Abolishing the Common App?

[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.

I remember this. It was a PIA. On the other hand, you had to work to apply to a school. The idea that someone can apply to 20 schools with one click is insane.

But it's not one click. It's many, many, many clicks. Even in the common app, the schools have very different requirements. You fill in the general information, but then you have to go through each school one by one to fulfill specific elements - like short answers, student reported grades, etc.... It's still an ordeal.

[Anonymous]

It is an ordeal bc kids applying to inordinate number of schools. I understand that the uncertainty in the system compels kids to do so (or they imagine it does).

IMO, something needs to be done to limit applications.

Also, applying to more doesn’t seem to help outcomes. Kids CCO showed us a slide where the kids who apply to 20 places often get 15-16 rejections with only 3-5 acceptances. Brutal. Kids applying to 7-9 get 5-7 usually because they have written better applications and spent more time researching schools.

[Anonymous]

It would be an amazingly wonderful thing if there was no common app.

Some of you seem to think that no common app means we're back to paper apps...I mean....no, no one is saying that.

If you have to apply to each school's website, and not just click a checkmark to add a school, I am fine with a kid applying to 30 schools. Because-- that will not happen. And if they DO want to put in that effort, more power to them.

We make it too easy in the name of EQUITY but the common app really benefits the colleges and the industry surrounding admissions.

Eliminating the common app would help legitimately hard working applicants. But we can never do that, because of those who say "but that's haaaaaard." (And it's not any kids saying that, it's those with an agenda.) "If you can apply to lots of different schools with different apps, that's just your PRIVILEGE!"
Same people who claim ignorance about the existence of Khan Academy, public libraries, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I remember this. It was a PIA. On the other hand, you had to work to apply to a school. The idea that someone can apply to 20 schools with one click is insane.

But it's not one click. It's many, many, many clicks. Even in the common app, the schools have very different requirements. You fill in the general information, but then you have to go through each school one by one to fulfill specific elements - like short answers, student reported grades, etc.... It's still an ordeal.

Depends on the school. This varies widely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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)?

This is flat out backwards. The kids (and parents) are the ones that benefit from this. Not the schools. Harvard is fine with less. Some schools like BC have added extra essays to take the numbers down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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)?

This is flat out backwards. The kids (and parents) are the ones that benefit from this. Not the schools. Harvard is fine with less. Some schools like BC have added extra essays to take the numbers down.

Harvard is fine with less applications and that is your evidence that schools do not want more applications?? Talk about "flat out backwards!" lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would be an amazingly wonderful thing if there was no common app.

Some of you seem to think that no common app means we're back to paper apps...I mean....no, no one is saying that.

If you have to apply to each school's website, and not just click a checkmark to add a school, I am fine with a kid applying to 30 schools. Because-- that will not happen. And if they DO want to put in that effort, more power to them.

We make it too easy in the name of EQUITY but the common app really benefits the colleges and the industry surrounding admissions.

Eliminating the common app would help legitimately hard working applicants. But we can never do that, because of those who say "but that's haaaaaard." (And it's not any kids saying that, it's those with an agenda.) "If you can apply to lots of different schools with different apps, that's just your PRIVILEGE!"
Same people who claim ignorance about the existence of Khan Academy, public libraries, etc.

Making it harder makes it better?

Multiple websites instead of one is better?

More expensive for colleges and kids is better?

On what planet?

And BTW the common app has nothing to do with equity, or your persecution complex. It's simply leveraging technology and avoiding redundancy of effort - engineering 101. Also colleges can - AND DO - add more essays and information if they choose, without needing a staff of web developers of their own.

[Anonymous]

We make it too easy in the name of EQUITY

You you essentially think the barriers to kids whose parents don't have the experience/time/money to navigate a more bureaucratic process with them are good because they benefit your kid.

Typical viewpoint of someone who is affluent, but thinks they are a victim when anyone even attempts to level the playing field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

We make it too easy in the name of EQUITY

You you essentially think the barriers to kids whose parents don't have the experience/time/money to navigate a more bureaucratic process with them are good because they benefit your kid.

Typical viewpoint of someone who is affluent, but thinks they are a victim when anyone even attempts to level the playing field.

Actually, I work with high achieving, disadvantaged students whose parents mostly speak Spanish-- and they are capable. And are given more than adequate resources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We make it too easy in the name of EQUITY

You you essentially think the barriers to kids whose parents don't have the experience/time/money to navigate a more bureaucratic process with them are good because they benefit your kid.

Typical viewpoint of someone who is affluent, but thinks they are a victim when anyone even attempts to level the playing field.

Actually, I work with high achieving, disadvantaged students whose parents mostly speak Spanish-- and they are capable. And are given more than adequate resources.

So you "work with" disadvantage students, but are against attempts to make this process less stressful and difficult for them. I wonder in what capacity. I'm sure some of them have your number.

Working with that population doesn't give you cred here. It makes you look even worse.

[Anonymous]

"It is an ordeal bc kids applying to inordinate number of schools. I understand that the uncertainty in the system compels kids to do so (or they imagine it does).

IMO, something needs to be done to limit applications."


I wrote this earlier. What problem are you trying to solve? There's nothing inherently problematic about kids submitting lots of applications since it harms nobody else. It merely consumes lots of their time. So, limiting applications serves no important purpose.

It sounds like you think uncertainty in the system is the problem, in which case the large number of applications is a symptom of it. How about "fixing" the uncertainty problem. Then, if some people still want to submit lots of applications, they can still do so but the "problem" will be fixed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is an ordeal bc kids applying to inordinate number of schools. I understand that the uncertainty in the system compels kids to do so (or they imagine it does).

IMO, something needs to be done to limit applications.

Also, applying to more doesn’t seem to help outcomes. Kids CCO showed us a slide where the kids who apply to 20 places often get 15-16 rejections with only 3-5 acceptances. Brutal. Kids applying to 7-9 get 5-7 usually because they have written better applications and spent more time researching schools.

Or because their stats are higher, they are ok with applying to fewer places because they know they'll get acceptances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"It is an ordeal bc kids applying to inordinate number of schools. I understand that the uncertainty in the system compels kids to do so (or they imagine it does).

IMO, something needs to be done to limit applications."


I wrote this earlier. What problem are you trying to solve? There's nothing inherently problematic about kids submitting lots of applications since it harms nobody else. It merely consumes lots of their time. So, limiting applications serves no important purpose.

It sounds like you think uncertainty in the system is the problem, in which case the large number of applications is a symptom of it. How about "fixing" the uncertainty problem. Then, if some people still want to submit lots of applications, they can still do so but the "problem" will be fixed.

How does one fix the uncertainty problem?

But, also, it does hurt the system bc the admissions office can devote very little time to each application. My kids college office is pretty’s ire big state universities are using computers to name decisions. I would rather have my kid’s app read by a human.

[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.

The entire process could be improved if it was more of a "match" system. In addition to applying on CA, have the students include their rankings/lists of interested schools. Instead of schools competing for every top student, create a process where they bid for top students. Guarantee every kid a place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

The entire process could be improved if it was more of a "match" system. In addition to applying on CA, have the students include their rankings/lists of interested schools. Instead of schools competing for every top student, create a process where they bid for top students. Guarantee every kid a place.

I hope you realize that is exactly how it works now, except that the student may be able to make a choice in addition to the colleges that accept them.