changed the college admissions landscape and how it will affect Juniors, Sophomores and Freshmen.

This recent college admissions cycle has turned out to be the most competitive to date. The reason is that most colleges went test-optional due to the pandemic and colleges increased their virtual outreach to high school students resulting in a record number of candidates applying. With record high numbers of applications come record low acceptance rates at many popular colleges and universities.

As many colleges have announced that they will continue to be test-optional at least in the short term, applicants will face a similarly challenging admissions environment.

We will discuss the holistic admissions review process and focus on the greater consideration admissions officers are giving to extracurricular activities as most students will have had a year and a quarter or more of grades earned during remote/hybrid learning which will carry less weight when applications are reviewed.

This program covers how admissions officers are handling the current situation and how students can position themselves to develop a compelling narrative to increase their chances for admission.

We will also discuss the importance of community service, how it can provide an opportunity for personal growth and an opportunity to showcase a student’s character. Admissions officers place great emphasis on a student’s character and how the student has been able to give back and help others, especially during these challenging times.

The presentation will be led by Ron Feuchs and Jackie Tepper, partners at Stand Out For College, LLC. (www.standoutforcollege.com)