Safety precautions related to Covid-19 have caused anxiety among high school juniors and seniors about being able to complete their college process successfully. 

Cancellation of SAT and ACT tests puts juniors in a bind trying to take tests required for admission.

The cancellation of accepted student days means that seniors lost the chance to take one last look at their top schools before making a final choice.

Not knowing what to expect has produced concern that keeps students awake at night and make them feel that their fate could be left to chance.

Regular admission deadlines for the fall 2019 entering freshman class are near. Some are in December while others are in early January. Students should not put off getting their applications and essays completed. It is critical to avoid turning in applications that fail to show a student off to his best advantage. Even the best high school senior writers fail to deliver their best essays when they write in haste with little time to edit. Parents can help by being sympathetic and patient encouragers as well as essay readers who give constructive critiques. Like many things that are unfamiliar, starting college applications is the hardest part of the process. Once students get past that point, they usually do very well.

This is the week by which students are supposed to make a decision. May 1 is the accept or reject an offer deadline nationally. The exception will be for students on a wait list for a college. Their decisions could come as late as July.

Students who do not officially accept an admission offer by May 1 at most colleges, will lose the admission offer and any scholarship money that was attached to it.

There is more work for students to accomplish during the same time period.