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Do all schools do this?
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<p>.karrupt., the obvious answer is NO -- not all schools do "this" (or anything else for that matter). It's a virtual guarantee that when discretion is allowed (as is the case for individual colleges and their respective admissions application processes), that not all will follow standard practices. Not all schools will provide online acceptance notification... not all want SAT scores, not all are need-blind, not all accept the Common Application, not all have rolling admissions, etc. </p>
<p>Specific to online acceptance notification, my daughter was advised of her acceptance via snail mail and so was her friend who now attends MIT (this year, accepted applicants were sent a tubular package with goodies inside). If MIT, a school of known technological adeptness, doesn't choose to offer online acceptance notification, it demonstrates how arbitrary schools can be. You get what you get. </p>
<p>Regarding what you think is "unfair", why would you think something is "unfair" when you have options? If a schools is letting you know that it "strongly recommends" you apply online, why do you wish to ignore their stated preference and submit a paper-based app -- and then complain about the known implications? This is self-created resentment that holds very little credibility. The fact of the matter is that access to the Internet is near ubiquitous for H.S. students in the U.S. If you are smart enough to apply to UVA, you are likely smart enough to know how to gain access to the Internet. I would guess that there are very few applicants without access to this communications medium, and in those cases, a paper application may be the ONLY alternative.</p>
<p>More importantly, here are some of the reasons why college admissions departments highly recommend online applications:</p>
<ul>
<li>Immediate, verified receipt and tracking of applications.</li>
<li>More accurate and complete applications (e.g., online field validations will catch errors or omitted data, interjecting error messages before application is submitted).</li>
<li>With some schools receiving tens of thousands of applications, it is easier to deal with the volume electronically (you may not like being a "number", but you'll find out later in life that you are only a SSN to many).</li>
<li>Electronic, online applications are more economical for schools -- if everybody submitted paper apps, the additional people resources required for processing would ultimately boost the cost of education for students who ultimately enroll (yes, that means you, potentially).</li>
<li>For the benefit of the school and for the applicant, there is the added assurance that information submitted online is indeed accurate -- if a school has to do data entry of your information and makes an error on an important field (i.e., your SSN, your address, your e-mail address, your telephone number), who is to blame? Pointing fingers may not change the consequences of human error. Better to take personal control and bypass the potential for such possible errors (and trust me, human errors happen all the time).</li>
</ul>
<p>If you have the wherewithal, my strong recommendation (as is the case with many schools) is to apply online. Save yourself the potential grief and resentment. And hey... good luck to you! :)</p>