<p>I am posing this experience as a cautionary note to anyone who is interested in Towson. I am also looking to hear from others who have applied to Towson this fall to see if their experience has been similar or different.</p>
<p>This is the first year that Towson has accepted the Common Application. We decided to take advantage of that and S2 applied to Towson using the CA in early August. More than 2 months have elapsed and we have not heard one word from Towson Admissions - either confirming receipt of his application or verifying that his file is complete. By contrast - every other college that he applied to sent an email confirmation confirming receipt of his application within 24 hours and has also confirmed that his file was complete by early October.</p>
<p>I called Towson in early September and was told that they had not started downloading from the CA website yet and would start doing so by early October. This begs the question - why start accepting the CA - knowing that students will apply in August - if you are not going to touch it for 2 months? I did log into my son's CA account at the end of September and was able to see that Towson had finally downloaded his app on 9/21.</p>
<p>The next issue is that we are in-state. The CA supplement did not have a section to answer the questions to confirm in-state residency. I called Towson admissions in August with this question and at first they did not believe me that the supplement lacked this section - then they told me to print out the pdf of the Towson application from their website - have my son fill out the section on Maryland residency by hand - and mail that to Towson! Really - could they find a more convoluted and inefficient way to handle this? Thought it was absurd - but we did so.</p>
<p>Now we are in early October - and still no communication from Towson. I called again this past week and was told they are still "creating files" and that my son should hear something "soon". I find it hard to comprehend how Towson is unable to do what the other universities have done by now - confirm receipt of the application and confirm that his file is complete. This experience with Towson has been annoying at best and while Towson was not at the top of my son's list anyway - it really sours me on the school. Plus I feel like I threw $50 out the window.</p>
<p>So - has anyone else applied to Towson? Did you use the CA or Towson's own application? What has your experience been so far?</p>
<p>If you are interested in applying to Towson and have not done so yet - I strongly recommend that you use their own application - which ties right into their online status checker - rather than the CA. I was told at one point that applicants who applied using the CA would receive instructions on how to use the online status checker in September - obviously that has not happened.</p>
<p>I think this is more of a cautionary tale to read the applications before submitting them. I often advise my students to read the applications before filling them out and file the application that best serves you. Just because schools take the common app, it does not necessarily mean that it would be the best application for the student to submit (for example if your son was applying to the Honors college). </p>
<p>Since Towson is new to the common app, I think some of your frustration could have been alleviated if you had taken a moment to read the application. If you saw that the common app supplement did not include anything about residency information nor did it direct you to a Towson supplement to establish residency, you would have been able to see right then and there that since you are in state in MD, that perhaps you would be better served taking a few minutes and filing the school’s application instead of the common app. Minimally, you would have put a self addressed post card in with the application and you would have known if the school received your application.</p>
<p>sybbie - very valid points - and again - I want to spread the word to others who are considering applying to Towson. You are completely correct that if I had looked at the pdf of the Towson application - and then looked at the CA supplement and noted the missing info on the in-state residency - I probably would have changed gears at that point and we would have stuck with the Towson app rather than the Common App. And you are also right about the in-state paperwork that we mailed in - the mailing address was a PO Box - but we could have included a stamped return postcard with it.</p>
<p>Meanwhile - I have emailed the regional rep from Towson for our county and am curious to see if and when I hear back from him.</p>
<p>I might also suggest that even if you are guiding behind the scenes, have your son be the contact to the office and the one to be filling out these forms.</p>
<p>He has been the one filling out the forms - if I use “we” - that’s just a figure of speech. As far as him being the one to call the admissions office - it’s more of a logistical issue - as it is for so many families. It is rare that we are both home during normal business hours and I would like to be present for the call. I might put more stock in him calling if we were talking about a small elite LAC - for Towson - they can’t even confirm that he has applied yet - so it’s not like someone is making a notation in his file that his mother has called!</p>
<p>I agree with Pizzagirl’s advice,particularly when dealing with a regional rep. Younger son had some things he had to contact a couple of colleges re: his applications . The contact was always between him and the colleges even though I did support him “behind the scenes.” rockvillemom, your son could email if a phone call does not fit his schedule.</p>
