In August of 2020, the Common App added a new, optional COVID-19 question. Though no longer brand-new, this question can still be a subtle and confusing one for some students. That’s why I’ve written today’s post: to de-stress and demystify the question of how you should approach this additional prompt. (As an elite SAT/ACT prep and application essays coach, I’m all about taking the stress out of your college apps!) So without further ado, here are MY answers to all the questions you might have about the Common App COVID question!
What does the Common App ask about COVID-19?
The exact wording of this (new, as of 2020) question 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. For more information, check out our COVID-19 FAQ.”
Is there a word limit for the COVID-19 Common App question?
Yes: 250 words.
Is the COVID-19 Common App question required?
No! It’s entirely up to you whether you want to answer this short essay question.
Does the COVID-19 question replace the “Additional Information” question?
Good question! NO, it does NOT take the place of the “Additional Information” question. The COVID-19 essay question exists alongside the 650-word “Additional Information” question. And both are optional. If you desire, you could answer BOTH, none, or just one of them. BOTH questions are found in the “Additional Information” section of your application, however.
What if I can’t say everything I need to in 250 words?
Don’t despair. Your school’s counselor ALSO has a COVID-19 question on their end about how your school was impacted by COVID-19. And your counselors get up to 500 words (double what you get!) to explain how your school went about teaching and delivery of instruction and assessment during lockdowns and school closures.
What should I talk about in my answer to the COVID-19 question?
Since your counselor will be explaining how your SCHOOL was impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic, you don’t need to repeat anything that applies to all of your classmates. Instead, use this question to explain any hardships that YOU or YOUR FAMILY experienced. You want to give colleges an understanding of any hardships that you experienced that were not endured by your schoolmates.
Examples to discuss in your COVID Common App response (if applicable):
Getting sick from the coronavirus yourself and having to take time away from testing and schoolwork in order to recover.
Your parent(s) or legal guardian got sick and how it impacted you.
Death of a loved one and its effects on you.
If you had to care for younger siblings while your parent(s) worked, impacting the time and energy you could dedicate to schoolwork.
If your family experienced a loss of income and quality of life.
If you were food-insecure because of economic stress.
If you had to pick up work to help your family pay bills.
If you didn’t have reliable internet to attend virtual schooling or complete assignments or standardized tests.
If you didn’t have access to technology (a smart phone, laptop, computer, tablet, etc.) to complete your work and attend classes.
If you didn’t have access to a room where you could study and focus (because there were 6 people trapped inside a tiny apartment with no outdoor space…NOT because you’re annoyed you have to share your bedroom with your little sister).
If you experienced the fallout from a natural disaster besides COVID-19 that impacted you in ways on a par with the items on this list.
What NOT to write about in the COVID-19 question
The type of things I’d say to skip are situations that EVERYONE dealt with. Mentioning these not only highlights that you weren’t really affected the way someone on the above list was, but it sounds like you’re complaining about something literally the ENTIRE WORLD had to deal with.
If your only complaints about the pandemic were some of the following (and nothing on the above list), I’d probably skip this question:
Virtual school wasn’t as effective as in-classroom instruction for you. You just didn’t learn as much.
Your IB exams got cancelled.
You were bored/unfocused/stressed being in lockdown.
All your SAT and ACT test dates got cancelled in the Spring! You didn’t have as many chances to take the test and reach your target score.
You missed the big tournament/championship/theater performance that otherwise would’ve been in your Activities or Awards section of your application because of social distancing and everything being cancelled.
Your sports season got cancelled but you WOULD have been team captain.
It was so stressful to not be able to visit the colleges on your list in person and have to do things virtually.
Pandemics are scary! It’s so weird to wear a mask everywhere and not be able to hug your friends.
Spending all that time inside with your family REALLY got on your nerves.
You WERE going to do that internship/summer program/job/camp but it all got cancelled—THAT’s why it’s lacking from the Activities section of your application.
Do you see a theme here? Basically, if it’s a complaint that literally EVERY OTHER member of the classes of 2021-2024 had right there with you (cancellations, virtual school, lack of test dates, being in a global pandemic)—it’s not going to work for this question. I very much believe and sympathize with the way all of these setbacks may have impacted your mental health…but unfortunately, admissions counselors won’t see these highly common experiences as justifications for substantially lower grades, scores, or extracurriculars.
Should I write about the pandemic in my main 650-word essay?
A very valid question! If you went through an enormous personal transformation, changed your world view, dropped a big activity because of cancellations and then discovered your capital-P PASSION (or your overarching organizing principle) while in the global pause of lockdown and social distancing—then, yes, it could be a good move to write about COVID-19 in your main essay. Or, rather, to write about your big transformation/change in perspective/passion...with the pandemic as the backdrop of your personal story. So the main essay is still about YOU. It just happens to take place in a setting of “global pandemic.”
If you want to explain hardships you endured because of the pandemic, on the other hand, that’s more the territory of the optional 250-word COVID-19 question in the "Additional Information" section. You want to save your main Common App essay for a positively inflected story about YOU, your passions, your growth, your transformation, your identity, your worldview.
So that’s everything you need to know about the COVID-19 question on the Common App!
As always, if you need help crafting your essays and finding your angle, please contact me and ask about personalized essay-writing help! Or, reading is more your learning style, you can check out my one-stop Guide to the Personal Statement.
