I’ve made the worst mistake of my life. The absolute worse and it’s completely my fault but I just need to rage about it and I want to warn you guys to never make the same mistake I did.
So I was writing a college essay in the Common App. I didn’t think it was a big deal because CA had been pretty good about saving my stuff. But then I go off to dinner and I come back and the screen says “You’ll be logged out if you don’t press continue” or something like that. So I was like eh, no big deal. I pressed continue, my essay was still there, I continued and before long I was finished. I then quit CA. Later on, I go back to it because I remembered something I should add but guess what? It was gone. All of it. There was nothing. All my hard work. Gone. Like it never existed. You better believe I almost threw my computer across the room. I’m so mad. I just finished retyping the entire essay while it was still fresh in my mind. I managed to remember most of what I had written but the original was better. Let this serve as a warning to you guys: Never write in CA. Don’t ever do it. Write it in a separate document.
good advice and we will keep it in mind. sorry you found out the hard way.
When the common app rolls over all accounts on August 1st the essays will be wiped clean. Print your essay. You will need to retype it after that date. Between now and August 1st, any additional writing you do (for supplementals) should be saved to your computer, not in the common app.
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More info about rollover and what is or is not saved: http://www.commonapp.org/whats-appening/college-counseling/common-app-account-rollover
@janjmom @bodangles Oh my gosh thank you guys for telling me this!
“while it was still fresh in my mind” You were typing without having already written and polished? Or at least some draft at hand? That surprises me. That’s quite a risk.
@lookingforward Yeah, it was my first time writing it
For something like this I always write it on Microsoft word (or something similar) and save it. You can’t be sure about all the details of any software you are not familiar with.
Agreed. I used MS Word and cut and pasted. Sorry you lost your work; I’ve done that on other occasions 
OP, for NU and USC, I don’t think it’s wise to write off the top of your head. Maybe rethink your approach to the writing. That’s my point.
@lookingforward What do you mean? I’m obviously going to go back and review it and I’m going to have my english teachers read my essays
You said you were “writing an essay in the Common App.” Write it in Word. Put the final version, one time, in the CA. That’s all. If you meant you were writing it in Word, not in the CA, that was confusing.
Yeah, I know to do that now
I think people just find it odd that you chose to type your essay right into the common app. I think most people use a word processor to begin with and paste in the final copy. It’s just easier that way.
@ClaremontMom yeah, I’m just new to this whole thing, I didn’t realize it was better to type it outside the CA. There were text boxes available so I typed my essays there and since it usually autosaves it, I come back later to finish it
Another piece of advice…type your activities and the summaries into another document. You’ll probably revise those a few times as well—or want to change the order. (All possible, of course, within the CA, but easier outside and then add it when you are satisfied.)
Good advice! I didn’t even think to do that
You’d think common app would be better about this since so many people use it to apply for college
Forgive me, because I think you quickly learned a lot from this thread, but savvy is as savvy does. Just bear it in mind as you go through the next months. Mind word or character limits, don’t assume they understand some rare acronyms, be concise, as needed. You can do it.
@lookingforward Thanks for your support!