Commonapp.org question

Applying to College
1

<p>ive been filling out all my common app schools online and love the ability to lessen the workload, but i am not sure how to handle this:</p>

<p>in the instructions it says that you cant change an application once its submitted. does this mean you just cant change the ones you have submitted to schools or does this mean the application you send out must be identical for all schools? besides desiring the freedom to send what i want to each school, i have a real problem in that some schools require 2 satII scores and some require 3. the third score is lower and i would rather not include it in all applications, as i have already avoided sending this score to schools by mailing out reports early.</p>

<p>anyway, is the common app locked like this or is it indeed only the submitted applications to specific schools that cannot be changed?</p>

2

<p>bumpity bump</p>

3

<p>It is locked once you send in the first. If the schools want something specific to them, they will create a supplement. As far as SATs, your SAT report will list all scores, so they will see it, regardless.</p>

<p>This has been covered many times.</p>

4

<p>Common App technical support emailed my daughter this info from a discussion thread on the Common App. It sounds like if you apply early action and are denied, they WILL let you revise your app. </p>

<p>The problem is, if you are applying non binding early action to a college on Nov 1, even if you are accepted, you still might want to submit a different app to a different college in January and you might have new noteworthy accomplishments you would like to add to your application then. </p>

<p>The online Common App is not nearly as useful this year as it has been in past years.</p>

<p>======
Discussion Thread
Response (John M.) 10/10/2007 02:10 PM EDT
Thank you for your message. </p>

<p>It is not possible to "customize" the Common Application this year, and this is a change from past years. The Common Application is run by a Board made up of Deans of Admission and High School Counselors. This year, the Board decided that such customization would not be allowed, though with one important exception. If a student submits an early application (ED, EA, REA) and is denied, and then requests to make one "copy" of their application because they've had more accomplishments they want to add to a Regular Decision application, they can do this if they email technical support and request it.</p>

<p>A student cannot get around this rule by creating a new username and password, as the Common App Online system is set up to prevent this.</p>

<p>The "copying" feature was added a few years ago in an attempt to help Early Decision and Early Action students who were denied admission, but quite unintentionally led some applicants to copy and customize applications for every college to which they applied. This was not the original intent of this feature, and in fact undermined the mission of the <em>Common</em> Application. The Board feels that Supplements remain the best way to provide college-specific information to individual colleges, and we encourage students to submit special essays or special information there. The ED/EA/REA vs RD scenario mentioned above is the only exception to this rule. If this is your case, you will need to request the copy specifically by stating your case to tech support.</p>

<p>To avoid the essay "overlap" issue, it might be a good idea to wait to submit your Common App to colleges until you decide what schools to apply to and review their supplement forms.</p>

<p>Please note that the Common App Online warns a student three times with three checkboxes before submission that The Common App cannot be changed after submission to one college.</p>

<p>Again, thank you for contacting Technical Support. Please contact us again if you need additional assistance with this incident.</p>

<p>Regards,
John M.
AY Technical Support</p>