By Mary Esposito (’21)
Everyone is in the same boat, after all. .
It’s the silent thought that has been looming in our heads since March… how is lockdown going to affect my getting into college?? There’s been a lot of anxiety surrounding what the college application process is going to look like for rising seniors, but the pandemic is truly affecting all high school students. Whether you were planning on taking a summer class, volunteering at a summer camp or anything else my parents would deem “resume-building,” you’ve most likely experienced drastic changes to your summer plans. I know I was planning on writing a whole common app essay on my awesome 6-week backpacking trip to Europe, a trip that got canceled as soon as the EU closed its borders. Now I’m looking forward to a whole summer full of… nothing. Great.
Yeah I get it, transitioning to online class and having a canceled summer definitely sounds like bad news for your college application. You can’t play sports, you can’t volunteer, and you definitely can’t travel. What are you supposed to write about? Waking up at noon to play video games and eating blueberry muffins with your mom at 2 am? All your serious ventures are put on pause, and you’re pretty uncomfortable with the silence.
The truth is, as high school students, we are so used to being on the move all day and every day. In fact, taking a break to chill makes us wildly uncomfortable. We’ve grown up believing that productive=good and not productive=bad. We are going to get nothing accomplished in this lockdown period and are going to look like bums on our college applications because we get nothing done and haven’t yet found the cure for COVID-19.
Here’s a wild thought: lockdown is not gonna hurt your getting into college. So you need to stop worrying so much that you feel like you’re going to throw up. Studies show that having down time is actually good for your mental health (surprise! not doing homework for 10 hours a day leads to a better quality of life!). You might not realize it now, but your mental state has a HUGE effect on your academics. Common symptoms of not taking care of your mental health include stress, fatigue, and anxiety. With a reduced workload and fewer school hours, you now have more time than ever to do activities you enjoy. Whether it’s painting, video games or cooking, doing things you love releases serotonin which makes you happy and, as a result, more motivated to do things that maybe aren’t as enjoyable, like assignments. It also makes you more tolerant to academic stressors since you have a solid expressive outlet. So by enriching other aspects of your life that are important to you, you set yourself up for better student performance. Keep eating those 2 am blueberry muffins!
We’re all in this together. Colleges have said they understand the impact of COVID-19 on current high school students. Yale University assures future applicants that “your community’s response to the outbreak– and your personal circumstances associated with it– will not negatively affect your admissions.” Universities understand this is a new unprecedented period of time that requires adjustments to be made. No one is expecting you to somehow maintain your same lifestyle and routine. Colleges have made it clear that COVID-19 will be taken into consideration when reviewing applicants, and therefore you do NOT need to worry about the impact of the pandemic on your admissions. Everyone is in the same boat.
Additionally, previous global pandemics have often led to great social, economic and cultural changes as a Renaissance period emerged. Shakespeare wrote “King Lear” in quarantine from the Black Plague. I’m not saying you should write a screenplay, but I am telling you that this might be your most successful year yet. With all this extra time, it’s inevitable for you to get bored enough to try something new. And who knows? This new hobby might become a passion of yours that carries you to great heights. You might develop a love for exercise that inspires you to start a club for young runners. You might fall in love with cooking and sell your creations in a local bakery. You might spend hours doing art and grow your talent into a small business. This long pause is a time for introspection. As you reflect on your life and identity, you might be surprised what hidden talents and interests you’ve previously overlooked. And psst– colleges love to see you engaging in extracurriculars that make you a unique applicant!
From a member of the class of 2021, the grade most screwed over in terms of applying to college, you will be FINE. Use this time to breathe and self reflect. You’ll actually find this introspection will provide you greater clarity to make more informed decisions about your education future. Try new things and you might surprise yourself with new interests and talents. Your college apps are looking brighter than ever. This isn’t the end of the world. If anything, it’s the beginning.