"How do you put together a strong application when it’s nearly impossible to take an admissions test, your school switched to pass/fail grades in the crucial spring term of your junior year and your extracurriculars and summer job all got canceled because of the pandemic?
The good news: College admissions officers feel your pain. To help students navigate the rocky terrain, Forbes talked to enrollment experts and top admissions personnel at a dozen selective institutions.
• If you haven’t taken an admissions test, don’t. Stu Schmill, MIT’s admissions dean, does not expect students to submit scores. “The most important thing students can do is safeguard their health and the health of the people around them,” he says. “We’re going to look at other parts of their application.” Go to FairTest.org for a list of test-optional and test-blind schools. Cross-check that with the admissions information page at the school of your choice. West Point recently announced applicants can substitute a PSAT for an SAT or ACT." …