Our great hope in the College Counseling Office is that all of you stay safe, healthy, and productive.
As always, we are available to meet virtually to support students and families throughout the year. We look forward to counseling seniors through their final college choices as well as supporting juniors in their college search and testing plans. We’ve collected resources and frequently asked questions below to help students stay on track with their college intentions.
The Bay College Counseling Handbook for the Class of 2021 is a reference guide and a starting place for the journey toward college selection and admission. You can download the handbook here.
Each day brings new information, and with that more questions. Our priority is to support you through this changing landscape and do all that we can to provide you with trusted information and counsel. Please continue to reach out—we are here to help.
SAT and ACT Information
For those scheduled for ACT exams, please continue to monitor this list for information on test center cancellations. For those scheduled for an SAT, testing has been cancelled through October. For the latest information on test center closures and available dates, please visit the College Board website.
Our general advice is that you should focus on your schoolwork, college essays, and interview opportunities. Without confirmation that test centers will open, there is no reason to continue with test prep. You are welcome to reach out and schedule a time to consult individually with Scott ([email protected]).
If you are a student with accommodations requiring "school-based” testing, you will receive notification from Learning Services with updates as soon as they are available.
In March of 2020, UC temporarily suspended the current standardized test requirement for fall 2021 applicants to mitigate impacts of COVID-19 on students and schools, effectively making UC “test-optional” for that year. UC will now keep tests optional for an additional year through 2022.
Virtual Campus Tours and Events
As colleges remained closed for tours, they have been scheduling virtual admission events instead. Visit Upcoming Virtual Admissions Events for a list of events sorted by college name. We are currently scheduling individual college visits to Bay for September and October. Check your SCOIR account for notifications and to sign up for a visit. We also recommend you reach out to Bay alumni who have attended the colleges you are considering. Our office is happy to share contact information.
Application Process: Frequently Asked Questions
Among the common questions we have received regarding the application process:
- Will online learning have a negative impact on college applications?
- Will students be significantly disadvantaged by canceled SAT and ACT dates?
- Will colleges "trust" the level and rigor of learning online or learning happening outside of a shared schedule?
- Will time spent on learning be insufficient to meet college requirements?
We posed these questions to trusted colleagues at a variety of colleges and universities and share their answers below. Their responses all share the same sentiment and perspective: the foremost concern of these admission professionals is the safety, health, and well-being of our school communities. Further, admission offices have all emphasized their support for our students and our school leadership to adjust the schedule as we see fit to meet the educational needs and well-being of our community, just as they do for theirs. The effectiveness of distance learning is well studied, and our students’ applications will be evaluated with their transition to new learning models in mind.
Additionally, college officials offered support and flexible approaches for students to manage admissions. They provided assurance that they understand and will note for future applications, the limitations of changing standardized test schedules and time away this spring.
UC is committed to ensuring that COVID-19-related academic disruptions don’t threaten any students’ ability to strive for and attain a UC education. The University has temporarily suspended some of its requirements for admitted students to ensure that they are able to enroll as planned. It also expects to work with students to adjust financial aid packages if family financial circumstances have changed. In addition, UC has temporarily relaxed some undergraduate admissions policies to ensure high school and transfer students are not penalized by their inability to earn letter grades for academic classes or take standardized tests during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of these changes is to ensure a fair process that does not affect the life chances of students who, but for the coronavirus pandemic, would have become full-time students at the University of California.
We are aware that many schools are modifying their educational models out of precaution and in response to government requests. Claremont McKenna College will work with your school to understand the modifications put in place and will not allow these changes to negatively impact your application in our review process
Given the extraordinary circumstances, we understand that schools need to be flexible with their teaching and we will certainly not disadvantage any students who need to participate in online learning until schools are able to reopen. As we look to the coming weeks and months, we are preparing to support students who have encountered significant interruptions to their education, especially those who will be enrolling with us this fall. Please rest assured that we will work with students to find solutions to allow all our matriculating students to join us as planned this fall, and support students who feel this disruption has impacted their ability to submit a strong application in the future. We continue to assess the situation and to think critically about how best to support students.
We recognize that school transcripts will look different for many students this year, and we will work with that! Academic progress, as usual, is currently being disrupted for students across the globe. We encourage students to continue to engage with whatever method of learning your school is able to offer and to do so to the best of your ability. If your school moves to an alternative grading system or method of credit notation (pass/fail, credit/no credit, etc.), we will fully understand why the change has been made and it will not, in any way, be an issue for an admissions office. If a high school closes and does not provide any online or structured replacement educational opportunities, rest assured that we will understand that as well (this is a good opportunity to read something new that piques your interest!)
UBC uses a holistic admissions process that requires applicants to submit personal profiles (essays and extracurricular information). Breaks in extra-curriculars, work, volunteering are to be expected due to the Novel Coronavirus outbreak and will not affect applications to us. In sum, when the student shows up for school and demonstrates engagement in the learning process, distance learning is as suitable as any other mode for meeting college requirements. As always, students should look for creative opportunities that fuel them in these unexpected circumstances to enhance their learning. We look forward to hearing about it!
All universities, including USC, are aware of the difficult challenges schools must deal with in the wake of the coronavirus. It will have absolutely no bearing on a student’s ability to apply and matriculate to universities throughout the United States. We also think there is a lot a student can learn from adapting to challenges. Although it is difficult now, looking back, a student will be able to reflect on how they coped with such a major disruption to their lives and learning. That type of reflection can be helpful as students transition to college – something we think about when we weigh whether a student might be successful at our institution.
Please know that students will not be at a disadvantage in the admission process as a result of school closures and cancellations associated with standardized testing. Students are not responsible for things they cannot control. With most high schools closed for the spring semester, we will need to be flexible when evaluating transcripts and academic course work, and we will continue to monitor the state of standardized testing nationally and abroad. If testing is canceled through the summer and into the fall, we will need to discuss our testing requirements for next year. Our enrollment deposit deadline remains May 1, but we will monitor the situation over the next several weeks to determine if changes to our schedule need to be considered.
While adjusting to distance learning is certainly a challenge, the bottom line is that there will be no negative impact on their college applications. Our whole-person, contextual review process always includes the consideration of extenuating circumstances, whether individual or wide-spread. Although distance-learning is new for schools, our admissions committee considers and admits students from all types of curricular backgrounds, and no curriculum is ever advantaged or disadvantaged. Of course, we understand that testing cancellations will be a challenge, and we will certainly be mindful of this reality in application review.
Helpful Links and Resources
NACAC - National Association of College Admission Counseling
This site includes helpful updates regarding deposit deadline extensions for seniors as well as virtual admission events.
NCAA - National College Athletic Association
SCOIR Student Resource Document
UCAS - UK Admission Service
Fiske Guide to Colleges 2020
- Buy from Amazon or Green Apple (also available digitally as Fiske Interactive Online College Search for a paid subscription).
The Insider's Guide to the Colleges, 2015: Students on Campus Tell You What You Really Want to Know
- Buy from Green Apple or Amazon
Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges
- Buy from Green Apple or Amazon
College Essay Essentials: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Successful College Admissions Essay
- Buy from Green Apple or Amazon
- You must already have a library card. No online library card registration is available.
- Axis360 - College Guides section
- Library Card registration available online for Marin County residents,
- Overdrive - search on “college” or “college guide”
- Library card registration available online for anyone.
- Overdrive - search on “college” or “college guide”
A limited selection of college-related ebooks are available for purchase at GooglePlay eBooks and the Amazon Kindle store.