<p>My son's school had their second college night for this group of seniors. Being a librarian who has presented financial aid and the college application process programs, I feel like I am familiar with the topic. plus CC has really made me aware of all the newest trends. That said, there is very little mention of the Common App and it certainly not encouraged, actually students are encouraged to stop by the Guidance Office and pick up an application - WTH! My son just finished applying to 5 schools - 2 on VIP applications and 3 on the common app, his counselor called him in and she is not comfortable with this. She wanted to see the entire application (he gave her the required resume etc). The Guidance Office wants to mail everything from there. Why are they taking these kids back ten years - I felt strongly he should deal with this, but I finally put a call in, since the damage is done and the applications are in. She is nice, seems competent but not progressive in the new tools available. Is anyone else runnning in to this - this is a school of less than 1,000.</p>
<p>My D's private school GC insisted on mailing hardcopy apps from his office. But he was competent so we had no objection. He insisted on a minimum of eight colleges, and yes he did encourage kids to use the Common App.</p>
<p>Wow! She is behind the times!</p>
<p>Although, for your son, I wouldn't say "the damage is done." I'd say, "Good for him!"
There is no reason that the high school counselor needs to mail in the application. I can understand why you called her, and hopefully she won't hold it against your son. Perhaps he could get his counselor letters printed out and organized and ready to give her, as well as the mid-year report forms, along with his resume so that she feels she has some control. I also wouldn't make too big a deal about this until your son is accepted into his schools. You never know how she might take it. (sorry to be so paranoid, but it's just human nature to take offense at criticism.)
My kids' HS counselor was encouraging common apps online five years ago!
She found it hard to convince the parents that this was more than ok with the colleges. She did encourage the kids to come in for any help they needed, and held application workshops late junior year. She encouraged the students to take control of their process- I liked her approach.</p>
<p>My sons' HS guidance office used to be the same way about wanting to mail everything in themselves, but eventually they realized that the Common App and electronic apps from the individual schools were so much easier. They finally compromised on having the student print out the proof of submission page and turn it in to the guidance office to be put into the file. This way the GC had proof that it was submitted timely.</p>
<p>Maybe you could suggest this as an alternative?</p>
<p>Our counselor's office asked the kids to print off proof of submission page for each college applied to. The counselor collected all the LORs, transcript, resume, etc. and mailed everything else in together. Basically, if it could be submitted online it was, but the office collected everything else. It worked out quite well.</p>
<p>I have never heard of having to prove to the GC that you actually applied to a school. Both my S in their respective senior years just gave the specific forms for each school applying. GCs now electronically submit their material if possible. Not all schools S2 applied to this fall subscribed to the specific electronic service, so those were mailed. </p>
<p>Who would ask a GC to submit material to a school student was not really applying? It makes the kid look bad, not the GC.</p>
<p>My school is also doing this...saying that colleges prefer hard copy to online-even though we were directly told to apply online if it was at all possible b/c people have to either re-type or scan</p>
<p>I like patsmom's suggestion. </p>
<p>Our hs says they'd rather mail a hard copy, unless the college is waiving the fee for applying online. But when DS did ALL his apps via the Common App online, the GC had no problem with it. Honestly, I don't trust the Post Office and piles and piles of paper in an admissions office. And Guidance still had to mail all the hardcopies of the recs, transcript, etc.</p>
<p>If the colleges are telling you they prefer you to apply online (and the waived fees for applying online are telling me some schools STRONGLY prefer online apps), why in the world would anyone go against that? If you want the school to admit you, then do things the way they want them done, if at all possible!</p>
<p>S's GC said to use the Common Ap -class of 80-and to apply to 5 schools. Actually, I am a little surprised at this post (thanks though) as I had the impression that Common Ap was the thing everyone is doing. Went through this 7 years ago just before the Common Ap -so feel new!</p>
<p>We did CA online for everything and the school sent the rest - school statement, rec's, transcripts, etc. But its a small school. Although I would think that larger schools would prefer this method as its less work for them.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
My school is also doing this...saying that colleges prefer hard copy to online-even though we were directly told to apply online if it was at all possible b/c people have to either re-type or scan
[/QUOTE]
Oh no!</p>
<p>Most schools get a data file each night from Common App, which is directly loaded into their computer system. If you send hard copies, staffers have to hand enter data into the system. IF the schools reads online (and plenty do), they also have to scan the documents into the system and link them to the account they just manually created for the applicant. This process is tedious, even in the most advanced student information systems like PeopleSoft Campus Solutions and Banner.</p>
<p>Online submission is the fastest, most reliable method of submission (I'm preaching to the choir, aren't I?). We know there are some GCs that are insisting on seeing your apps, but I don't think they should be allowed to dictate to a student that they can't submit online.</p>
<p>With electronic submission, you have so many checks to make sure items arrive. You'll see the date you submitted and the date the file was loaded by the school on your Common App status pages. Then, most of your schools will provide you with info about logging into their systems so you can monitor your credentials as they arrive.</p>
<p>Also, there are some schools where the applicaton fees are waived if you apply online, but must bepaid if sent in paper. This should also be pointed out to GC's.</p>
<p>We are at a small school in Asia and the GC ALWAYS recommends that the kids use the Common Application, or apply online at the college website.</p>
<p>Question, how does one access electronic app for recs?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.commonapp.org%5B/url%5D">www.commonapp.org</a> has the Common App for 300+ colleges. If the college you want to apply to does not participate in the Common App (the Common App website has a list), then go to the college's website and look under Admissions to see if they have an online app.</p>
<p>Our school seems to be up on new technology. Most teachers would rather get an E-Mail from a parent (easier to answer at any time), the school has gone to an online system to allow parents to track grades, and the GCs assign everyone an access code as a junior to track college entrance information. And they recommend the common app.</p>
<p>OP, what is the ratio of students to GC at the school? It's hard to imagine GCs getting so involved in the process. Our GCs have around 500 students each, which would be about 125 seniors. I'm pretty sure that my son could fail to apply to *any schools *and the GC's wouldn't know or care.</p>