The Univeristy of New Hampshire has put something in writing that we have heard colleges say "off the record" for many years. As part of their Common Application Guidelines mailing that we just received they say the following about Additional Documents:
Many students are submitting resumes and other documents not specifically requested as part of their admissions applications. These documents are unncessary and add little or no value to the application review process since we can read this information from properly completed admissions applications. Wherever possible, we discourage students from submitted resumes and other documents not specifically requested.
I have often wondered why students feel the need to attach a resume to their Common Application after they have filled out the activities section of the Common Application. There is no need to list information twice in two different formats. If you are not sure if or when it is relevant to submit additional information, please ask!
Published by:TSM
Showing posts with label Common Application. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Common Application. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Yes You Can: Create an Alternate Version of Your Common Application
I just had a panicked student in my office who had "heard from someone in the Lodge" that she could not change her Common Application once she submitted it. Since she's submitting it tonight for an October 15th deadline, she was pretty worried.
While it's true that you cannot alter an application once it is submitted to a college (ie, when you hit the send button and send your Common app to UVA, you cannot change what has been sent to UVA) you can most certainly edit your Common Application before you send it out to other schools.
It's called Creating An Alternate Version and you can find instructions for how to do this on the Common Application website. Here is a PDF that also explains it.
https://www.commonapp.org/commonapp/docs/alternateversiontechnologyfaq.pdf
I'm so glad the Rumor of The Day has been dispelled!
Published by:TSM
While it's true that you cannot alter an application once it is submitted to a college (ie, when you hit the send button and send your Common app to UVA, you cannot change what has been sent to UVA) you can most certainly edit your Common Application before you send it out to other schools.
It's called Creating An Alternate Version and you can find instructions for how to do this on the Common Application website. Here is a PDF that also explains it.
https://www.commonapp.org/commonapp/docs/alternateversiontechnologyfaq.pdf
I'm so glad the Rumor of The Day has been dispelled!
Published by:TSM
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Another One Bites the Dust
News flash for juniors - The University of Southern California will join the Common Application next year.
You may be interested to know that there is a lot of spirited conversation/debate about the Common Application in the college admissions profession. For a quick primer about the history of the Common Application and why the newsflash above is more than just a point of information, read this excellent article from the Chronicle of Higher Education.
http://chronicle.com/blogs/headcount/the-gravitational-pull-of-the-common-application/27090
Do you feel smarter now?
Filed by TSM
You may be interested to know that there is a lot of spirited conversation/debate about the Common Application in the college admissions profession. For a quick primer about the history of the Common Application and why the newsflash above is more than just a point of information, read this excellent article from the Chronicle of Higher Education.
http://chronicle.com/blogs/headcount/the-gravitational-pull-of-the-common-application/27090
Do you feel smarter now?
Filed by TSM
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
A Cautionary Tale
The great thing about being a college counselor is that there is always a new problem to solve, college to learn about, and question that has never come up before. When I came to Visi nine years ago, the technology wasn't quite as advanced as it is now (I get my voicemail on my email!) and students never brought their laptops to meetings with me. These days, it's pretty normal for a student bring her laptop to a meeting and log into a college application so that we can troubleshoot submission quirks, edit an essay on the spot, or just look things over.
For the first time I can recall, not one but two seniors missed November 1 Early Action deadlines because they did not actually submit their applications. In both cases, the students thought they had submitted them correctly - and in one, case the student had submitted the application supplements, but not the actual app. They only found out because they happened to be on their Common Application account doing something else and noticed that their applications were not submitted. YIKES!!! Since this had never happened to my students before, I chalked it up to a technical glitch with their computers or with the Common App website. And then I happened upon this news bulletin on the Stanford admissions site:
Last year, nearly 1,000 would-be applicants to Stanford mistakenly believed they successfully submitted their applications via the Common Application Web site when, in fact, they did not. These students completed their applications online and paid their application fees but failed to actually "submit" their applications online by the deadline. As a result, we were unable to consider their applications for admission.
