Abolishing the Common App?

[Anonymous]

I am not immersed in the college admissions scene but curious if anyone is out there advocating for getting rid of the common app?

From my cursory introduction to this process, seems like only colleges themselves benefit from so many applications. Even though it might seem like a lot more work at first glance, wouldn’t kids benefit from reduced application rates as well as focusing specifically on the schools they want to actually attend (as opposed to Hail Mary apps they get forced into submitting in fear of being shut out)?

[Anonymous]

No.

[Anonymous]

Please no. That is insane.

Do you remember doing this before the Common App? Don't you remember the piles of paper, the folders, the envelopes, all the special instructions, and the typing? THE TYPING.

Maybe you didn't apply to lots of schools, but I was from a place where we applied to the top schools and it was so much worse than it is today.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I remember typing my college apps but kids these days can cut and paste. I don’t find that to be a compelling reason.

[Anonymous]

Maybe would feel less insane if everyone applied to 8 or fewer schools than 20.

Is there someone out there better than me at math who could do some predictive modeling on this?

[Anonymous]

No, I would want all colleges to be using the common app. And I want more colleges currently with Common App to be better integrated with it. Why do we need to input the course list and grades in the college portal after submiting the CA.

But, if we had to have a better system - let every student put in their stats, interests, ECs on a platform and let the colleges that want to take them, make an offer. Let it become like an EBay of college admissions with students being the products and sometimes even the colleges becoming the products.

[Anonymous]

Nope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, I would want all colleges to be using the common app. And I want more colleges currently with Common App to be better integrated with it. Why do we need to input the course list and grades in the college portal after submiting the CA.

But, if we had to have a better system - let every student put in their stats, interests, ECs on a platform and let the colleges that want to take them, make an offer. Let it become like an EBay of college admissions with students being the products and sometimes even the colleges becoming the products.

Not using the common app for portions of an application, especially optional portions, is a good way for schools to see what applicants are truly interested and what applicants are just casting a wide net.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please no. That is insane.

Do you remember doing this before the Common App? Don't you remember the piles of paper, the folders, the envelopes, all the special instructions, and the typing? THE TYPING.

Maybe you didn't apply to lots of schools, but I was from a place where we applied to the top schools and it was so much worse than it is today.

When and where did you apply that you typed your applications? I applied to UCs in the early 90s and hand wrote them. I got in to all the ones I applied to (didn’t apply to LA or Berkeley) so apparently hand writing was ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please no. That is insane.

Do you remember doing this before the Common App? Don't you remember the piles of paper, the folders, the envelopes, all the special instructions, and the typing? THE TYPING.

Maybe you didn't apply to lots of schools, but I was from a place where we applied to the top schools and it was so much worse than it is today.

When and where did you apply that you typed your applications? I applied to UCs in the early 90s and hand wrote them. I got in to all the ones I applied to (didn’t apply to LA or Berkeley) so apparently hand writing was ok.

I applied mid-90s and used an actual typewriter.

[Anonymous]

So you think kids would benefit by making much more work for them to apply to the same number of colleges?

Can you explain that logic please?

[Anonymous]

TBH, I think there should be a cap on the number of applications a student can submit in any given year. Ratchet down the pressure, the stat juking, the anxiety, etc.

As acceptance rates plummet, kids are incentivized to increase the number of applications. The colleges are incentivized to get kids to apply, only to reject them.

This is a collective action problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TBH, I think there should be a cap on the number of applications a student can submit in any given year. Ratchet down the pressure, the stat juking, the anxiety, etc.

As acceptance rates plummet, kids are incentivized to increase the number of applications. The colleges are incentivized to get kids to apply, only to reject them.

This is a collective action problem.

Agree.

When I applied (early 90s--yes I'm that pp that hand wrote the UC applications) almost every school had a significant application fee too. Now, so many schools have no application fee. But I remember Rice in Texas was one of the few universities that did not have an application fee--so almost all of my classmates at least considered applying to Rice--just because it was free! Then we saw that Rice's application required THREE lengthy essays...and we all reconsidered!

15-20 college applications is pretty absurd. Maybe it would be better if students put more thought and effort into a select handful of applications. And I know a bunch of posters will protest "but it's a crapshoot!" They need to "cast a wide net!"
Well, maybe if colleges had more "standards" and less of a "holistic" approach, students would have a better perspective on their chances of getting into specific schools and could narrow their choices better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you think kids would benefit by making much more work for them to apply to the same number of colleges?

Can you explain that logic please?

Because I think most kids would apply to fewer schools and the amount of work required with data entry is less with word processing capabilities. So I think the kid would make fewer stronger, more tailored applications. And all admit rate would increase because overall application rates would go down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please no. That is insane.

Do you remember doing this before the Common App? Don't you remember the piles of paper, the folders, the envelopes, all the special instructions, and the typing? THE TYPING.

Maybe you didn't apply to lots of schools, but I was from a place where we applied to the top schools and it was so much worse than it is today.

When and where did you apply that you typed your applications? I applied to UCs in the early 90s and hand wrote them. I got in to all the ones I applied to (didn’t apply to LA or Berkeley) so apparently hand writing was ok.

I typed in '88.