Usually, it is only the students who melt down over college applications. But since a major technical overhaul on August 1st, the Common Application itself has been glitching and malfunctioning.
The main problem seems to be the number of people attempting to access the application, National Public Radio reported.
The number of schools that accept the Common App has more than doubled in the last ten years, and consequently so has the number of students who use it.
Common Application sent out an update on Friday, October 18, stating that while they realize that “the new [application] has not been a reliable service”, they are continuing to “ascertain where the root cause [of the problems] lies.” They have also defended the Common App by pointing out that a large number of applicants have had no technical issues at all.
To help students attempting to use the Common App for early decision or early action, many colleges have extended their deadlines.
James Conroy, of the Post-High School Counseling department, compared the reaction to the Common App problems to the reaction to Hurricane Sandy last year, with generous extensions offered to those affected while maintaining the normal deadlines for the majority of applicants who were not affected.
“I think the humaneness of the colleges shows at times like these,” added Conroy. He added that the Common Application has done a lot of positive things for students, calling the meltdown a “fluke” and stating, “This is the first time we’ve had any problems [with the Common App].”
Deborah Donley, also of the PHSC department, emailed students with advice for dealing with glitches. “Above all, don’t panic,” she wrote. “You will not be penalized… colleges recognize these problems.”
Donley’s letter also contained step-by-step instructions for coping with several of the most common flaws in the Common App.
While these technical troubles may have given students headaches, PHSC has been helping trouble shoot Common App materials.