<p>Check this list of answers first. It has the answers to many common questions regarding the common app.</p>
<p>Hope this helps :)</p>
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- School forms not in by the deadline? It's ok. Get them in as soon as possible. Make sure your application and supplement are submitted by the deadline.</p>
<ol> <li><p>Sure you paid, but payment has a red triangle? It's ok. Payments are processed offline. Give it up to 48 hours, then check again. See the FAQ pages in the link above if it still doesn't show your payment submitted.</p></li> <li><p>Submitted your app a few minutes past the deadline? It's ok. If commonapp.org allowed you to submit, then you made it in. By the way, a deadline of 1/2 means 11:59pm EST on 1/2 -- and each college has defined its own "grace period" for slightly late apps.</p></li> <li><p>App says "Downloaded" instead of "Submitted"? That just means the college has accessed your application and will soon be in the process of reviewing your amazingness. Lucky you.</p></li> <li><p>Stupid little triangles and squares got you freaked out? Don't worry; they're not reliable. The text tells the truth.</p></li> <li><p>Applying EDII after an ED rejection or deferment and it won't let you? Here's how to do it. In Future Plans, specify RD. In the EDII college's supplement, specify EDII.</p></li> <li><p>Not sure how to explain a special circumstance? Be honest and brief, and end on a positive note.</p></li> <li><p>What to put in the Additional Information section? If you don't think you have anything to include there, leave it blank. That's ok to do. The Additional Information section is there as a catch-all for anything you have to tell the college that doesn't fit anywhere else.</p></li> <li><p>Submitted on time, but now it shows Downloaded and a date that's past the deadline? See #4 above and relax: You're in.</p></li> <li><p>Forgot to add something really important before you submitted? See this post for how to send an update.</p></li> <li><p>Screwed up and submitted the wrong essay or other information that absolutely must be corrected? Either follow the instructions in #10, or contact the college's Admission Office and ask how best to send a correction.</p></li> <li><p>Want help with your essay? Please don't post it here. Read this thread first: How to safely use CC for essay advice without getting ripped off!. Then visit the College Essays forum to get started. Allow some time for people to respond!</p></li> <li><p>Where are the Arts and Athletic Supplements? Or how to send them on paper? First, select the college you're applying to. Then, go to the Future Plans section. There is a completely separate Future Plans section for every college on your list, so you have to do this separately for each college. If the college in question accepts the Common App's Arts and/or Athletic Supplement, you will see questions here about your submission plans. Respond accordingly.</p></li> <li><p>Print preview doesn't look right; some stuff is missing or chopped off? Not a problem. If it looks right on the Web form, it will look right to the college. See this post for explanation.</p></li> <li><p>Teachers mailed their recs, but commonapp.org says the forms are incomplete? Yeah, it'll do that. It'll do it forever if your teachers are identified as "online providers," which they are if you gave their email addresses. It won't affect your application, as long as the colleges actually receive the recs. If they don't receive the recs, they'll usually contact you within a week or two after the deadline to let you know your file is incomplete and ask you to resend the missing documents (and they'll even kindly let you know which ones are missing!).</p></li> <li><p>One teacher wants to submit a rec by postal mail, and the other wants to submit online? No big deal. When inviting the teachers, supply an email address for the online teacher; that makes him an online provider. And don't supply an email address for the postal teacher; that makes him an offline provider. Also, for each college, give the postal teacher a stamped envelope pre-addressed to the Admissions Office of that college.</p></li> <li><p>Oh darn it, already supplied an email address for the postal teacher? No need to go postal over this. The teacher can log in and check a little box that says he wants to send his rec by postal mail, which makes him an offline provider. If he never logs in at all but does mail his rec to the college, commonapp.org will tell you he hasn't submitted, but your college will know better (see question 5 above).</p></li> <li><p>Submitted your application and now want to submit another app somewhere else, but want to change some of the information and nasty old commonapp.org won't let you? Sure, it will. Just create an alternate version. Log into commonapp.org using this link: <a href="http://app.commonapp.org/application...allowcopy=true%5B/url%5D">http://app.commonapp.org/application...allowcopy=true</a>. You'll get some instructions on how to create an alternate version of your application. Manic applico-holics, take note: You can only create ten alternate versions. You can submit each alternate version to several colleges. So if you're applying to 20, 30, or 50 colleges, plan accordingly.</p></li> </ol>
<p>Question not answered above? It's probably answered on the Common App Web site, in one of these two places. a. Common App Support Center b. Common App School Forms Support Center</p>
<p>Absolutely certain you need help from someone with super powers? Submit a ticket to the Common App tech support team -- they're really helpful and responsive, from most of the posts I've read about them. Use this as a last resort, though, to make sure they're able to stay helpful and responsive!
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