Applicants who have successfully submitted their applications can check whether or not their applications were submitted and downloaded by Stanford by checking the Common Application Web site (under MY COLLEGES). An email receipt from the Common Application for your application fee does not mean that your Common Application was successfully submitted to Stanford. Be sure to check the Common Application Web site to verify your submission.
As we did last year, we will not consider any applications submitted after the deadline (even for students who experience technical difficulties with the Common Application Web site) and applicants should be aware that our offices will be closed beginning December 18 for the winter holidays. While we will be open to receive mail and to process materials, we will not be open to assist candidates with technical difficulties associated with the Common Application Web site. As a result, it is important that applicants not wait until the deadline to submit their applications successfully. While there is no rush in getting your teachers and counselor to submit their materials to us before January 1, you should make an effort to finish your Common Application and Stanford Supplement well in advance of the deadline.
For the first time I can recall, not one but two seniors missed November 1 Early Action deadlines because they did not actually submit their applications. In both cases, the students thought they had submitted them correctly - and in one, case the student had submitted the application supplements, but not the actual app. They only found out because they happened to be on their Common Application account doing something else and noticed that their applications were not submitted. YIKES!!! Since this had never happened to my students before, I chalked it up to a technical glitch with their computers or with the Common App website. And then I happened upon this news bulletin on the Stanford admissions site:
Last year, nearly 1,000 would-be applicants to Stanford mistakenly believed they successfully submitted their applications via the Common Application Web site when, in fact, they did not. These students completed their applications online and paid their application fees but failed to actually "submit" their applications online by the deadline. As a result, we were unable to consider their applications for admission.
Applicants who have successfully submitted their applications can check whether or not their applications were submitted and downloaded by Stanford by checking the Common Application Web site (under MY COLLEGES). An email receipt from the Common Application for your application fee does not mean that your Common Application was successfully submitted to Stanford. Be sure to check the Common Application Web site to verify your submission.
As we did last year, we will not consider any applications submitted after the deadline (even for students who experience technical difficulties with the Common Application Web site) and applicants should be aware that our offices will be closed beginning December 18 for the winter holidays. While we will be open to receive mail and to process materials, we will not be open to assist candidates with technical difficulties associated with the Common Application Web site. As a result, it is important that applicants not wait until the deadline to submit their applications successfully. While there is no rush in getting your teachers and counselor to submit their materials to us before January 1, you should make an effort to finish your Common Application and Stanford Supplement well in advance of the deadline.
Ouch!!!! Don't let this be you. Make sure you are diligent in confirming that your application was submitted properly!
Published by TSM
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Filling Out Applications, Round Two
Filling out applications is really fun, isn't it?!! Today you asked:
Do I have to/Should I report all of my SAT/ACT/AP scores on my applications? If you are filling out the Common App, the answer for most of you will be "no." Many of you are at least considering the possibility of applying to an test optional school or using the score choice option to only send your best or best combo of your SAT or ACT. And you are still waiting for your new scores! So it's fine to leave some or all of the test information section blank. But! There are a handful of colleges out there that require applicants to submit ALL of your SAT/ACT/Subject test scores. So please be sure you are reading all of the instructions regarding test requirements for the schools to which you are applying.
Did you get the email from UMD asking for my recommendation? Yes, I did. But that email only pertains to schools that do not send their documents and recommendations electronically. Even though you there a lot of forms coming your way that say Give This To Your Teacher/Counselor, you really do not need to do so. We are very fancy here and do it all online!
What about this ED agreement form? Okay, you got us. That's the one form you do actually need to print out from the Common Application (or the school's own website if they are not a Common Application school) and bring to us to sign. You are then responsible for mailing it the old fashioned way. Apparently this form is going to be available for online submission sometime soon but we haven't been able to access it yet, so let's follow this protocal for now.
