COVID Prompt- How to Reply?
Should You Reply?
The question is optional once again appears in the Additional Information section of the application. You may already know there’s another “Additional Information” question – I often recommend using that section to present research abstracts, provide more space for significant awards (as the Common App leaves space for only 5 –Hint: AP Distinction is NOT an award)!), or discuss unusual/unique personal circumstances.
Your response is limited to 250 words. The Common App has provided an FAQ page for the COVID prompt and suggests some of the appropriate topics that might be presented are: illness and loss, housing and employment disruptions, and shifting family obligations. Maybe your grades suffered – maybe under COVID online learning models, your grades increased and you found a new resilience in the face of the disruption- all of this appropriate for responding to the question.
This is NOT the place to “brag” about buying groceries for a few of your elderly home-bound neighbors. In fact, that’s the very least any of us should have done as neighbors and citizens in a connected community. Being a good neighbor is NOT exceptional nor extraordinary behavior.
Moreover, if it took a pandemic for you to notice your neighbors in-need, that isn’t what you should be presenting in your Common App. In contrast, perhaps through shopping for your neighbors, you’ve reinforced your previous connection within your community in new ways revealing insights about yourself and others that changed a direction – that becomes the potential for an outstanding Personal Statement.
Please use your COVID prompt wisely – but it is most certainly not another space to note an “accomplishment”.
Some examples include discussing missed opportunities– perhaps you were had qualified for international robotics or were accepted to a prestigious and selective summer research program – both of these cancelled in summers 2020 or 2021- talk about how you refocused your emerging interests at home leveraging what options were available during these uncertain times.
If perhaps your plans for SAT or ACT exams during the 2019-20 or 2020-21 or 2021-22 year were changed or the progression of your planned curriculum was impacted by cancelled classes or other disturbances to summer plans or competitions occurred-take advantage of this optional section to discuss what took place and how you have adapted.
Provide details but be concise and honest. I’m here to help you with an appropriate response and evaluate the extent to which the details are worthy of sharing on your Common Application. Always keep your focus on your educational objectives and relate to the college plan you have put into place.
The Common App will again retain a section in the Secondary School Report where your high school guidance counselor can explain specifically how their students were impacted academically by changes at a personal and/or school-wide level. Perhaps your high school went to a pass/fail during the end of the 2019-20 year? Your counselor should support any of your individual specific experiences. Required secondary school reports will detail any changes at your high school that impacted all students.
As you head into the college application season, take pause and appreciate that college admissions officers know that your spring semester in 2019-20 was unique. Your grades may have suffered last year or even in the fall of 2020-21. Or maybe you or a family member contracted COVID this year and grades or extracurriculars were impacted. The optional COVID prompt- provides all rising seniors ’23 an opportunity to elaborate while still being able to work on your traditional Common App core and supplemental essays. (Discussed below).
The new section is OPTIONAL and no one will not hold it against you if you opt out of replying to the COVID-19 query. This is an opportunity to provide additional details about any personal or academic challenges and change that may have resulted during this incredibly difficult and unforeseen time.
