Problems with the Common Application

By: Bella Dalba

When applying for college, high school students have an overwhelming number of options. Whereas students used to only apply to one school, contemporary college bound seniors are faced with tremendous, uncertain choices. Due to the revolutions in technology, competition between applicants has become extremely fierce, and this rivalry has led to a substantial increase in the applicant pool: the typical number of schools that the regular student applies to can range from four to ten different colleges, though it is not unusual for some to apply to fifteen or twenty universities. Because there is no certifiable guarantee for admission to any college, applying to a multiplicity of colleges increases the chance of acceptance to at least one desirable university, and, as a result, most admissions offices see 20,000 or more applicants every year. With the sheer number (and caliber) of applicants applying to each school, the pressure to be competitive increases. Participation in a multitude of extracurricular activities becomes a requirement: varsity sports, performing arts, attention-grabbing hobbies, volunteerism, part-time employment, and the maintenance of academic records leaves little time for other pursuits. Unfortunately, this also limits the time spent on the applications themselves; most universities open applications in late August, and implement deadlines that conclude at the end of the year, forcing students to compose entire papers while balancing an academic and extracurricular workload. The situation is incredibly ironic, considering the years of preparation that have gone into this very pursuit.

Recognizing students’ distress, a small group of private colleges agreed on a standardized admissions application that was intended to change the way students applied to college. They developed a system known as the Common Application, often referred to as the “Common App,” that allows students to apply to several colleges with one application. Initially introduced in 1975, the non-profit program has seen a drastic increase in use over the last decade. Today, over 500 colleges accept the Common App, and some top-tier universities (Brown, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of Pennsylvania, for example) use it as their exclusive application for admission. Regardless of what type of institution a student is considering, and whether a student is currently using the Common App or merely considering it, there are a significant number of pros and cons that must be considered.

Don Fraser Jr., director of education and training for the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), views the Common Application as an invaluable resource: “Competitive college admissions is a time-consuming process that has become increasingly intricate; therefore, students appreciate any effort that helps to facilitate completing and sending college applications. The Common Application offers students the ability to complete one application and essay and send it to multiple member schools, as opposed to having to complete each individual college's application.” It is a popular alternative to applying school by school, and even the College Board, maker of the SAT, suggests using the Common App.

Despite the benefits of the Common Application, it has been suggested that using it rather than a school’s personalized application (some institutions give you a choice between the two) can decrease your chances of admission. While all member schools agree to equally weight this standardized application against their own, many applicants find that the Common App is too generic, and that school-specific applications allow students to adequately represent themselves to the university. Common Application supplements include short-answer questions, additional essays, or questions about the student's choice of major or experience with the university. A student applying to a number of schools requiring supplements may find that the Common App does not save much time or effort, and this is a primary concern for most applicants. However, there have been several articles published recently that criticize the not-for-profit organization behind the Common Application, as well as their increasing control over the college application process. Students are obligated to fulfill each section of the application in its entirety, as well as report all demographic, geographic, and psychographic information that the Common App requires. The Common Application Advisory Board controls both the information and the content of the application, essentially determining the future of each undergraduate.

With only one chance to present compelling reasons for admitting them to the school(s) of their choice, students need to pay careful attention to every application they submit. Georgetown University has voiced concerns that the shared system may encourage schools to take in extra applications to boost rejection rates, in an effort to appear more competitive. Unfortunately, this merely results in the perpetuated cycle of stress and disillusionment that the Common Application was looking to eliminate.