Optional COVID essay-- to write, or not to write?

annegp
Sat, 14 Nov 2020 16:52:46 +0000

Are you advising kids to write the essay? I have gotten 3 very different pieces of advice–

1. only write it if you can show a very clear impact-- family, health, finances, etc.

2. every essay is an opportunity for the school to get to know you and that you should write this even if COVID has not negatively impacted your life directly, but perhaps changed the way you think or view the world. For example-- I worked at a coffee shop throughout the pandemic and saw firsthand how my customers changed–more concern, more homeless, etc.

3. use the space to talk briefly about the fact that you only took the SATs once with no prep and couldn’t improve your scores because the next 3 tests were all cancelled. Offering an explanation of why you are submitting scores on the low end of your schools’ admit numbers.
As it stand my D21 is doing #3, would you recommend she also do #2?