<p>Okay, so if you use a school's "priority select" application, or whatever the hell they want to call it, will it help more than the common app.</p>
<p>I'm talking about those emails that are like "apply online now! three easy steps! no essay required!" for example RIT, Drexel, Ursinus do this</p>
<p>Someone told me it is better to send your app through them than to use the common app, which is more extensive.</p>
<p>Which one should I use???</p>
<p>I gave up on the Common App. I thought it was a PITA and ended up doing all of my apps on the schools own applications.</p>
<p>The super-special-priority-VIP-we-want-you-right-now applications that colleges send to students are designed to do one thing and one thing only: increase application numbers for the college, which will allow them to deny admission to more students, which will increase their selectivity, which will make presidents and boards and the US News wizards happy. It is very easy for students to submit an application to a college when most of the demographic information is already pre-populated, or when an essay requirement or application fee is waived. Unfortunately, that also makes it easy for students to apply to schools that they really have no interest in. The result? More students applying to more colleges who now have to deny admission to OTHER students to make room for these “extra” students in the applicant pool who have very little likelihood of ever enrolling.</p>
<p>One other thing worth knowing: the colleges who agree to use the Common Application also agree to treat is in the same manner as any other application they accept. This means that those priority apps should not be waiving application fees or essay/recommendation requirements unless the same requirements are also waived for students using the Common Application. So the next time you get one of those priority apps, call the admission office and let them know that you intend to use the Common App–because it really will make your life easier in the end–but would also like the same benefits. If they balk at your request, tell them you’ll share their reservation with your counselor and the Common App support team. That will get their attention.</p>