New Common App Recommendation System?

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hey all, so I finally decided to start working on my Common App and I noticed that they completely revamped the recommendations system from the past (or at least, I'm pretty sure they did...). If I'm reading this right, it seems like this year we have to invite all the profs we want recommendations from, onto the site and then they fill whatever they need to on the website? Last year, I just printed out the common app prof evaluation sheet and gave it to 2 profs and they returned it to me so I could sent out a copy to all my colleges (I know colleges want confidential evaluations but my profs didn't want to send my evaluations to all of my colleges). </p>

<p>Now my plan had been to reuse one recommendation from last year and then get a new one but that doesn't really seem to option anymore because I don't think I'll be able to reuse the old one and it'd be extremely awkward for me if I were to ask the same profs as I did last year, for a new one. Overall, though this update puts me in a very odd place. I also noticed some of my schools want as many as 3 recommendations and I'm in an odd position finding any because my all professors almost exclusively teach juniors and above, which means they all likely have never written a transfer evaluation before and will be fairly awkward explaining the whole process, especially when I don't even know how it works.</p>

<p>Because of this, I want to make sure I get this process right the first time. My most pressing question revolves the basic process. Does what basically happens is that I invite a prof onto the common app via email or something, they fill out a generic evaluation of me, then that evaluation shows up in my profile (and can't see), and then I can assign that evaluation to any number of schools that I want? (my varying schools have varying amounts of available recommendations so I need to be able to select what ones I want for the ones with less than 3)</p>

2

<p>Bump. Any advice is greatly appreciated!</p>

3

<p>I didn’t respond earlier as I hoped that someone who is currently using the new CA would respond. My comments about the CA process are based on how HS teacher LORs are done via the CA, and the assumption that college prof LORs are similar. Hopefully others will chime in with corrections or confirmation.</p>

<p>On the CA, you should be able to submit a list of profs for LORs, giving email and other contact information. The CA automatically sends an invitation to the profs you listed to upload their LOR. When they show up on the CA as having uploaded LORs, you can select whichever profs you want for each school.</p>

<p>As far as the 2 profs from last year, they likely have copies of the LOR in a file and would be willing to upload them in the new system. </p>

<p>I don’t think that Profs only teaching jr and above classes is a problem with them writing you a transfer LOR. The LOR really has nothing to do with transferring, it’s about their evaluation of your academic record, potential, work ethic, etc.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the response entomom! That was all really helpful! That’s mostly what I would have surmised and if anybody has any experience with the system, that would be greatly appreciated too.</p>

<p>Also, in regards to my two profs from last year, do you think that the new common app system has a place where you can upload a file or do you think that evaluators only have the option to fill in responses to an online form? In regards to to my profs writing the actual LOR, my only struggle is with them knowing I’m transferring. Maybe I just had a tough time with it last year but my profs last year were not very enthusiastic when I told them I wanted to transfer. And this year I’ll probably end up asking profs who wanted to take me under their wing for research so it’s a little awkward but oh well, it’ll all work out in the end.</p>