<p>Yes, Xiggi, it's not a done deal yet. Those hanging chads need to be dealt with.</p>
<p>Seriously, let's see if this stands. Note that even the U has hedged its bets "barring any last-minute problems" like a faculty or alum revolt!</p>
<p>Interesting how the Uncommon becomes common!</p>
<p>"After all, I can't take advantage of this situation since I'm philosophically opposed to taking money from wealthy parents."</p>
<p>Well, I'm not. Money received from the sale of rotten fish doesn't smell; money received from the sale of a rabid dog doesn't bite. (old Tamil proverbs). ;)</p>
<p>Returning to the topic of the Common Application...</p>
<p>Ever since Virginia announced that it would be abolishing Early Decision, we have been speculating about when it will start to use the Common Application, but I haven't even seen any discussion of it. We were thinking that it would be part of a strategy to boost the number of applicants, particularly on the "higher end" where many of applicants' other choices are using the Common Application.</p>
<p>I'm no fan of the Common Application, but it is helpful to students and high school administrators. I've come to have a lot of compassion for the guidance counselors and others who have to handle the paperwork and to step in when things get lost or misfiled. And using a supplement (or supplements) certainly gives a college a lot of latitude.</p>
<p>Mini: Soooo this is why we have trial lawyers...</p>
<p>I find it interesting that Ted O'Neill is not commenting. This may indeed not be a done deal.
[quote]
Ted ONeill, dean of Admissions, declined interview requests with the Maroon.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The Chicago decision has been made. Both the Uncommon Application and the Common Application will be options. The Common Application can be submitted instead of the current Form 1 of the Uncommon Application. The Uncommon Essays will still be required for both applications.</p>
<p>Any movement on MIT?
I was totally put off by the attitude in their info session: "We don't use the Common Application because there is nothing common about MIT." So I'm supposed to think they are "special" because they make me waste time on keying in and checking information that is commonly requested by every college of university? Not!</p>
<p>I don't see what the big deal is. The supplements are plenty of work and allow the schools to individualize.</p>
<p>I'm still stuck on Carolyn's comment that only 300 schools use the common application ... I find that amazing. I would think all but the top 100-150 schools would take it ... for a school to accept the common app do they need to accept both paper and electronic versions? Maybe the need to accept electronic submissions is a gating factor for schools without a lot of bucks for infrastructure.</p>
<p>Someone else raised an interesting idea ... it would be great if a common data set could be designed for students ... and each high school could provide these data packets to schools electronically on demand (or they could automatically fill electronic applications) ... this would allow students to fill in the basics once into their individual common daa set and then it could populate all their apps.</p>
<p>Why not have the common application be a two-parter, one containing the factual information that every college collects, and the other containing the essay questions? Colleges which want to use their own essay questions could just make the second part of the common application optional. If students only applied to colleges with supplemental applications, they could submit only part one of the common application. No school is so uncommon that they don't ask for that basic information. </p>
<p>Making students fill out basic information over and over is a bit like making us parents fill out endless insurance, etc. forms each time we visit a new medical provider. Why can't THEY use standard forms so we could hand each one a copy?</p>