The Common App folks and their related application woes got some
bad press over the weekend, an article in response to which a writer from the Chronicle of Higher Education wrote, "In my 12-plus years of reporting on higher education, I’ve
rarely overheard scorn as thunderous as that directed at the Common Application
over the last two months. It’s understandable, to say the least. When a crucial
cog in the admissions process breaks down, those who depend on it are going to
complain."
If you're a senior applying to college (or the parent of one) who's had troubles with the Common App, this is one of those times when you're going to have to find a way to let go of things that you can't control.
First, bear in mind that the colleges aren't
going to hold the Common App woes against you as long as you don't use the
problems as excuses not to do the work.
Second, application glitches like
this happen every year in college admissions (they just don't necessarily
happen on such a grand scale). But as long as applicants can confidently answer "yes" to these questions, they'll be fine:
1. Do you plan to complete and submit your Common
Application early enough that you aren't doing so the night before the
deadline?
2. Did you ask your teachers and counselors for letters of
recommendation as they instructed you to do?
3. Have you sent the required test scores?
4. Have you saved confirmations of all of the above
actions?
5. If you run into challenges, have you used this as an
opportunity to communicate with an admissions office like a mature adult who
knows that while this is frustrating, whining, crying, shouting or otherwise
acting like a lunatic is not a good thing?
These glitches with the Common App are frustrating and they could not have come at a worse time, especially given how stressful college admissions is already. But life isn't always smooth. You can't control the Common App problems; you can only control how you respond to them. Assume full control of the five factors above, and rest assured that the problems with the Common App don't have to change your college admissions journey or its outcomes.