I’ve never heard of this, but I actually like the idea. If Cappex holds the line on “no extra school-specific supplements” that sounds like a win for kids who are not shooting for the stars.
Elite schools that have to plow through tens of thousands of applications and make fine distinctions between dozens of equally qualified kids for each spot have a different problem than schools who just need to weed out one in 6 or 7 kids out of a much smaller pool.
There should be a niche for a “simple and will stay that way” app.
The counselors at my D’s school said the Coalition Application is the only application the University of Florida will be accepting this year. They are not on the Common App and will not be providing their own application as they have in previous years.
According to sources, UF, UMD and possibly U Washington will be Coalition exclusive this year. Wonder what that will do to their application #s?
Of course, its only June, so this could change. Stay tuned.
Our high school guidance department told me that they do not know much about it. They had NO idea that some schools might exclusively use it. It was news to them. Apparently nobody reached out to schools yet.
Nobody knows which schools are accepting the Coalition app the first year! 23 schools have decided to delay their participation. The Coalition refuses to say which schools those are.
It looks like quite a number of schools that were planning to use the Coalition App for the coming admissions cycle are now backpedaling and are going to hold off a year. Here’s a link:
Now it turns out that a few dozen members of the coalition (which is now up to 93) don’t plan to use the application during the next admissions cycle. Coalition leaders say this isn’t a big deal, but some high school guidance counselors disagree – especially since the coalition will not say which colleges are opting out of the application. In online discussions of admissions issues – in which some counselors and college officials have been critical of the coalition from its launch – officials said they were taken aback when they heard at coalition presentations that as many as 40 colleges might be opting out of the new application this year.
Um, if nearly half of the ones that had previously committed are now backtracking on going live, what does that say about the Coalition App’s viability for the 2017 admissions cycle?
I agree with those that say that – if and when it ever becomes fully functional – the Coalition app will benefit elite schools and the already neurotic high achieving students with private counselors and supportive families. The underserved populations will be even less served than they are now!
If the people behind this effort really wanted to do this properly, they should put their money where their mouths are and provide mentors and training for underserved kids. Moreover, they should have implemented this change beginning with the HS class of 2021 so that students would have time to set up their lockers, etc. and not have to scramble three years later.
At least when the College Board pulled the rug out from under the HS class of '17 with the new SAT, they set up some free SAT prep with Khan Academy and did a more gradual roll-out.
The reality is that a high percentage of the most competitive applicants (or their parents) start planning out the type of high school record they want to produce by the eighth grade anyway. That is how they get to the most competitive high schools and qualify for the most challenging academic schedules. (You can’t take Honors English I in 9th grade if you did not prepare in middle school). This is just an effort to get more lower-income and first generation kids into the pool of applicants that will be competitive at these elite schools. Will it create more stress? Probably.
According to their website, 58 schools are using their application system for this application cycle and the remaining 36 will use it for the 2017/2018 cycle. The schools are listed - who knows if this list is accurate.
It will be especially stressful for students that have not saved graded samples of their work, late bloomers, and those who didn’t really start thinking about schools until junior year. My D17 is about as high achieving as they come, but was not at all interested in visiting or thinking about schools this year. And so much the better – it gave her time to focus on her interests and develop her passions without worrying how things are going to look to ADCOMS.
So my D just created an account on the Coalition website. However, after verifying her account, she was unable to do more. Once she clicked on the “I am applying to college” button (versus the one for a support person) in order to customize her profile, nothing happened–no new screens appeared. Is this a technical problem unique to us, or do they really not even have the platform ready yet?
Ugh. I’ve had my head buried in the sand with regard to this one because I wrongly thought that none of DD’s schools would be on the list. Sadly, our state flagship (UMD) is on the list and has a note on the admissions website that applications for the fall of 2017 will begin on Aug. 1, via the Coalition. Virginia Tech is also on the list … their website right now doesn’t say anything about the Coalition and only references their own application portal. Oy… Hopefully the interface via Naviance is truly easy. If that is the case, then the transcript and recommendation letter process should be painless, whereas having to deal with individual school portals was definitely not.
