Previewing the Common App? Can it be done?

<p>You used to be able to pick up a hard copy of the common app in the high school guidance office, And/or your could print a pdf. of the application. It gave you a chance to preview what the questions were.</p>

<p>The HS guidance dept said no longer available-- they were shocked and dismayed. They even tried setting up a dummy account to preview and found it couldn't be done- not sure why.</p>

<p>I am helping a student and looking to check out the application before meeting with him. Any thoughts? </p>

<p>This seems like a gross omission by the Common App. Doesn't it penalize families who do not have ready access to the internet?</p>

<p>I found a note in the dashboard tab about half way down on the right that said that only after you submit it will a print preview pdf be created that we can print for our records. They also state that they are completely paperless.</p>

<p>Once all required portions of the app are checked as complete and a school is selected, you will have the opportunity to hit “submit”. Once you do that, the option to preview becomes available. You can still edit after previewing and before actually submitting. If you are eager to preview something but haven’t completed the whole app, fill in dummy language in the blank sections just to get to the submit button.</p>

<p>^
Ummm if you hit the submit button with dummy info won’t that be sent to the colleges? Or is there another step to actually “submit” to them?</p>

<p>The first time you see submit, nothing is sent. It just takes you to the start of the submission process which includes preview, fee payment, etc.</p>

<p>thanks a lot Niceday
I guess i’ll try that.</p>

<p>i guess you won’t be penalized for typing in dummy info.<br>
and it’s such a shame that the new commonapp. doesn’t allow the hard copy anymore.</p>

<p>I think OP is asking about a blind copy. We used to be able to see the format online, all the blank questions, without filling it out- fwiw, I can’t get into that, either, to see what is the same, what changed. Maybe someone will call CA and ask.</p>

<p>Many of the questions are interactive, if you select yes you get a different set of follow on choices than if you select no, and there are many drop down lists from which to select. That makes it difficult to print a blank form. </p>

<p>The only official guides I’ve found this year are at this link under ‘reference documents’, and they aren’t particularly helpful. <a href=“https://appsupport.commonapp.org/link/portal/33011/33013/Article/780/Training-Resources[/url]”>https://appsupport.commonapp.org/link/portal/33011/33013/Article/780/Training-Resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/common-application/1538066-print-preview-tips.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/common-application/1538066-print-preview-tips.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;