When it became clear that the “two-week” remote learning period beginning on March 13 would be extended through the end of the school year, the focus turned understandably to the senior class.  Would the Class of 2020 have a Prom, a Senior Banquet, or even a traditional commencement?

Lost in the mix of emotions as the quarantine set in was the other half of NASH, the junior class.  While 11th graders have not had to endure as many losses as their 12th grade counterparts, juniors nevertheless have been particularly affected by the current situation.

Junior year is arguably the most critical time for students to prepare for college applications. Passing standardized tests, maintaining good grades and GPA, and balancing schoolwork with extracurricular activities are important tasks for eleventh graders. Leading up to the crucial year, students were repeatedly told to focus on these particular areas. 

However, this year, the step-by-step application process has taken new directions as a result of the pandemic. College campuses were forced to shut down in March, urging students to move out of dorms and continue the semester at home while practicing social distancing. Campus tours and information sessions for prospective students were also canceled, leaving many juniors confused as to where they should apply next year. 

“I am disappointed that I won’t be able to visit colleges in order to gauge which schools I like and dislike in terms of their campus and student life,” junior Arjun Narayan said. 

College visits are merely one of many items to be placed on hold.  The SAT and ACT, the two most widely accepted college entrance exams used to evaluate students’ college readiness, have canceled their testing sessions at least until the end of May (but June tests will most likely be canceled as well). With these opportunities for testing gone, the ability to take multiple tests to improve scores will also be lost. 

Additionally, the traditional AP Exam schedule and format has been wiped, and a postponed, shortened, online version will serve as a replacement from May 11-22. Only free-response questions will be given, and the testing content will not include information that had not been taught before the pandemic cut short traditional schooling. 

Colleges will be aware of these changes when admitting students next school year. Some are considering making the SAT/ACT optional for admissions. However, many juniors who have prepared intensively for these exams remain nervous about the immediate future. 

“It is really unfortunate that SAT/ACT tests were postponed,” Narayan said. “In terms of AP tests, I think it makes the application process a lot harder to predict given that test scores will not have as much merit as usual years.” 

Others, however, are taking a positive approach to the situation.

“Luckily, I took the SAT earlier in the year, so I already have a score,” junior Rina Tu said. “But I think that it’s a good thing many colleges are going test-optional for admissions, since so many of us haven’t taken it. I am also glad that AP tests are only 45 minutes long so that I don’t get too distracted while taking the test.” 

Additionally, the importance of community service on a student’s college application presents a unique challenge as stay-at-home orders remain in place in western Pennsylvania and much of the rest of the country. Extracurriculars, such as sporting seasons and academic tournaments, have also been suspended, taking away juniors’ chances to show off their talents to admissions officers. 

“A lot of my school-related activities have been put on hold and many competitions have also been canceled,” junior Claire Shao said.

But Shao explained that the pandemic has led her to pursue other creative, quarantine-friendly opportunities she would have otherwise had trouble juggling with her school-related events.

“I participate in research for Pitt, and since most of the work involved in computational, online is not a problem,” she said. “While still practicing social distancing, my friend and I also organized blood drives at NASH.”

Interestingly, for junior Jenny Zhu, the quarantine is less of a positive versus negative event and more of a concern for the unknown.

“We grew up knowing exactly how the college process is supposed to go down to the second, but now that knowledge is thrown out the window,” Zhu said. “All of the guidance from previous years seems less relevant, and we’re going into it blindly. However, I am hopeful because that is all I can really be at the moment.”