Each January I update the “What Should I Be Doing Now?” section of Apply with Sanity for the new semester, grade level by grade level. Last spring, I quickly revised it to account for all the school closures, testing site closures, and college closures that came with Covid. I actually said to “assume, for planning purposes, that the COVID-19 emergency will be easing up by June 1.” At that point I thought we’d all go into quarantine for two to four weeks, the virus would die out, and we’d be moving back to normal by summer. I was, obviously, really wrong.

But now it’s back to the spring semester, and I’m still saying it. Even though vaccines are rolling out, I don’t actually expect everything to be moving back to normal by June. But for planning purposes, I think seniors should still act as though it will. It will be better to assume that next fall will be a regular, in-person and on-campus semester and be wrong than to assume that everything will still be on hold and then be caught unprepared if things do go better this year. Read my updated—as of January, but who knows if and when I’ll need tp update—advice for the class of 2021. Over the next week I’ll also be giving advice to other grade levels.

Happy New Year!

AP Exams are in development. They were quite the mess last year, when the College Board had a short time to figure out a new plan. The online-only, shortened exams did not go well for many students. They’ve had more time to make a plan, but they—we all—still have a similar problem to last year: the pandemic. Yes, the vaccines are out, and there’s some hope that students will be able to take exams in person. But the current numbers for Covid cases and hospitalizations doesn’t look promising for even a few months from now. Here is the full statement about current AP plans:

We’re working with educators to prepare an expanded 2021 exam schedule, with two contingency testing dates for each subject—one in the second half of May and one in the first half of June—to support schools that want more instructional time before testing. Exams on the contingency dates will be full length, covering the full scope of content.

If a school is closed or coronavirus-related risks prevent a student from testing at a school, the AP coordinator will be able to authorize a full-length digital contingency exam that can be taken at home.

The exam schedule and information about the contingency testing options will be posted to AP Central in early February, and announced via email to AP teachers, AP coordinators, and administrators.

You can find this and other updates on the AP Central website.

When it comes to AP Exams, some things never change. Remember that you have to sign up for AP exams not knowing how they might affect you or if you really want to take them.

For example, if you end up going to a school that doesn’t give credit for AP exams, or will only give credit for a 5 when you’re on track for a 3, then you may not want to bother taking a test that’s not going to benefit you directly. But you usually have to register for the exam long before you know which college you’re going to next year. Here’s the best thing to do: go ahead and register for exams and act as though you’re going to take all of them. Act as though each score of 3 or higher will get you college credit, potentially saving you time and money. If that turns out not be the case, then talk with your teachers and counselor about what to do. Many seniors end up going into the exam room knowing that the exam either doesn’t gain them anything or that they’re not likely to get a good score, and so they go to sleep. While this practice, honestly, is not likely to have personal negative repercussions for you, it may have negative effects for your AP teachers and your school. So be thoughtful about how you handle an exam that you’re neither expecting to get much from or put much into.

Normally I say to continue to work at being a good high school student. And if that’s possible for you and your situation right now, you still should. Finish the year as strong as possible.

It may seem silly to talk about being a good high school student in the spring semester of your senior year, especially given how horrible the past year has been. But the fact remains that you're still in high school and there's still more to be done. And yes, I'm very aware of "senioritis." Your parents and teachers may not want me to say it, but slowing down your last semester is completely normal and fine. Because it's true, you're not just a regular high school student any more. On top of your normal classes and activities, you also have a lot of college decisions to make.

But think about it this way: how crazy would it be for an athlete to be told she's going to be on the Olympic team, and then stop working out and practicing? How self-destructive would it be for an employee to get a big promotion and then celebrate by not showing up to work half the time and being rude to her team that helped her get the promotion? You're almost out of high school and into college. That's wonderful! But don't let that be an excuse to start acting like a seventh grader again.

One way that senioritis works is for students to suddenly take on the "I don't need it to graduate" standard. Even good students find themselves failing classes or dropping their extracurricular activities simply because they don't need them to graduate. If your family has raised you with the bare minimum of parenting required not to get arrested for neglect, and your teachers have only done what was required to not get fired, then the "I don't need it to graduate" attitude is understandable. Otherwise, it's pretty reprehensible. Don't celebrate your transition to adulthood by acting like a toddler. It's that simple.

