Discussion on the 2021 Application Cycle and COVID-19

[cauchysequence]

I hope everybody is staying safe and healthy.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, there have been some adjustments to the way college and graduate admissions are going to work. For example, we already see that GRE and AP exams moving online (for the meantime) with AP exams open notes. There are even some colleges that already waived the SAT requirement for undergraduate admissions. The University of Alabama has responded to the pandemic by waiving GRE/GMAT/MCAT scores for their graduate programs. There is some talk amongst international students possibly starting their program in Fall 2021 instead of this upcoming Fall as a travel ban is plausible. I have seen other fields having their grants taken away due to the pandemic. How do you think COVID-19 is going to affect the admission cycle for the Fall 2021 applicants?

Will most mathematics graduate programs waive GRE scores? If so, will it have a negative impact on students who don't submit their GRE scores for any particular reason? Will admissions be more difficult? What do you put on your CV for activities that you planned to do but couldn't do because of the pandemic?

Although we don't know what will happen until it happens, I hope there can be discussion to clear out some questions and grey areas. Hopefully, we can also share each other news when universities respond. Don't forget to wash your hands!

[Dragan]

i had a glamorous full-time summer research opportunity but it was canceled after I got accepted . i would like to know how April's GRE math test was ran. was it online?

[Molly_R]

i had a glamorous full-time summer research opportunity but it was canceled after I got accepted . i would like to know how April's GRE math test was ran. was it online?

April GRE subject test was cancelled. Were told there will be no makeups.

[Dragan]

i had a glamorous full-time summer research opportunity but it was canceled after I got accepted . i would like to know how April's GRE math test was ran. was it online?

April GRE subject test was cancelled. Were told there will be no makeups.

What does that mean? It was canceled without a refund? Didn't they offer make up test at all even in October? How would that affect application for 2021?

[complexcat]

My REU is moving online because the university closed for the summer. Thankfully, it was not fully cancelled.
If your summer plans have been cancelled, you might be able to find a match between your skill set and new volunteer/internship opportunities that are directly related to fighting the pandemic. For example, see http://united-against-covid.org/. That project was mentioned on Terrance Tao's blog. For a long list of opportunities, see https://80000hours.org/2020/04/opportun ... -xN9-IIRdw
In particular, if you have data analysis / coding skills (or could develop them), you could probably find something.

How do you think COVID-19 is going to affect the admission cycle for the Fall 2021 applicants?

Will most mathematics graduate programs waive GRE scores? If so, will it have a negative impact on students who don't submit their GRE scores for any particular reason? Will admissions be more difficult? What do you put on your CV for activities that you planned to do but couldn't do because of the pandemic?

These all sound like great questions for a Director of Graduate Studies. Perhaps we could reach out as things begin to settle down.

What inclines you to ask if admissions will be more difficult? If anything, I've been thinking that the 2022 cycle could be more competitive if more people this cycle take gap years (this is just a wild guess).

[cauchysequence]

What inclines you to ask if admissions will be more difficult? If anything, I've been thinking that the 2022 cycle could be more competitive if more people this cycle take gap years (this is just a wild guess).

I think your point is valid too: a lot of people wanting to take another year to amp up their application. What I personally had in mind were cancellations of funding (which I kind of doubt, but plausible) and students, especially international students, deferring their program start date to Fall 2021 consequently having departments favoring to admit less so it puts a less strain on the PhD program as a whole.

[MMDE]

How do you guys reckon schools will see upper level math classes with a grade "P" because of the virus?

[complexcat]

How do you guys reckon schools will see upper level math classes with a grade "P" because of the virus?

This is from the MAA's Statement of Recommendations for COVID-19 Response. I received it in an MAA Members Digest email (it must also be on their public website somewhere).

Consider temporary adjustments to academic policies, clearly document policies on transcripts and communicate these adjustments. Institutions are encouraged to publish temporary policies on incomplete grades, pass/fail (or similar structures) and course withdrawal. Policies can reduce stress and support equity for both students and instructors. At the same time, institutions must be attentive to accreditation and licensure issues, graduate and professional school admissions, and future employment. For instance, explanations on transcripts and letters of recommendation may be required, so that a grade of "passing" is not interpreted as "barely passing." Additionally, over the next few years, academic programs and employers must take these challenging times into account when evaluating applicants.

If you plan to take an upper level math class with a grade of "P", I would recommend making one of your letter writers aware of your personal situation.

[LogiKid]

i had a glamorous full-time summer research opportunity but it was canceled after I got accepted . i would like to know how April's GRE math test was ran. was it online?

April GRE subject test was cancelled. Were told there will be no makeups.

What does that mean? It was canceled without a refund? Didn't they offer make up test at all even in October? How would that affect application for 2021?

Cancelled with full refund. It's not clear whether the October test will go ahead as planned. Depends on whether the world has recovered in October.

If it was cancelled, then grad programs would be forced to waive the subject test (some may do this anyway).