COVID-19 and College Admissions (Free Essay Sample)

Introduction

In the past decade, the topic of college admissions has been highly controversial due to many factors, which we will explore in this literature review. Throughout recent years, the emergence of COVID-19 has caused changes in the college admissions process, including a higher volume of applications and a decrease in space at higher learning institutions. Before 2020, the number of college applications remained steady for decades, however, contrasting research shows that it has increased by about 22% as of late 2021, and a large number of competitive colleges now have acceptance rates well below 4% (Hess). To truly understand the effects of COVID-19 on college admissions, we need to analyze the history of COVID-19 and the current education system, the impact of COVID-19 on active and prospective college students, the effects of reopening universities and other higher education in the COVID-19-era, and the socio-economic effects of COVID-19 on college students.

History of COVID-19 and the Current Education System

Initially, the COVID-19 virus did not pose a global threat in Wuhan, China, where the first case was discovered because “coronaviruses are a big family of different viruses” (“Coronavirus History: How Did Coronavirus Start?”). However, with time, more cases began to surface, causing nearly one million deaths and about eighty million cases in the United States. A few months later during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, President Trump declared a national emergency due to the Coronavirus, stating, “further spread of the virus expected over near term” (US: President declares national emergency due to COVID-19). Consequently, this changed the trajectory of many American lives, affecting their daily routines and how they would adjust to the new life they were thrown into so unexpectedly. Additionally, due to the fact that virtual schooling was rarely implemented before COVID-19, both young and older children had a hard time adapting so quickly to this change. This sudden change has impacted both the entire education system and the college admissions process since many students have opted for gap years or to take time off from school to care for their families and even their health. Furthermore, even though the pandemic will die down eventually, research shows that “we may see the reverberations of this for years.” and may never return to true normalcy (Reyes et al.).

The Impact of COVID-19 on Active and Prospective College Students

Almost one and a half years post-pandemic, online education has been widespread due to the constant increase in cases, but this has made it harder for current college students to properly manage their mental/emotional health while “amidst tremendous uncertainty, change, and tragedy” (Andrews and Green). Similarly, according to a study conducted at Montclair State University, many students (especially people of color) have experienced feelings of depression, loneliness, and “worry about continuing their education due to financial hardship” (Reyes-Portillo, Warner, Boxer). These feelings may stem from the fact that most classes have taken place on Zoom during the pandemic, causing many students to worry not only about the cost of attendance but also about the retention of information and maintaining a balanced social life. Thankfully, however, there have been positive outcomes like more resources being offered and distributed to students on campus, for instance, free COVID tests, remote courses, and mental health services.

In addition to experiencing many of the same feelings as current students, prospective students also have one more obstacle to overcome: getting accepted into college. This topic has been highly controversial, and in light of the increasing number of college applications, colleges and universities have reduced their admission rates to avoid over-accepting students. In contrast, evidence shows that for recent high school seniors and graduates,” the turn away from college has been even greater: an 11.4% falloff in college enrollment compared to a 1.6% decline in 2019” (“Education in a Pandemic: The Disparate Impacts of COVID-19 on America's Students (PDF)”). However, in contrast, students who are pursuing Bachelor’s degrees in computer/information sciences and psychology saw increases in enrollment ranging from 2-4% (“COVID-19: Stay Informed”). With these factors in mind, it can be stated that while selecting the right college is challenging enough, the uncertainty of the future and not knowing if and where you will get accepted even if you have all the qualifications is even more nerve-racking and unfair.

The Effects of Reopening Universities and other Higher Education in the COVID-19-era

With the number of COVID-19 cases significantly declining due to the increased vaccination rates and the less severe nature of these cases, many universities have decided to reopen their campuses to allow for in-person instruction. However, this can be more harmful than beneficial because while students will be able to retain more information when attending classes in person compared to virtually, “students have higher than average contacts than the general population due to congregate living, use of public transit, high-density academic and social activities, and employment in the services sector” (Cipriano et al.). Furthermore, colleges must also take into account the amount of living space they can provide for first-year students since most of them live on campus for their first two years. 

However, while it has been established that students are impacted in many ways, “college instructors also faced a rapid transition to remote instruction in spring 2020, and with it a host of new teaching challenges” (Andrews and Green). Therefore, professors and teaching instructors also have to adjust to a new way of teaching and delivering information in a clear and easy-to-understand manner. 

The Socio-Economic Effects of COVID-19 on College Students

Throughout history, different economic factors have affected students, but COVID-19 increased barriers to equal opportunity by making it more difficult to access education and standardized testing opportunities. Some examples of affected students are “students of color, students with disabilities, students who identify as LGBTQ+,  low-income students, and students who are caregivers’ (''Education in a Pandemic: The Disparate Impacts of COVID-19 on America's Students). It is also known that higher-level educational institutions implement different protocols and rules that benefit the privileged and hinder the disadvantaged. A specific instance that is stated in this article is that HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs had lower numbers of enrollments compared to PWI’s, and these predominantly white institutions also have been reducing the number of students they accept from high poverty areas (“Education in a Pandemic: The Disparate Impacts of COVID-19 on America's Students). As another example, some students might not have equal access to standardized testing resources and opportunities compared to their peers, which only underscores the inequalities in the college admissions process. Therefore, it has been established that there are many disparities in the college admission system that affect college students who identify as a minority and person of color, because “what remains of the system that had already disadvantaged low-income, first-generation and BIPOC students has made those students even more vulnerable” (Hess). However, these gaps are present not only in our education system but also in our health system as well. It has been proven that these groups suffer many different types of health discrimination, manifesting as “differential access to testing early in the pandemic, rates of severe disease and death 2-3 times higher than white Americans, and, now, significantly lower vaccine uptake compared with their share of the population affected by COVID-19” (Marcelin et al.).

Conclusion

There has been a great deal of controversy surrounding college admissions in the COVID-19 era. With COVID-19 cases slowly increasing and new variants emerging, it is imperative to find a solution that allows students equal opportunities in both the college admissions and education system. Every student is entitled to quality education and resources that will only benefit and help them succeed. By taking into account the views of people and conducting additional research to understand how COVID-19 impacts college admissions and the overall well-being of students, we can develop new protocols and rules that are inclusive of students from various backgrounds.