So what is a more healthy and productive transition? What, if you will, is Good Senioritis? Good Senioritis is the kind that begins to move away from high school realizing that you're moving Up. You act even more like a leader to pass your skills along to next year's seniors. You let the adults in your life know you appreciate all they've done to help you get to this new space. Even though you really are tired and stressed, you ask a lot of questions instead of whining and dropping out. Seriously, the last thing your teachers and parents need is for you to tell them how hard it is to be a responsible adult. They know. So ask them for guidance and be honest about your fears.

The best way to prepare for college is to be a good high school student. Even this late in the year. Even this year. While it's different being a high school student your last semester, you still need to be good at it. 

But if you, like so many, have bigger things to worry about right now, then worry about the bigger things. Make sure you graduate. Other than that? I don’t think many admissions departments will be spending their time this summer checking up to make sure your grades didn’t decline. Get through this.

Choose a college. Most colleges ask for a commitment by May 1, and that’s the standard deadline for accepting or rejecting their admissions offers.  Last year many, but not all, colleges pushed it back to June 1, but this year may be different. Make sure you know the deadlines for you by checking the school websites and social media.

Take a lot of time to think about this. Talk to your family. Talk to your trusted teachers and counselors. Talk to your smart and ambitious friends. Talk to the financial aid offices. You’re not just making a choice about classes and professors, but a big part of your identity. Go back over the Five Foundations, especially the part about treating it like a relationship. Remember that while some schools may be a better fit than others, it’s hard to make the “wrong” choice unless you choose not to go anywhere. While we’re still in Covid mode, there are three things you should keep in mind every day for a while:

1. Be patient. Right now the answer to many important questions is still “nobody is sure right now.” Nobody’s holding out on you. Universities are getting the information and decisions as best as they can as admissions offices work from home (many of them also caring for children and/or elderly while they do it). High schools are also doing the best they can from home. Your family may not be in a good place right now. You’re going to need people to be patient with you, and you’re going to need to be patient with people.

2. Focus on what’s important. You likely have a few schools that have accepted you and are contenders for you. Focus on those. Don’t worry about the schools who didn’t accept you or the ones that are no longer really on your list. Focus on the few that you can. Follow them on social media and ask questions as you have them—as long as you’re patient about responses. Find out if their decision/deposit deadline is still May 1 or if it’s been pushed back to June 1.

   You may be tempted to take advantage of the chaos to push for reversed decisions or better offers—resist that temptation. Nobody’s ideal student profile includes “takes advantage of others’ weakness for their own benefit.” So do’t be that person.

3. Check your email daily.

Get financial aid. Most students depend on at least some financial aid to get through college. For most, the final decision about where to go is heavily--if not completely--influenced by financial considerations. Look through your financial aid offers very carefully. Ask a lot of questions. Talk to you family about money, often. If your financial situation changed this year or changes between now and when school begins—if a parent is laid off, if you have unexpected and/or high medical expenses, if your family has to sell major assets or their business goes under—let all your contender schools know immediately. Look for updates on their financial aid office page, if at all possible email someone in the financial aid office, and start working on the financial aid appeal process as soon as possible. You’re probably not going to get any swift or firm responses—see above about being patient—but you don’t want to wait a single day more on this than you have to.

Make summer plans. It’s really hard right now to think about summer when the school year has been in such disarray. But assume, for planning purposes, that the COVID-19 emergency will be easing up by June 1. What do you need to do to get ready for college? Don't wait until the week before the fall semester to think about clothes for a new environment, bedding for a dorm, and transportation issues. If you've had a sluggish spring and need intellectual stimulation, see what your local museums or community centers offer. This summer will be the only time you have to get prepared. Wherever you think you need improvement, be it physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, intellectual, or any combination, now is the time.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, here are three easy things you can do:

1. Share it on your social media feeds so your friends and colleagues can see it too.

2. Read What Should I Be Doing Now? for other grades.

3. Ask a question—or share other resources—in the comments section.

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Photo by Zoe Herring.

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