Should I Write the COVID-19 Essay?

You may have heard about "the COVID-19 essay prompt" by now. On the common application there is now a place for you to write an essay about the impact COVID-19 has/had on you. The Common App COVID-19 essay prompt is:

"Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces. Do you wish to share anything on this topic? Please use this space to describe how these events have impacted you."

The purpose of this essay is to provide context to your application. To explain any sudden or drastic differences that occurred as a result of COVID.

Our advice is to only submit this essay if you have been impacted by COVID-19 in a concrete way that directly impacts your application.

While college admissions counselors empathize that high school seniors may miss their graduation, are feeling isolated from their friends, or cannot complete their extracurriculars, this is a dilemma facing every single applicant. College admissions counselors are human. They do not want to read thousands of essays about COVID and how disappointed you are that you could not see your friends this year or that your sports program was canceled. This sounds harsh, but part of applying to college is knowing your audience.

However, if COVID-19 has impacted your life in a significant or unique way, we encourage applicants to write and submit this essay. Here are some circumstances where this essay would add value to your application:

• Did a parent/guardian lose their job?

• Was a parent/guardian an essential worker?

• Did you take care of a family member during this time? (This could be sibling(s) because your parents are both essential workers.)

• Did COVID-19 affect a family members health?

• Did COVID-19 affect your health?

• Were you unable to consistently attend virtual classes? For example because of unreliable internet.

• Do you have a learning disability that made virtual learning even more challenging for you than your peers?

Here are some examples of situations you should and should not write about:

"Both my parents are essential workers. My mom works at a doctors office and my dad works at our local grocery store. Since they were both working during the day, it was my responsibility to make sure my two younger siblings made it to their virtual classes and to help them with their homework." Definitely include.

"This year was our year, we were going to win state. Because of COVID-19, that dream will no longer be realized." Do not include.

"I live in a rural area of upstate NY and our internet connection is not very reliable. During virtual classes my screen would regularly freeze and several times I was not able to attend class at all because the internet went out too often. As a result, I had a hard time keeping up with the coursework and my grades second semester junior year reflect that." 100% include.

"I have four other siblings and I couldn't concentrate on my homework with them around all day." Probably not.

Pro Tip: Think long and hard about this question: am I explaining or am I complaining and trying to garnish empathy?

Still unsure whether you should write the essay?

Schedule a single session with Optimal Admissions and we will help you determine if this will add to your application or not. We can also help you with the essay and how to effectively articulate this emotional experience.

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