The World After April
The World After April
The phrase, from the haunting story The Lathe of Heaven, by Ursula Le Guin, has been surfacing in my thoughts lately. The reference, at once foreboding and hopeful, seems not entirely irrelevant as we all ponder whether the “new normal” at the end of the current crisis will be a familiar place.
Yet, with a cherry tree in full bloom outside my window, evergreen branches swaying gently in the spring breeze, a bunny rabbit nibbling on the grass, and birds singing their sweet tunes, I think that the British “Keep Calm and Carry On” is a much better motto for today.
COVID-19 has turned our world upside down, and uncertainty is fertile ground for anxiety. “How will this impact my college admissions process?” is a question students ask.
In my meetings with students over the past two weeks, I have been emphasizing several points. First and foremost, this is not a Browning issue; it’s not a New York issue; it’s not a U.S. issue; it is a global issue. Every high school on the planet is in the same boat, along with every college and every university. Everyone will understand the enormity of the situation you are in.
Here are my answers to some questions that seem to be on boys’ minds these days.
“Will colleges look at AP scores the same?”
The same as last year? Possibly not. But the same as every other AP for every other student this year? Absolutely!
“What about demonstrated interest and college visits?”
Remember this phrase: colleges do not penalize you for not doing things you are not able to do.
Quite a few colleges, particularly smaller ones, have, in the past, tracked interest by, among other things, whether or not a student visited campus. That will change; colleges are shuttered! There are no campuses open to visit! Instead, the Class of 2021 will rely heavily on virtual tours, where colleges will still be able to track attendance. Already our boys are taking advantage of search engines like Naviance and Scoir and web sites like YouVisit.com that provide virtual campus tours of hundreds of colleges and universities around the U.S. and the world. In at least one way, this could even make the process more equitable by removing the admissions advantage that an expensive road trip might provide.
“How are colleges going to view all this distance learning?”
They will innovate. Keep in mind that they are all doing the same thing, themselves. I was listening to a panel of admissions deans discussing this issue recently, and Panetha Ott from Brown University offered excellent advice. She noted that selective colleges have always been on the lookout for smart kids who use their time wisely. That will continue. What will change is how they figure out who these kids are.
Veterans of my presentations will recognize my time-honored admonishments:
Take advantage of the opportunities available to you.
Challenge yourself to your full potential.
Colleges expect you to account for your time. Take charge of your education. Learn what you can. As Panetha said: “This is a great time to pick up a book!”
In some respects, our boys have this amazing opportunity to explore any subject they choose, and the technological means to do so.
So, I’d tell them this: start watching TED talks; get the app on your phone or tablet. Pick a subject that intrigues you or just open the app and click. Write reviews and share them with teachers and classmates. Ask questions; then search for answers. Indulge your curiosity. Go to iTunes U and take a course. It’s all there. It’s all free. Take advantage of the opportunities available to you. And keep a journal, or at least make notes of what you observe, what you study, what you learn, and what questions you have.
One more thing: learn how to cook. In particular, learn how to prepare foods that are important to your family. My wife is Italian and acquired her mother’s knack for tomato sauce. She tosses a few things in a pot, appears only to wave a wooden spoon and magically it transforms into liquid gold. Me? When I was young, my grandmother taught me how to make cream sauces. And gravy; I make a mean gravy.
You may never have this kind of time again to engage in pursuits that interest you and that can bring you lifelong satisfaction. Don’t waste it.