SHA-Cordecho-Winter-21-22

6 C O R D E C H O S P I R I T . M I N D . B O D Y . uffice to say, nothing about the college experience has been ordinary for the last couple of years. From admissions to classes to advising, things have looked very different. Still, some SHA alumnae are finding ways to remove barriers and create access. These strategies and tactics can be leveraged throughout COVID and beyond. Our hope is that our SHA 2021 graduates, now freshwomen on campuses across the United States, are finding similar creativity and flexibility on their college campuses. Kayla Burt ’13, assistant director of admissions at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is excited about the increased access students have to colleges due to admissions offices’ response to COVID across the country. Kayla shared that she thinks colleges have done a good job upgrading the online experience for students out of necessity when campuses closed to visitors because of the pandemic. From virtual college tours to Zoom meetings with admissions offices to comprehensive, interactive websites, Burt sees these upgrades as equalizers. She points out that only a small percentage of students have the economic resources to physically visit college campuses that are not nearby. The more robust online presence has allowed students to have a better sense of the college without visiting the campus, which helps both the college and the student to establish matches that are good fits. Additionally, Burt commented that the elimination of the need to submit standardized tests (SATs or ACTs) has also gone a long way to level the playing field and create access. Because of access to strong test preparation, inherent bias in the exam itself, and the cost of taking and sending the results to colleges, it is a widely held belief that these tests disproportionately favor affluent, white students. By minimizing the importance of these tests in the admissions process, other elements of a student’s application become more important and the review becomes even more holistic. While Burt enthusiastically welcomed visitors back to campus this fall, she is also excited that many of the pivots made during COVID remain and make the college admissions process more equitable. Kristin Fries, PhD ’83 spent much of her professional career teaching chemistry at Daemen College. A few years ago, she relocated to spend winters in the Carolinas and joined the faculty at Coastal Carolina University. One of her passions Class of 2021: From SHA’s Front