COVID-19 Adds More Stress To College Application Process

Press release from Sri Muppidi:

Sept. 18, 2020

Preparing for the college admissions process is already a stressful process. But the pandemic adds another layer of stress for both students and parents. Juggling classes amid the pandemic and economic slowdown is tough on students. Students increasingly report feelings of isolation and feel more pressure to perform well while adapting to a virtual school year.

But to add to that, students lack in-person interactions, where they may benefit from casual conversations in the hallways with classmates or teachers for advice and help. Students also face more anxiety over how to choose a college, much less a career, amid such uncertainty in the world.

Sri Muppidi, a candidate for Dublin City Council, recognized the pressure students and parents are facing and decided to take action. Muppidi grew up in the Tri-Valley and attended local public schools before attending Stanford University for her undergraduate and graduate studies. She now works as a venture capitalist and previously worked in policy and economic development at the US Department of State, World Bank, and Federal Reserve.

Muppidi remembers the anxiety and stress that comes along with the college preparation and application process when she had applied nearly a decade ago. “I can’t imagine how much more difficult it is for students and parents in a virtual learning environment and when everything in our world is so uncertain.”

In response to the need she saw, Muppidi started offering the Tri-Valley community free weekly seminars on different topics related to the college preparation and application process. Topics included an overview of the college preparation process, high school coursework, testing, extracurriculars, college applications, financial aid and scholarships. “It was easy for me to share with the community as I had gone through the process myself a decade ago, and I remember it being very stressful. I was hoping that more transparency around the process and advice based on my own experiences would be helpful to parents and students.”

Muppidi is running for Dublin City Council. One of her priorities is increasing collaboration with the Dublin School Board to better support educators, students, and parents, particularly as the city navigates through the pandemic and virtual learning. Other priorities of hers include supporting the Dublin business community, investing in the city’s infrastructure and public safety, addressing climate change, and being pragmatic about growth as Dublin shifts from a growth phase to a maintenance phase.

“Many people have been interested in the college readiness seminar, and some parents and students even mentioned that it was some of the best advice they’ve received around the topic, which I was pleasantly surprised to hear. Because it’s been so popular, I may decide to rerun the seminar series.”

The weekly seminars are held virtually over Zoom on Sundays at 2pm and will continue until mid-October. To sign up for the seminar, visit the “Events” page of srimuppidi.com.

This press release was produced by Sri Muppidi. The views expressed here are the author's own.