Published by TSM
Do I have to/Should I report all of my SAT/ACT/AP scores on my applications? If you are filling out the Common App, the answer for most of you will be "no." Many of you are at least considering the possibility of applying to an test optional school or using the score choice option to only send your best or best combo of your SAT or ACT. And you are still waiting for your new scores! So it's fine to leave some or all of the test information section blank. But! There are a handful of colleges out there that require applicants to submit ALL of your SAT/ACT/Subject test scores. So please be sure you are reading all of the instructions regarding test requirements for the schools to which you are applying.
Did you get the email from UMD asking for my recommendation? Yes, I did. But that email only pertains to schools that do not send their documents and recommendations electronically. Even though you there a lot of forms coming your way that say Give This To Your Teacher/Counselor, you really do not need to do so. We are very fancy here and do it all online!
What about this ED agreement form? Okay, you got us. That's the one form you do actually need to print out from the Common Application (or the school's own website if they are not a Common Application school) and bring to us to sign. You are then responsible for mailing it the old fashioned way. Apparently this form is going to be available for online submission sometime soon but we haven't been able to access it yet, so let's follow this protocal for now.
Published by TSM
Monday, October 11, 2010
Are You Filling Out The Common App RIGHT NOW?
From the emails coming in this weekend it seems like a many of you have spent some quality time with the Common Application website this weekend! I have been chained to my laptop as well - writing recommendation letters, filling out forms, and answering many of the same questions about filling out the Common Application over and over again. Hopefully you will have more time to work on applications, essays, and homework this Wednesday while the juniors are taking the PSAT (aren't you glad to have THAT behind you?!). In the meantime, here is a summary of some of the FAQ's from the weekend.
How many seniors are in the Class of 2011? 120
Is my GPA weighted? Yes! Is there an unweighted GPA to report? No! Really? Really.
What is my class rank? GVPS does not rank.
But if I have been given an award that recognizes the top 20% of my class, can't I just list my class rank as Top 20%? GVPS does not rank - you should list awards in the section of the application that asks about Honors and Awards.
What is Visitation's school code? 090080
What is your title/phone extension/fax? It's listed under my signature in any email I have ever sent you.
Should I attach my resume to the end of the application? Maybe. There are differing opinions about this but I usually recommend not uploading a resume if it's mostly a repeat of what you've listed on the Common App activities grid. For example, if you've already listed your four year commitment to field hockey, lacrosse, and club ice hockey, there's really no need to tell them again on your resume. However, if there are activities that didn't quite "fit" the template provided for activities (service projects, Gold/White leadership, research at NIH, leading a session during Diversity Week would be good examples of activities that are difficult to format into the grid) it might be useful to use the extra space for that purpose.
My four year old asked me this weekend why I have been so grumpy. All I can say is...it's October. Hopefully you have been nicer to your family than I have!
Published by TSM
How many seniors are in the Class of 2011? 120
Is my GPA weighted? Yes! Is there an unweighted GPA to report? No! Really? Really.
What is my class rank? GVPS does not rank.
But if I have been given an award that recognizes the top 20% of my class, can't I just list my class rank as Top 20%? GVPS does not rank - you should list awards in the section of the application that asks about Honors and Awards.
What is Visitation's school code? 090080
What is your title/phone extension/fax? It's listed under my signature in any email I have ever sent you.
Should I attach my resume to the end of the application? Maybe. There are differing opinions about this but I usually recommend not uploading a resume if it's mostly a repeat of what you've listed on the Common App activities grid. For example, if you've already listed your four year commitment to field hockey, lacrosse, and club ice hockey, there's really no need to tell them again on your resume. However, if there are activities that didn't quite "fit" the template provided for activities (service projects, Gold/White leadership, research at NIH, leading a session during Diversity Week would be good examples of activities that are difficult to format into the grid) it might be useful to use the extra space for that purpose.
My four year old asked me this weekend why I have been so grumpy. All I can say is...it's October. Hopefully you have been nicer to your family than I have!
Published by TSM
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