OFFICIAL Common Application Questions Thread

<p>thenosam - I dont think such a field appears onthe common app. Perhaps you are thinking of a supplement? </p>

<p>radyland: it will take quite a while for the schools to file all the paperwork, so I am sure mailing it by the deadline is fine. If fact, they know you have nothing to do with those mailings. You wont look bad if they are a few days late. Just worry about your part, and track the rest. If you think the school should have received something, then try and find out what went wrong.</p>

<p>On the big essay, what topic should I choose?</p>

<p>I have already written an essay for English class but I am not sure what category it should go under.</p>

<p>My essay is about me playing music from my mp3 player at my home to entertain my diverse group of friends. It breaks and I don't invite them because I think they won't get along without the music. I fix it and invite them over. I tell them how I didn't invite them because I thought music was keeping them all together. They laugh at me. My final paragraph says that I actually do unite my diverse friends, but by having them laugh at me.</p>

<p>Here are the topics:
-Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
-Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
-Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
-Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
-A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
-Topic of your choice.</p>

<p>thanks anotherparent.</p>

<p>i was also looking through the forms upenn requires and saw the athletic form. do i have to fill this out for all the sports i do, even though i mentioned them in the activities section?</p>

<p>afruff - I would say it doesnt fit into any of the topics, so go with "Topic of your choice"</p>

<p>Do colleges open up files for you as soon as the first piece of information is received by them or do they open up the file when the application is received by them? Also, if they are missing a piece of information (for example, a teacher who doesnt submit a rec in time or guidance counselor doesn't send in her stuff in time) do the colleges notify you and give you a chance to send in the missing information? Or do they just reject the application because they have so many to choose from. </p>

<p>thanks for everyone's advise!</p>

<p>@anotherparent</p>

<p>You don't think it works with the diversity topic?:</p>

<p>-A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.</p>

<p>I've got a question. </p>

<p>When the supplements say "max 1000 characters" does that mean we should try to get to the 1000 character mark or is 700 enough, especially on the supplements with 4 questions each with 1000 character responses. Too be honest I don't know what to write for the last 300 characters :X</p>

<p>under the extracuriccular activities section, i have almost 20 hours a week on all my extra curriculars. I'm just curious - is this too much time, about right, or too little time spent on extra curriculars compared to applicants to top schools?</p>

<p>Does anyone know??</p>

<p>i was looking through the forms upenn requires and saw the athletic form. do i have to fill this out for all the sports i do, even though i mentioned them in the activities section?</p>

<p>
[quote]
When the supplements say "max 1000 characters" does that mean we should try to get to the 1000 character mark or is 700 enough, especially on the supplements with 4 questions each with 1000 character responses. Too be honest I don't know what to write for the last 300 characters

[/quote]

If you gave a well reasoned, complete answer in 700 words, stop.</p>

<p>Going over is usually a problem. Under is not nearly so, as long as you really answered the question, and told the reader something about you besides the literal response.</p>

<p>You should have someone who is good at editing look over each and every piece of writing. Don't let them rewrite it, but rather, just edit. It needs to be your voice coming through. It isn't the literal answer they really care about; it's who you are they are trying to get at.</p>

<p>
[quote]
i was looking through the forms upenn requires and saw the athletic form. do i have to fill this out for all the sports i do, even though i mentioned them in the activities section?

[/quote]

I think this is used for a sport you wish to be recruited for. One is all you typically use. If you aren't good enough to be recruited, but you think you can play at a varsity level, no harm in filling it out, but probably go with your best sport</p>

<p>I did a 4-week summer camp at a university, but it wasn't for credit. Right now I have it listed as one of my ECs, but I don't want to put 168 hours per week. Any suggestions? Is this the right place to put this?</p>

<p>
[quote]
I think this is used for a sport you wish to be recruited for. One is all you typically use. If you aren't good enough to be recruited, but you think you can play at a varsity level, no harm in filling it out, but probably go with your best sport

[/quote]
</p>

<p>well i am captain of both the cross country and distance track teams, but im not planning on continuing in college, so i guess i won't fill it out.</p>

<p>I was just wondering if it's all right to ask my teacher to fill out the teacher evaluation just once and photocopy it and send it to the schools? It seems kind of ridiculous to make my teacher fill out a copy for EVERY SCHOOL, but I just want to make sure photocopying evals is OK. Thanks for answering when you do!</p>

<p>photocoping is fine</p>

<p>Thank you! Also, is anyone signing the FERPA statement on the teacher eval form? There are two checkboxes, but even if we're not waiving our right to access the rec in the future, do we still sign it? Thanks.</p>

<p>this is gonna sound really stupid but i've been trying to figure this out for 30 minutes now... </p>

<p>how do you type in stuff on the computer- in the common app? </p>

<p>i got the text thingy appearing but it just won't type!!! </p>

<p>i have to type cuz my handwriting sucks... </p>

<p>anyone have an answer to my somewhat dull question?</p>

<p>To Bigreddawgie: I am sorry to bother you but I have a question regarding the teacher recommendations. My son is applying to eight schools; they all want recommendations. Four are part of the Common Application group. Are you sure, the teachers can fill out one recommendation form and then copy it for the other schools? Thanks very much, ottobar</p>

<p>You can use the CommonApp form for the 4 common app schools. The other ones need to use the school's form. A lot of times the way the teachers do it is create a blank page with the text of their recommendation, which they they attach to the form.</p>

<p>The high school has been through this before, a lot. Talk to the GC. In some schools, the Guidance office takes care of the mechanics: the teachers turn in the text, and Guidance makes the forms work. In most schools teachers do it themselves.</p>

<p>I was wondering the same thing as Viva la dana, does the essay have to have your name, date of birth, and high school if you're uploading it online? </p>

<p>Also, I know this goes under Additional info but I don't know how I should word it. I paid $120 for 3 college credits since I took a foreign language for four years. I am guaranteed those 3 credits as long as I keep an average of C or higher. These college credits are from one of the colleges in state, it's called midland credit or something along those lines. (It's some kind of partnership) When I am enrolled in college, the official document from the college will be sent to whatever college I'll be attending. How should I put this in the additional info section?</p>