The Best Way to Approach the Common Application COVID Question

The pandemic of 2020 has created challenges for all of us, and its disruptions are certainly being felt in the college admissions process. The Common Application has even added an essay question that will provide students “a dedicated space to elaborate on the impact of the pandemic, both personally and academically.”  They’re hoping this section will provide admissions officers with the information they need about how applicants have dealt with the pandemic, “with the goal of having students answer COVID-19 questions only once while using the rest of the application as they would have before.”  

This section is alongside the “Additional Information” section of the Common App. That section was never required, and neither is this. It is unlikely that a student will be denied admission for not answering the question. That said, a thoughtful response can certainly help, and a superficial answer could hurt. And if you are planning to talk about the impact of the pandemic on your life, definitely use this section of the application to do so.

As with all optional prompts in a college application, however, it is worth seriously weighing the pros and cons of answering the question. Many of the traditional tools that admissions readers consider, such as testing and even grading, may be less reliable than in other years. This is an opportunity to add to your story! You should always be looking to take advantage of those opportunities, whenever you can, in your application. The key, as with the main Common App essay, will be finding something worthwhile to talk about that actually answers the prompt. In this case, how the pandemic has impacted you.  

But, of course, not everyone has been impacted in the same way. You don’t want to exaggerate or inadvertently be insensitive just to answer the question. Answering the question in a bland, or thoughtless, way will hurt you more than not answering at all.

Here are two different ways to think about the prompt that can lead to an appropriate response: 

1.     Think about how the pandemic has touched on your resiliency and persistence.  

2.     Can you illustrate how dealing with the pandemic has demonstrated your concern for others?  

If either of these resonates, then it is worth trying to frame your response with one of those two themes in mind. 

Selective admissions officers are looking for students who have overcome obstacles. And in these trying times, more than ever, they are looking for students who make the community they live in better. As we all grapple with the difficulties that 2020 has presented us, try to use these two concepts to frame your response.