^^ Incorrect. New rules state you can modify as many times as you want (old rule was 3 times).

I don't know if the essay you submit for early application is locked in to a particular school, so that that EA instituion does not see subsequent modifications. Still trying to find the answer for that.

My understanding is that you cannot change the essay that has already been submitted.
So whatever that was submitted for Oct 15 stays as is for that school, but you could change the essay for subsequent
applications

Thank you for the Post piece. It says a student can modify the Common App as many times as they want (it used to be limited to three times). But if DD wants to "modify" the Common App. in a certain way for a Nov. 1st submission (hence altering the Oct. 15th submission) to emphasize something different, how do you make sure College X picks up the modified Nov. 1 essay and not the Oct. 15th one. Or that College Z, applied to on Oct. 15th, picks up Oct. 15th essay when it comes time to read your file, not the Nov. 1st essay.

Thank you!

According to this article, the answer is yes: https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/05/15/common-application-makes-changes-for-2015-16-here-they-are/

Thank you for asking. I have the same question.

Dad new to college application process here. DD just applied last night (Oct. 15 deadline) to a state university using the common app. For her Nov. 1st deadlines, she wants to modify the essay in the Common App. Can she do that? If she does that, will the Oct. 15 deadline state universities pull up the first essay or the second Nov. 1st essay as the review time progresses. Someone has told her she can modify the Common App essay three times (?). Is that true? But will universities pull up the one dated when she applied to them (early) or the latter essay? Am I being clear?