ENROOT

We understand this is a nerve wracking time for students in their senior year, especially as they navigate the changing class structure, making college decisions and family/community responsibilities in the time of COVID-19 and may feel like they are losing out on quintessential Senior Year experiences like prom or the uncertainty of graduation ceremonies. As more information becomes available to us and to our students, we can only console this sense of loss as much as we can. ALthough still unsure, Enroot hopes to celebrate our Seniors in some capacity--more information to come.

Nevertheless, Seniors should continue forward on their post-secondary journey. Remind Seniors to check their emails regularly as colleges and universities will be emailing updates about their policies, extended deadlines and other important information.

Important Things for Seniors During COVID-19

CHECK YOUR EMAIL! That is the main way colleges and universities will communicate with you!

CONNECT. Stay in contact with the admissions counselor at the school/s you applied to.

DO NOT HESITATE TO SEND THEM AN EMAIL regarding financial aid or deferring or etc. but also have patience, they are busy working around the clock to help admitted students like you and their current students!

Financial Aid

Please reach out to your designated uAspire Representative. While Enroot can provide basic support when it comes to reading financial aid packages, we think it is best to leave it to the experts at uAspire.

For Cambridge Rindge and Latin School it is Omar Laaroussi and is available to CRLS students via text messaging Tuesdays--Friday from 9AM to 3:30PM. 617-410-8524.

For Somerville High School it is Emma Chavenson and her email: emmac@uaspire.org.

Overview: Important Updates Regarding College Admissions

Remind to Seniors to CHECK THEIR EMAILS!

Schools will send out any information via their emails or through their admitted student portals, FB groups, text chains, etc.

Information regarding their financial aid or deposits (and potential extended deadlines) will be emailed to them!

What are colleges and universities doing to support admitted students in making their decisions?

Schools are letting admitted students know about virtual tours, hangouts and other ways of connecting virtually with the admissions team, students and faculty.

If you or your student are unable to attend any of these events but still want someone to connect with, reach out to the school via email to set something up!

Some colleges & universities have adjusted their admissions reply date or extended their seat deposit deadlines, BUT NOT ALL!

To check by college or university, you can use this link to see if they have or have not changed their admissions reply date: National Association for College Admission Counseling

Schools are trying to meet students where they are at, they understand that parents and students may have had their income impacted by COVID-19 and that may impact their ability to pay for their seat deposits. Seniors should check their emails about these updates or check the school’s website!

If they are still unsure, have them EMAIL the admissions team of the school they are interested in!

Some Tools:

Questions 1st Generation Students Should Ask BEFORE Making a College Decision

During this time, it will be up to your student to act proactively if they want more information, want/need an extension for seat deposits, etc. The BEST WAY to get in contact with the admissions teams is to send an EMAIL! A lot of college offices are closed and there is no one in the office that can take a call/review voicemails fast enough.

Students thinking about attending college or university are told that Junior year is an important year--so how are colleges and universities going to process school closures, grades and exams in light of the changes made by COIVD-19?

SAT/ACT Exams

The College Board has cancelled SAT exams for March and May. Although the June exams are still scheduled, the situation may change. Please be sure to check the College Board website for more updated information regarding the SAT Exam.

The March SAT Exam was Cancelled.

The May SAT Exam was Cancelled.

The May SAT Exam was Cancelled.

Please be sure to check the ACT Exam website , for updates about the June or July exams.

Apri ACT Exam was Cancelled.

Important Questions for Juniors

What impact will the cancellation of standardized tests have on the college admissions process?

Although some 4 year private and public schools (like UMass Boston) are already test optional but the COVID-19 situation may force more schools to reconsider their standardized testing requirement.

Students should not be afraid to take standardized tests, but there are historical inequities that impact our students’ performance on these exams, so it may benefit our students who do not do well on standardized tests.

How will the impact of schools closing or moving to virtual education impact grades?

Although this will vary by school district, or even individual schools, more schools are moving towards Pass/No Pass instead of letter grades.

Colleges are aware that this is happening (and colleges are taking similar steps for their current students). It is okay if your school moves to Pass/No Pass--colleges will understand and they will deal with that during their admissions process!

How can juniors begin their college research without visiting campus?

Colleges and universities are aware that some students may never be able to visit the campuses that already offer virtual connections.

However, MORE colleges and universities are finding new ways to connect with prospective students/juniors via social media like Facebook, Instagram, etc.

The COVID-19 situation duration is unclear, and schools are planning for different scenarios (summer programs or virtual fall classes, etc.) in order to protect the health and safety of their students and campuses, including future students.

Some Tips for Juniors Moving Forward

If you want more information which schools have or are going test-optional, continue to check the school's website AND The National Center for Fair and Open Testing is a great resource that tracks which schools are test-optional. Here is a link to CURRENT Test-Optional Schools that may be helpful for students applying next year!

Here are some questions you can ask your student!

Think about what you want to study? What excites you? What do you want to learn more about?

What do you want to do as a profession?

Ask your mentor how they got to the job they are now? What did they study in college?

What are you most concerned about for applying?

Do you have schools you are interested in?

Do you know what you want to write about for your personal statement?

A reminder that Enroot does not explicitly ask our students about their documentation status. If you believe your student may be undocuemnted, we can help you navigate that conversation in person or over the phone only! This is to protect the student’s information.

We have some tools and information to navigate the college admission process.

College and University Policies Regarding Undocumented Students

For Juniors:

Questions for Undocumented Students to Ask

The CollegeBoard’s Big Future Website for Undocumented Students

To see other resources for undocumented students and their families, please visit Enroot's Page for Undocumented Resources.