<p>I do generally agree with your advice - but in this particular case - with a large impersonal university - I just don’t think it makes as much difference. From my work experience - lots of parents call to check on the status of their student’s applications. Not saying it is the perfect way to handle it - but I think admissions offices are used to it and I sincerely doubt it matters unless the parent goes way overboard - and I don’t think one email rises to that level.</p>
<p>Anyone else apply to Towson this fall? I’m hoping to get some feedback from other parents whose son/daughter has applied to Towson to compare notes on what their experience has been.</p>
<p>I’m constantly amazed by public universities that refuse to have admissions information sessions and tours on Saturdays, even during the peak Fall season.</p>
<p>happymom - since you are a Maryland resident - definitely recommend using Towson’s own app rather than the Common App. Best of luck to happykid.</p>
<p>When D was applying to colleges, UMass’s info session told us that although they take the Common App, they’ve found that kids using the CA had numerous technical problems, while problems with UMass’s own application were virtually nil. They promised they did not view either application differently; just wanted to let us know that if we wanted to avoid technical glitches we would be better off using their application.</p>
<p>OTOH, all of S’s colleges took the Common App and he had no trouble with any of them - but all were small-ish LACs.</p>
<p>stradmom - actually public vs. private has not factored into this at all. He has had a wonderful response from James Madison - immediate confirmation of receipt of his app - followed by info on using their online status checker just a few days later. He was able to verify online last week that his JMU app is complete - and - he also rcvd an email from JMU on Friday further confirming that his app is complete. Also had a similarly positive experience with South Carolina - another school with prompt email communication and another app that he has been able to confirm via their online status checker that it is complete.</p>
<p>The only discernible difference is that neither of these universities use the Common App - he used JMUs and USC’s own application - which I guess ties in directly to all of their systems - immediate confirmation of receipt of application - online status checker, etc. I think the problem with Towson is that this is their first year using the Common App and it is not integrated into the rest of their admissions systems. But - you’d think this would be a foreseeable problem that they would have prepared for.</p>
<p>Regarding having to mail in proof of residency information, we’ve had to mail quite a bit of extra paperwork to prove residency in Maryland for both of my sons. Probably because we are military and don’t pay state income taxes, but we’ve had to send in a veritable packet of paperwork (to U-MD, not Towson, but I assume it would have been the same process).</p>
<p>I’ve found that every school has always let us know one way or another if something is missing from the application and/or that the application is complete…eventually. Some were quicker than others with notifications.</p>
<p>My bad - and I really did know JMU is public…but its a wakeup call about what life will be like at a school if you find the admissions office unresponsive. I’ll give them a pass on rolling admissions until the end of October, but if you’ve contacted them and are still unimpressed, keep it in mind when you send in that deposit!</p>
<p>I received a very thorough, cordial and helpful response to my email from Towson admissions and want to share a few points.</p>
<p>First - they acknowledge growing pains this year due to switching to both the Common Application a digital imaging system.</p>
<p>Second - my son should have received a link with the status checker link and password - since he did not - they re-sent it and we are now able to see what is in and what is missing.</p>
<p>Third - they have changed their time frame and will now begin releasing decisions in early December. The days where they started giving decisions in October/November are gone - hence - they are not rushing to process applications submitted in August.</p>
<p>So - I was happy with the response and will now be patient! :)</p>
<p>My D did not apply to Towson, but did apply last year to one school where it was their first year with the Common App. We did not have the issues you describe, but there were definitely issues that caused great frustration.</p>
<p>I would warn anyone applying to a school where it is their first year with the common app (or any online app) to start early - I think glitches are common. And the thing is, the school doesn’t know about them until the complaints/questions start coming in.</p>
<p>I am also from MD but went to JMU. I hope your son gets into JMU – Towson cannot compare to the atmosphere and school spirt in Hburg!! I still live MD and my daughter applied to JMU last week (could the application be any easier?) and received numerous confirmations. VT may be another good option for your son.</p>
<p>Hi - JMU is towards the top of his list and his app there is complete! And yes - VT is also an option. We mistakenly believed that Towson was still releasing decisions in October - as they had in past years - so he applied with the goal of having his first acceptance before Halloween! Had I known they were not going to begin releasing decisions until December - it might have fallen off the list. S2 loved his visit to JMU last year and it’s always good to hear from another parent who thinks highly of the school.</p>
<p>Uh oh. D is applying to Salisbury as her instate safety. It’s also their first year with the CA. Thanks for the warning. I might try to get her to abandon the CA and start over on the Salisbury app. (Or, maybe not. The counselor already did her CA part. Drat.)</p>
<p>H and I are both Towson alum. Our expierences in the 1980’s were so underwhelming that we strongly discouraged both kids from applying. Sad, but true.</p>