But on the topic of whether this really has anything to do with less-advantaged kids or not … I’d say yes, for those less-advantaged kids that live in an advantaged school district. In our Very Advantaged and Well-Educated County, we have a not-insignificant and growing immigrant population, and not-insignificant numbers of children whose parents are not plugged in or aware of what is involved in navigating the process of applying to college. Even here, we just in the last 2 years started using Naviance, and now also have Canvas in the high schools. With the introduction of these tools, the guidance department has started actively interacting with kids a few times a year via their English classes, beginning in 9th grade … assigning them tasks to be completed on Naviance (e.g., interest surveys, strengths finders, resumes, etc.). So disadvantaged kids sitting in these classrooms are being introduced to concepts earlier and led to/through the process now in a way that they were not even 2 years ago. Will this help a disadvantaged kid in a disadvantaged school district? I’m guessing, not likely.
It shouldn’t have much of an impact on UF’s numbers. It’s dominated by in-state applicants and the Coalition app is replacing UF"s app (UF doesn’t use the Common App). For a in-state student, the application link on UF website just takes you to a different app.
It “may” increase OOS apps, but it’s likely not going to have a significant effect the number of OOS students that enroll (more OOS my apply, but the yield will likely be lower). UF wants to increase the % of OOS Freshman students (Fall 2014 it was 8%), and the Coalition App is one step in that direction.
So one thing I’d like clarification on… From some of the posts here it sounds like over time they’re moving toward wanting a “portfolio” of work as a part of the application process. But if they do, then only kids who have bothered to accumulate a portfolio over years would be able to apply to such schools. I can’t imagine that’s actually the intent of The Locker … that certainly wouldn’t be expanding access, but narrowing it. I personally don’t really see the point of The Locker…
Have I mentioned lately how very happy I am that my three are finished with this process?
(Personally, we kept copies of all this stuff, anyway, but it adds yet another layer of complexity, another site to keep track of, another set of logins and passwords, more possibilities of glitches, another site to crash, another set of customer service people to put people on endless hold…)
And by the way, who is paying for use of this site? The colleges? The high schools? Individual students?
Ailinsh, the colleges aren’t asking for s portfolio. They are making it possible to collect some sort of records. Yes, with the pitfalls eadtcoastcrazy mentions.
But for some kids and their mentors, a structured option will be more effective than leaving it to chance.
Personally, I don’t use the cloud. I know what to save and how to back it up. This seems to formalize something similar.
I’m still wondering though, if there’s something different or better about the app itself, how much this started with general dissatisfaction with the CA. Filling it out is only half the problem. How it downloads to schools is another.
Only if you think nearly everything is contrived. Ha. AP calc? Must be padding. Head of a club? Must be grubbing a title. Vol work? Oh how transparent. ?
I don’t think any of these colleges are looking for subpar kids, academically or otherwise. Nor do I think most successful applicants to holistics just pull off the top of their heads.
This new platform could be stress free if the Locker contains a student’s school records from K-12 and follows him if he moves to another school. All the student needs to do is to be himself and add something he chooses. Colleges have an evolving profile of each student and can offer likely letters early on.
"The Locker offers a private space for students to collect and organize materials throughout their high school journey. Whether collecting thoughts on college options or storing classwork or personal writing, students can confidentially save documents that may be useful later in their college search or application.
Students can maintain a record of their interests and activities, collect letters of support from instructors, coaches, or supervisors. All of this information will prepare students, particularly those from lower-resourced schools, to complete their college application in their senior year.
Access to these resources will be especially important for students at lower-resourced schools, but we expect these tools to help all students who choose to use them. The student controls their Locker, and is the only one with access to the Locker. Students can share documents in the Collaboration Space with their counselors, teachers, and mentors who can provide guidance.
Finally, a student may choose to attach materials from the Locker to their Coalition Applications; however, colleges will neither have access to nor be able to review the Locker itself."