College Application Time: Are You Stressed?

Application Stress

We are now in the middle of college application season and many learners and parents are feeling various forms of stree. Remember that you are not alone in this process and the iLEAD high school team is here to help.

Test Stress

Since March of last year, learners have been unable to access the ACT or SAT due to local school closures. There is a high likelihood that no testing will be available before college applications are due. Please do not worry! COVID-19 has brought about a change in testing policies throughout the United States. Some colleges have changed their testing requirements for this year while others have changed their testing policies permanently!

At this time, many colleges and universities have a test-blind policy which means they will not consider a test score even if you have one. Institutions with a test-blind policy include all 23 California State University campuses and UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, and UC Santa Cruz. Other well-known colleges have taken the step to reduce test stress through a temporary testblind policy, including CalTech, Reed, and CUNY.

Over two-thirds of all colleges in the United States have adopted a test-optional policy which means that test scores may be submitted but are not required. Well-known colleges like MIT and Harvard have even adopted this policy. If you are unsure about the testing policy at your desired colleges, reach out to them directly and ask.

Learner Stress

It is normal for learners to feel overwhelmed by all the moving parts in the application process. Each college has its own application, deadline, essays, and supplements. It may feel like you need a personal assistant to keep track of it all, but we have tools to help. iLEAD uses Scoir to help learners explore and track college requirements. Contact Laura Kazan, our college advisor, to get started with Scoir. Seniors can sign up for application support here. In addition, parents who are feeling anxious about the application process are welcome to reach out to Laura Kazan as well.