If my daughter and I have changed our minds about actually applying to one or more colleges - but we have already sent them score reports and/or transcripts (as well as adding her to the mailing list), do we need to “notify” that we will not be actually applying? She has received emails from colleges based on the fact that she added them into her Common App list. Now can we just delete them and do nothing - or will that result in a rejection letter next year when she does not send a completed app? I’m not certain how this is handled by college.
What happens if you start a institutional application, but never complete it? Should you notify, and at what point?
Also, what about a similar circumstance: we completed and sent a supplement, but then decided against the college? I think there we DO need to notify, but not necessarily for the former situation.
Do any of these factor in to decisions to offer merit aid - i.e. “the student is not really serious about our school because she is looking at applications to so many (10-15) colleges” even though formal applications were never fully completed.
Thanks for any input!
From the Common App Help site:
Schools can see the following information before you submit your application:
Your name
Your email address
Your address
Your date of birth
Your status: First Year or Transfer
The term to which you are applying
Schools may communicate with you before you submit your application. If you do not wish for schools to do so, please answer"NO"to the following question on the registration page: “The colleges to which I am applying may communicate with me by email prior to submission of my application.”
Schools can only see the information you have filled out for their school and cannot see other schools to which you are applying.
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I hadn’t realized at first that a school knew you had them on your list, so I had added a school I was mildly interested to my list just to see their supplement, then removed it. I bet this could look bad if I do apply.
I certainly wouldn’t send a notice to the schools you didn’t actually apply to. Maybe for the ones you sent a supplement to, as a courtesy.
The only reason to notify a college that you are not actually applying is if you don’t want them sending you mail and emails.