What Admissions Deans Are Saying About The Impact Of COVID-19 Gap Years

Virtual classes, canceled extracurriculars, and social distancing requirements have put a damper on the traditional college experience. 

As a result, many current college students have opted to take a gap semester or year to pursue more fulfilling career opportunities, and a significant number of incoming freshmen are choosing to defer their start date. While deferred admissions was not unheard of in the past, the sheer scale at which students are embracing the gap year in 2020 is disrupting college admissions offices and processes around the country. 

Deans from six top liberal arts colleges, Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin, Swarthmore, Pomona, and Carleton, shared their predictions about the impact of deferrals on this year’s seniors with us. 

Here are our key takeaways: 

-It may be possible that there will be larger first year classes on campus next year to compensate for declining enrollment this fall. This is the year to sneak into Harvard! 

-These six colleges emphasized that they all make use of their waitlist. Potentially, they’ll factor in less cushion on this year’s waitlist to maximize the offers they can make to Class of 2025.

-Students and colleges aren’t yet sure whether will it be safe to go abroad. If programs don’t run, colleges will have to account for more upperclassmen on campus. The status of study abroad will have a impact on the number of available beds! 

The biggest takeaway? Admissions offices are still figuring out exactly how COVID will impact their admissions numbers.

While the extent of the impact from COVID deferrals is still unknown, the uncertainty characterizing this year’s cycle is an opportunity for motivated students to attain places at top colleges and universities. 

I’d love to talk to you about your admissions strategy. Schedule a call with me here!