“Unbelievable,” “frustrating,” and “ridiculous” were a few of the frustrated comments posted by students and parents on the Common Application’s Facebook page. Glitches with the company’s website have caused issues nationwide for seniors submitting their college applications.
In response, the Common Application has been posting daily updates detailing problems with essay formatting, creating accounts, text-to-PDF conversions, payment transactions, and any other commonly reported issues.
Senior Michaela Katz encountered glitches that prevented her from accessing her Common Application account, listing her recommenders, and saving her essay.
Some colleges have attempted to reduce stress by posting regular updates and their deadlines.
Many colleges, including Dartmouth, Yale, Tufts, and Stanford, have responded to the glitches by pushing back their early admission deadlines, allowing more time for the problems to be sorted out. A few schools, like Tufts, are also offering an alternative application process.
Redwood’s college and career specialist Paula Vantrease said that many of the glitches are products of the website’s recently changed format. This year, The Common Application has transitioned from accepting both paper and electronic applications to only accepting electronic applications.
The stress and anxiety involved in college applications has been magnified by these recent nationwide glitches.
“I’m worried my application is not going to go through and won’t get to the school on time,” Katz said, mirroring the concerns expressed on social media sites by seniors and parents.
These glitches have extended beyond just applicants. Many teachers have also encountered problems with the Common Application website, including creating an account and accessing student lists to enter recommendation letters. Vantrease said she recommends that seniors facing similar problems should contact their counselors, visit the College and Career Center, and contact the colleges they are applying to.