College Plans Despite COVID

Tymen Giller, reporter|October 19, 2020

By Tymen Giller

   The pressure is on for the senior class of 2021: college applications have started! Applying to college is a stressful time for most seniors, especially this year with the COVID-19 pandemic. Meg Jernigan, a senior, is working on her college applications this fall. But during COVID 19, there are tough decisions seniors have to face about college.  

   College applications,

When asked about the effect of Covid-19 on her college decisions Jernigan noted, 

“No, Covid-19 has not affected my choices for college because I was planning on staying in-state for at least my first two years if not all four years.” and, “Covid-19 has not affected my decision to apply to a few out of state schools.”

   Choosing a home for your future is a monumental moment; college must check all the boxes. Jernigan said,

“I look for a university that is supportive of diversity and equity as well as 

offers a healthy lifestyle.” She also noted that “location” was important to her decision.

   Even amidst a globe pandemic, Jernigan assures others she “does not have a hard time choosing which colleges to apply to because I know what I want and I am flexible with a few different settings regarding the size of the school, the exact location and what they have to offer.”

Due to the recent pandemic SAT and ACT tests have canceled all over the globe. Most Colleges were left with the decision to remove test scores from their application process. Jernigan was asked her opinion on the topic, “Yes, I agree with their decision to not take SAT/ACT test scores into consideration because there are so many of us that were not able to take the tests due to the overflowing number of cancellations. I also believe that not everyone is a strong test taker, so this is a great opportunity for essays, grades, and extracurriculars to be looked at even more.” 

   No doubt the recent pandemic has put a damper on seniors college application process, but for some, it hasn’t slowed them down from pursuing their dreams.