<p>Just wanted to double check that this is how schools normally assist with applications? Do most schools require that their students share their user name and password of their common Application account with the academic counselor? We were told that this was necessary for the counselor to go in and fill in some of the CA information that is required, but we are not allowed to see - namely, graduating class size. I'm not sure how they do that on the App, but keep it hidden. D is trying to get an application in very soon, but her application is currently incomplete because this detail is missing (and yes, she does still need to paste in her essay). Do schools then somehow lock the application so she can't go back in and change/see it after the counselor has gone in and added things - as would be the case if this was a paper application? FWIW, the school uses Naviance, and her CA is successfully linked to that.</p>
<p>The counselor is new this semester, and D and I keep feeling like we are 2nd guessing her all the time because of this. So I'd rather find out if this is standard procedure before we go back to her yet again. We need her on our side this year!</p>
<p>No! Your school is mistaken! Never EVER give your password to anyone. You can input this yourself. Or does the school not want to share it with you? Once they put it on the app, you can see it. So, I don’t know why the counselor would do this. Anyways, its incredibly inappropriate for the counselor to access her application. I have never ever heard of this at all. Perhaps the counselor is not familiar with CA at all.</p>
<p>Well, I’ve put in a call to the Dean of Academics about this. The counselor simply told me and D this was necessary, and my daughter complied with her demand because she is under pressure to get this done fast and was told they needed everything in place by last Monday. The only thing that is missing from her CA is the size of the graduating class. I’m not sure why that needs to be considered confidential information? The school publicizes its size, so if you divide by 4…</p>
<p>Her GPA is already posted on Naviance in plain sight. They don’t release rank until the 3rd quarter. So the only currently missing piece of information that they are using to justify needing her password is graduating class size.</p>
<p>Edited Post]
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Moderator</p>
<p>And yes, the school (Dean) confirms that this is how they handle this at her school. They apparently need the password to link their information to hers. So doesn’t sound like it is optional in her situation. Just bizarre when, in most instances like you say, Guineagirl, it is drilled into us to never share a password with anyone.</p>
<p>I am not sure about this, but I think to link the student’s common application to Naviance, the school needs the user name and password so that it can use Naviance to send the students recommendations and other info to the common application. </p>
<p>The school doesn’t actually log on to the common app, but it has to link the students Naviance account to that students particular application via the students log on information. </p>
<p>It would be good to only use a password for the common app that is not used as a password for other personal information. </p>
<p>“I think to link the student’s common application to Naviance, the school needs the user name and password so that it can use Naviance to send the students recommendations and other info to the common application.”</p>
<p>Exactly what the school says - however counter intuitive that may feel to common wisdom on these things.</p>
<p>The part that you don’t see is the counselor recommendation. It includes info like class size, student rank, rigor of classes. Some of this is also on the student’s part of the CA. The counselor rec, and teacher recs are always sent separately and the student generally waives rights to see them.</p>
<p>There really isn’t much on the CA that the GC doesn’t already know. Just use a user name/password that is unique to the CA.</p>
<p>Our school did not need my daughters common app info for linking. They had us link it at home. I think the counselor must not understand. And I don’t think the GC should be entering info on the student entered portions of the app. It’s a slippery slope to filling in their class schedule and activities? </p>
<p>While it is true that the GC report (like any letters going thru Navaince) will be blinded from the student, I can’t for the life of me figure out why the graduating class size would be secret info? That ought to be available to every student, parent and taxpayer in the district. </p>
<p>Probably a good idea to use a unique password in every situation.</p>
<p>I’ll let you know how the student part of the missing information (class size) goes before the end of the month (when the application is due). That is the part that lies outside the counselor recommendation. That is the part that somehow needs to be ‘filled in’ by someone, but apparently, not the student. Worst case scenario, I’ll suggest she fill in an estimate and send a note to the college admissions office explaining why she felt she needed to do that, if the school doesn’t fill it in and CA continues to flag the application as incomplete & inadmissable because of it. </p>
<p>VSG, you may be right - they may not truly understand how this works. D already linked her accounts at home, also, and both her CA and Naviance account acknowledge this. And I agree. The class size ought not to be a grand mystery. </p>
<p>Just an update: the counselor went in and filled in the missing fields on the student portion (student had claimed class ranking as ‘none’ because it is not released to students until later in senior year, but the counselor updated this part for her in terms of a percentage grouping, as well as class size). So yes, it is all a bit strange that this ‘confidential’ information that the student is not allowed to access or input themselves, is now revealed & openly available to her in her own application, via a 3rd party. I can only surmise that the system is too confusing for them to fully understand and/or their policies are outdated.</p>
<p>Now that the counselor has done her thing, your DD should change her password. Who know where the counselor may have written down or stored your DS’s login/password info!</p>