<p>My daughter used a combination -- she did not like the Common App web site so she used paper for all schools that were Common App only -- but she found that some schools had their own online application system or used another system that was more user-friendly, so for those she opted for online. For University of Chicago she did something creative with print formatting of her essay (including an image), so she opted for paper. As far as I recall, she was accepted at every college where she submitted a paper application... so no harm done. (And I am talking about colleges that were big reaches for her, including the one she now attends). </p>
<p>I do think my daughter saw college apps as an opportunity to show her creativity, and the Common App web site in particular seemed to be too restrictive for her tastes. I think that's a design problem -- it would be fine if the web site simply provided adequate space for students to type in their own information.</p>