Can I send different common app essays to each college I'm applying to?

Some of the colleges I’m applying to have a December 15th priority scholarship deadline, so I’ll have to submit my commom app to them by then. But I’m not planning to send in the rest of my apps till Dec 27th or 28th. So if I think of something new to add to my common app essay (the 650 word one), or even want to choose a different topic to write on altogether, can I make any edits?

Why would you do that?

Why not just sit down this weekend, hammer out the best essay you can, and apply to ALL those colleges by Sunday?

It’s already December-- you’ve got to get those apps out!!

I agree with bjkmom but want to add that it’s ok if you don’t hammer out an essay in a day or two. That kind of strain might not be conducive to the type of personal writing you want to be doing. To answer your question, you will be able to edit the essay whenever you like, even after submitting one version to a college. Don’t worry! You can definitely still make changes!

Nahh, I’m going to stick with my advice: WORRY.

If the Apps are due the 15th-- that’s a week from tomorrow!!! You’ll want them in by the 14th, to guard against any computer glitches— that’s a week from today!!!

The time for “Don’t worry! You can definitely still make changes” was in August and September. It’s December, and “I didn’t get around to it” will NOT get you an extension.

If you’re interested in going to college, get the best essay you can write done by this weekend.

Are the schools with early deadlines schools that you’re simply not interested in? If so, then why not just save the money and skip the application?

If you are interested, then I say you start to worry, and hammer out a GOOD essay that you can use for all the colleges to which you’re applying.

wait… you can change your common app essay.

Question: one of my colleges is due January 5th, and my last one (my fav) is due the 15th.

Can i make changes to my common app essay? I want to submit it for my January 5th deadline, but I want to utilize a week to revise the college I actually would love to go to?

I mailed common app support. You can make edits

You’ve already had almost 4.5 months since the Common App opened. Why plan on waiting until the last second? It’s been my experience that giving kids extra time on an assignment doesn’t typically mean they’ll work longer, merely that they’ll procrastinate more.

What are you planning to do between January 5th and 15th (Christmas break is over then, so you’ll be back at school and activities and sports) that you can’t do between now and January 5th-- when you’ll be on vacation with lots of time to devote to this?

Why not just get it done, right, now? Why do a halfway job, submit it to some schools, then do a better job for the schools you really want?

If those first schools aren’t worth a decent essay, why not just save your parents money and skip the application to them?