Adcom’s are divided by regions in most colleges. If you are assigned New England- you know New England. You know that SAT’s in 2018 (or whatever year it was) were cancelled due to a massive snowstorm up the 95 corridor and the Governor’s of three states declared a state of emergency. If you are assigned the Upper Midwest you know that Spring doesn’t come until late May, not early March like in other parts of the country. And you surely know- by state, by city, and sometimes by HS, who did what during covid.
This is a non-problem. I don’t work at a university- I work for a large corporation, but we have team-members all over the world and we know what the restrictions were in Hong Kong and when Tel Aviv went into its third lockdown and when Parisians started getting vaccinated. There are people who get paid to know this stuff. Like Adcom’s.
Yes, there’re people who are paid and are supposed to know this stuff. But their levels of local knowledge are often limited, if they have to cover a large area with a very small team or even a single person.
I’ve also heard from a couple of sources that there’s been a lot of turnover these past couple of years at many colleges’ admission offices. There seem to be a lot more part timers or newer AOs who are yet to fully develop a strong understanding of the regions they cover.
So I think OP @Techno13’s concern isn’t invalid - but perhaps the lack of EC opportunities could be explained in the application in some manner.
I join the crowd in urging you not to worry about it if you can’t fix it. It is what it is, at this point. Adcoms are human, and I would expect that they will naturally be more impressed by the kid who wins, for example, the Florida state debate championship, then the kid whose state didn’t hold in-person debate championships that year. To the extent lockdowns disproportionately impacted lower SES/URM applicants, I would expect many of those would have circumscribed activities, and Adcoms may hope more privileged applicants can balance that out. In any event, nothing you can do about that now, except perhaps add a few more targets/safeties to your list.
Yes and no. Resourceful kids/parents found ways to stack CVs. I do not want to go into too many details but here are some examples of things:
Animal shelters closed – found local rescue groups and helped out, fostered animals etc.
Churches closed – collected $$ and food using no contact porch collection. Donated to food pantries.
Tutoring – Zoom based calls and tutoring through NHS to peers.
Learning – learnt new skills using online resources. MIT and Harvard had many courses offered for free during the pandemic.
Testing – took initiative to self-study for AP for a course not offered at local HS.
Community service – acted as a translator for local immigrant families in need using handheld devices (aka cell phone) and video apps during medical visits and other such engagements.
But as I have told you before, your budget will determine to a great extent your child’s outcome. If you are ok with schools in the T25-50 range, there are many that will be eager to accept your kids if you are able to pay $50K++ each year. No joke!
I also read another article about insider’s look at admissions at Lafayette college from the book “Who gets in and why.” I can’t find the site but perhaps another poster will and post the link. Changed my entire perception of college admissions.
In sum, I’m lost. It looks as if your kids have a wide range of ECs including sports, clubs, honors, jobs, and community service! They will be fine applying to OOS with these lists coming from California.
I have seen little difference in the quality and quantity of ECs on elite Chance Me posts compared to years past. Kids with resources found ways to do stuff, much of it online. Lack of EC availability was a problem for some, but I suspect not for most of the families in this thread.
I guess we will have to disagree on this point. For my kids year, their class lost many/most ECs late Freshman year through mid-Junior year. Sports, volunteering, anything communal in nature.
On a positive note, my S23 picked up a new hobby/EC-- photography, which he may not have found if he had other more social options.
I think it’s great for kids to grow into themselves and find new passions at any time. And it’s terrible to make a kid stick to something they no longer enjoy just to show “long term commitment.”
I’m sorry about your DD’s experience. But I agree that it is something to consider. My DD got a campus tour at Vandy from a current freshman who attended her HS. My DD asked if it’s hard being at a school with so many smart, overachieving kids. He told her that he has all As, participates in ROTC and Greek life and also goes out a lot. But he says that others there who, on paper, had the same grades and qualifications as he does are struggling. “You will be fine. Our HS does a great job preparing us for college. I’m finding out how lucky we are. Some of my classmates are really having a hard time and finding out they aren’t as smart or prepared as they assumed they were.”
It’s sad, but it’s a reality. And one that I’m sure will be noticed by area recruiters over time. A 4.0 at one school is not always equal to a 4.0 at another.
But see, here is the problem. You are worried about your kids falling short. There is a thread about 9%-ers on here. Your kids will get into a college, probably a well-regarded one with their qualifications and your $$. But you also have to be realistic.
Your kids will get into college. Now, they may not get into the most selective schools they apply to, but that would be true regardless of their ECs. Unless your kids are hooked, their chances are slim at T20s. Not because they aren’t great, but because demand outstrips supply by a wide margin.
I did not go to Dartmouth, my husband did. I went to a mediocre LAC with merit and a public university because that’s what I could afford. It sucked and I want better for my kids. And according to this thread my kids might not get into college.
Your kids will attend college. You might wish to include a few more schools like Santa Clara/Dickinson for your son and Chapman/SCAD for your daughter (or Canadian or instate public options) to ensure a smooth senior year with multiple options.
It was tough. DD got an A in BC last year. But only a 3 on the exam. Only a few kids got 4s or 5s. That said, she’s handling Multivariable pretty well this year. But she’s actually relieved that as an engineering major she will likely have to start in Calc 2 instead of Calc 3 freshman year due to that 3 on the exam. She agrees that she needs a more in-depth grasp than she got in an asynchronous year.
Yeah, no one suggested that. Honestly, I think Adcoms are on to applicants who are just collecting random EC’s to pad their college applications vs those who have EC’s that mean something to them. Regardless, I doubt that not being able to pet dogs at a shelter once a month during the pandemic is going to put someone’s application into the “decline” pile.
I think most applicants & parents from the class of 2021 can say they were surprised by an admission decision (or several) but it doesn’t do any good to wallow in what we think should have happened and where we may think our kids “deserve” to have gotten in. There’s nothing that can be done about the situation over the last 2 years. Your kids WILL get into college, and with any luck, one day you will be in our position and be able to confidently say that your kids are happy and doing well where they landed, even if it’s a safety.
Why on earth would your kids not get into college? The issue in the OP is safeties, and the nearly unanimous consensus is your kids should add a few schools for safeties. I don’t think anyone has said they won’t get into college. However, if many/all schools are reaches, it is possible.
I thought safeties was the purpose of this thread.