“It is not what…

“It is not what you do for your teenagers, but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings.” Ann Landers

A good quote to keep in mind as we go through the college admission process with our children.

The CA4 (new Common App) may be new, but it is definitely not improved

Six million dollars was spent to launch a new and improved Common Application.  This is the application that students use to apply to more than 500 colleges and universities, from the most selective to those that are far less competitive.  It was originally intended to make the college admission process more streamlined since students composed one 500 word essay and another 150 word response to an extracurricular activity that was important to them.  Some schools also required a few additional essays.

This past August 1st , we got our first glimpse of the new Common Application.  Believe me, it may be new but it is far from improved.  Since its launching, high school counselors, private college consultants, students, and parents have had nothing but a struggle when they worked on it.  The internet has had a constant flurry of criticism and dismay.  The technical difficulties have been endless and the kinks just don’t seem to get worked out.

Thought you might enjoy this comment from a a private college consultant.  He and many others are beyond frustration.

“Let’s just say that never in my entire career had any student or parent once complained about the Common App – until August 1, 2013 when CA4 (new Common Application) went online. The new Common App is a monstrosity. The real losers in all of this are the students from this year’s senior class who have been cheated out of a seamless application process that their predecessors took for granted.”

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