Transcript gaps? Strong college application remains possible

Applying to college typically comes with some uncertainty, but this year’s applicants are tackling one additional question: What should you do when a pandemic has limited what goes into your college applications?

Many extracurriculars, including sports and clubs, couldn’t go on during the pandemic. And many school districts across the country, recognizing the challenges the pandemic has posed, offered the option for students to not receive letter grades for classes they took.

That choice has left some students with “pass” or “credit,” or “fail” or “no credit,” rather than actual grades on their transcripts.

College admissions officers have been ready for these changes since before the current admissions cycle began, says David Hawkins, chief education and policy officer at the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

“Admissions officers clearly understand the challenges that these students have faced because they had the experiences themselves,” Hawkins says. “They were locked down just as the students were.”

SO WHAT ARE COLLEGES LOOKING FOR NOW?

As applications have changed, so has what admissions officers are looking for.

A transcript filled with “pass” or “credit” grades won’t be counted against you, admissions officers say. What will be considered are the letter grades that are on your transcript, along with the classes you’ve taken, says Steve Robinson , senior associate vice president for enrollment management at the University of Utah.

“I think a lot of schools are looking at the academic rigor of what a student attempted,” says Robinson. “In a rural high school, maybe there aren’t as many (Advanced Placement) opportunities, or none, but what I can tell is that the student took everything...