<p>To quote my D: “I hate the Common App, but I can use the same essay for all schools.”</p>
<p>Are the scores put into the common app blocked out for those schools where the applicant is going to apply without submitting them?</p>
<p>Update: for ACT people- this is easily solved. If you look at the common app there are only 2 test dates that one can enter. If one sits for this test 7 times or 2 times, one can only enter scores from 2 seatings!</p>
<p>For the SAT, there are slots for 3 seatings to be filled out, and scores from SAT subject tests.</p>
<p>I went in and looked at my D’s Common App-everything is still there. Nothing can be changed of course, all the boxes are “grayed out” so to speak. The scores can still be viewed by all the schools. When you submit it, it all goes, except for those schools who have their own “supplements”-they only get those. </p>
<p>My feeling is those scores can be viewed by all the schools because there is a box where you tell the schools “additional info”. I had D put down “My cousin so & so is an alum of College X, Class of blah, blah”. She was angry with me because she said all the schools would be able to read it, which was true: it went to all the schools, not just to College X.
I pointed out to her that was the only place to put that family connection on the Common App, there was no other place for alumni connections like that. You do get to list your parents’ colleges & your siblings’ colleges.</p>
<p>Your D can make alternate versions of her app. I can’t remember exactly how but I think there is a link on the left that allows her to make the new version. My girls both used new essays for a couple of schools.</p>
<p>So now my S will be a frosh in the fall and he is leaving middle school with a GPA of 3.17 for his last semester. Thanks for starting this thread I am sure to be visiting many times over the next 4 years :)</p>
<p>"I had D put down “My cousin so & so is an alum of College X, Class of blah, blah”. She was angry with me because she said all the schools would be able to read it, which was true: it went to all the schools, not just to College X.I pointed out to her that was the only place to put that family connection on the Common App, there was no other place for alumni connections like that. You do get to list your parents’ colleges & your siblings’ colleges. "</p>
<p>The common app was not the place to put the information about a specific school. If you strongly felt it was significant (cousin influenced choice in the school because …xxxxx…and I visited cousin and fell in love with the school.) then it should be done in a communication with that school’s admissions office.</p>
<p>And…schools that have supplements or separate apps rarely ask alum relationship other than parents and siblings (occasionally grandparents.)</p>
<p>You do not need to submit the same common app to all schools. Different versions can be created and sent to different schools. To make an alternate version of the common app, check out #18 in this post by Geekmom.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1061624174-post31.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1061624174-post31.html</a></p>
<p>There are also directions for creating alternate versions here.</p>
<p><a href=“http://■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/question/index?qid=20081128183853AAiBpZF[/url]”>http://■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/question/index?qid=20081128183853AAiBpZF</a></p>
<p>2boysinma, DS entered his alumni data on the supplement for that school. They specifically asked it on the supplement, I assumed that’s where all colleges ask for it.</p>
<p>my-3-sons, thank you!</p>
<p>Thank you my-3-sons, that will help if S wants to do things differently, like make an alternative version. I was lucky just to get D to meet deadlines!</p>
<p>Glad the info helped.</p>
<p>Hello parents, I am a soon-to-be senior and was wondering if some of you could provide your input based on your experiences through this roller coaster we know as college admissions.</p>
<p>Overall, I am a solid student with a 3.5 GPA. I have an LD in Math, but have continued to take Math up until now and plan to do so in my senior year. I have pretty good extracurriculars and I think my essays should be good. Unfortunately, I am a poor test taker and it has shown in the ACT. I want to major in International Relations and I know that schools that offer the major such as MHC are test-optional. However, I am not sure what other schools that offer IR would be a good fit for someone like me who may not have stellar scores, but a solid transcript, good EC’s, etc? I hope that makes some sense. As you can see, I am pretty worried about my scores, especially with the ACT this Saturday.</p>
<p>I see that RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) has an “International Studies” major in their C.O.L.A. Is that the same as “International Relations”? </p>
<p>Also RIT is one of those schools that are listed in an LD book, they are noted for academic support & LD students… Plus RIT needs women, are you a female? I assume MHC is for Mt. Holyoke?</p>
<p>Yes, I’m speaking about Mount Holyoke College. I really like the school a lot and it is only 10 minutes away, so it would be close to home. As I mentioned before, it has an excellent IR program. </p>
<p>I’m not sure if International Studies is the same as IR because it differs from school to school, I think. The majority of the schools I have researched that offer International Studies as a major, it appears that you focus on one region of the world and learn about its culture, economy, etc. However, with IR, you are learning about the in’s and out’s of international politics.</p>
<p>Bard is test optional. Don’t know about IR, but they have seem to be a very internationally focused school. You might also check out Sarah Lawrence.</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.collegedata.com/cs/content/common_app_colleges.jhtml[/url]”>https://www.collegedata.com/cs/content/common_app_colleges.jhtml</a></p>
<p>Collegedata has the list of Common App schools for 2009 up, with Early Action, Early Decision, Regular Decision deadlines, Online fees, Teacher Recs and so on. </p>
<p>I hope I copied & pasted this OK, always computer challenged-lol.</p>
<p>SLUMOM - thanks for putting up that link. I was surprised to see that a couple of the schools that my son is looking to apply to do not take the common app. He won’t like that. He can’t get over how much work it is to apply to college. He had to fill out a 2 page for each teacher that he asked for a letter of recommendation and the guidance counselor… It is going to be a long summer!!!</p>
<p>I hear you, warriorboy, because I think the “Senior Profile” or similar type worded document was requested by the Guidance Office on November 1st & I believe the D turned it in around the middle of January! It was like pulling teeth the whole way with her!</p>
<p>It was a very good thing that all the schools took the Common App, talk about proscrastinating! I think if you opened up the dictionary to “proscrastinate” her picture would be there. Many parents probably feel the same way.</p>
<p>sushi_error
Congratulations on your achievements despite your disability. I wish you future success. How far away from home are you willing to go and, other than the major, what are you seeking in a school (small vs. large, city vs. rural, etc)? Wheaton in MA, Connecticut College and Fairfield in CT, and Hobart, Alfred and Marist in NY are all good schools receptive to 3.5 GPA applicants. Dickinson in PA and Goucher in MD are among many good options which are more distant. Often, the right “fit” at a college is more important than its alleged strength in your current planned major.</p>
<p>sushi_error, my son is interested in IR, so we’ve been scoping out the programs pretty closely. It’s true that in general, schools that call their programs “International Relations” or “International Affairs” tend to have a more poli-sci approach that focuses on diplomacy, war, power dynamics etc., while programs called “International Studies” or “Global Studies” tend to take a more cultural/area studies approach. But there are as many different flavors as there are schools, so it really pays to look closely at the course offerings & program requirements for each school and not just go by the name. Some IR programs are more interdisciplinary than others, while some IS/GS programs are more politically focused than others.</p>
<p>BTW, if you haven’t seen it already, here’s the current list of ‘test optional’ schools from FairTest.org:</p>
<p>[Optional</a> List | FairTest](<a href=“http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional]Optional”>ACT/SAT Optional List for Fall 2025 - Fairtest)</p>