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[Hot Lava Mama]

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Edited August 11, 2017 by Hot Lava Mama

[regentrude]

Does your DS have writers for letters of recommendations?

Has he already asked them if they are willing?

 

The counselor letter the letter of the school guidance counselor, i.e. the homeschooling parent, where you can give a better picture of your student. You can include any information that would help the admissions official form a better picture of your student's personality.

[Hot Lava Mama]

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Edited August 11, 2017 by Hot Lava Mama

[Sebastian (a lady)]

We do.  Is my understanding correct that the letters are submitted at the college application level, rather than at the common application level?  We have looked at the specific college he is interested in and they say do not submit anything at the initial application level, only the common application and testing results (ACT, etc.).  They don't even want transcripts at the initial level as it is all self reported.  I think once they make it through the first pass, then they have to start submitting the other stuff. 

 

So, the "school profile" is about the teaching techniques, philosophy, etc., but the counselor letter is about the student.  Is that correct?

 

Thanks so much, Regentrude!

Hot Lava Mama

 

 

That sounds a little odd to me, actually.  Because the Common App is designed as a one-size-fits-all system, a school might not use those documents, but it seems like the CA would expect them to be submitted.

 

On the student side, there is a lot of personal info (name, address, activities, school names, etc), the common app essay, then the college specific info (supplemental writing questions, letters of recommendation, sometimes additional questions).  

 

The counselor had profile questions about the school (grading system, address, if honors or AP were available), a place to upload the school profile, and then the ability to go into each student's file and add transcripts and a counselor recommendation.  I don't know if the CA would consider the application complete without the counselor info.  That might delay the CA providing info to the colleges.

 

What I was able to do last year was create a student account in my name (I registered with a spare email and marked it as Counselor Curious about the Common App).  This let me then invite myself (using my regular email) as the counselor.  In the student login, I could add the same schools that ds was applying to.  This let me see exactly what they were asking for in their application.  When ds couldn't find something (or hadn't prepared a part of the app) I could find where it was without making any changes to his actual application.  I highly recommend doing this.

[regentrude]

We do.  Is my understanding correct that the letters are submitted at the college application level, rather than at the common application level?  We have looked at the specific college he is interested in and they say do not submit anything at the initial application level, only the common application and testing results (ACT, etc.).  They don't even want transcripts at the initial level as it is all self reported.  I think once they make it through the first pass, then they have to start submitting the other stuff. 

 

The Common Application *is* the College Application. The recommenders will need to upload their letters through the Common App.

You will upload the transcript to the Common App as well to make the application complete. 

I have not come across a college that wants an incomplete common app for a first pass through.

 

I do not know what you mean by "self reported". The student cannot submit the CA until the school portion is complete.

 

 

 

So, the "school profile" is about the teaching techniques, philosophy, etc., but the counselor letter is about the student.  Is that correct?

 

Yes.

 

Edited July 4, 2016 by regentrude

[Sebastian (a lady)]

We do.  Is my understanding correct that the letters are submitted at the college application level, rather than at the common application level?  We have looked at the specific college he is interested in and they say do not submit anything at the initial application level, only the common application and testing results (ACT, etc.).  They don't even want transcripts at the initial level as it is all self reported.  I think once they make it through the first pass, then they have to start submitting the other stuff. 

 

So, the "school profile" is about the teaching techniques, philosophy, etc., but the counselor letter is about the student.  Is that correct?

 

Thanks so much, Regentrude!

Hot Lava Mama

 

 

What you describe (an initial app and then a second level of detail) is something I've seen with service academies and with Georgetown.  What I haven't seen is a school that does this with the Common Application.

 

Do you mind sharing the college name?  Maybe someone has experience with it.

 

FWIW, the Common App is widely, but not universally used.  Some schools still use their own application.  Others are using the brand new Coalition for Access and Affordability application.  Some are using a mix (ie, CA and CAA, or CA and their own).  

[Hot Lava Mama]

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Edited August 11, 2017 by Hot Lava Mama

[Hot Lava Mama]

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Edited August 11, 2017 by Hot Lava Mama

[Hot Lava Mama]

What you describe (an initial app and then a second level of detail) is something I've seen with service academies and with Georgetown.  What I haven't seen is a school that does this with the Common Application.

 

Do you mind sharing the college name?  Maybe someone has experience with it.

 

FWIW, the Common App is widely, but not universally used.  Some schools still use their own application.  Others are using the brand new Coalition for Access and Affordability application.  Some are using a mix (ie, CA and CAA, or CA and their own).  

 

Sure, it is UC Davis.  We went on a lot of tours last summer, so maybe I am remembering it incorrectly, but I thought UC Davis required the common application. 

 

Does anyone know? 

Thanks

Hot Lava Mama

[regentrude]

I was reading the freshman application information on the UC Davis website.  Here is what it says:

 

When to Apply

Applicants for fall 2017 may start working on the UC application as early as August 1. The application filing period for fall 2017 admission to UC Davis opens November 1 and closes at midnight on November 30, 2016.

UC Davis does not accept applications for winter or spring quarters, though you may apply to other open UC campuses.

 

So, it seems like there is an additional application on the UC Davis web site that we have to do in addition to the common application.  Is that how you would understand this (above)?

 

No, I would understand the above to mean the UC Davis application through their own website, not the Common App.

I have not heard of any college that requires BOTH the CA and its own application. Usually it is either/or, or there is only one of the options at all.

Edited July 5, 2016 by regentrude

[regentrude]

 

 

Sure, it is UC Davis.  We went on a lot of tours last summer, so maybe I am remembering it incorrectly, but I thought UC Davis required the common application. Does anyone know?

 

A quick google search revealed that UC Davis does not accept the Common Application

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/uc-davis-1313/applying

 

http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg02_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=650

 

 

Edited July 5, 2016 by regentrude

[Hot Lava Mama]

A quick google search revealed that UC Davis does not accept the Common Application

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/uc-davis-1313/applying

 

http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg02_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=650

 

Oh my!  That's great!  I guess that is one less step we have to do.  I guess my notes are wrong that we needed the common application.  Too much chaos when we were looking at colleges last summer!  :)

 

Thanks so much, Regentrude!

Hot Lava Mama

[goldberry]

Several colleges on DD's list either don't accept the CA, or are listed as "CA with supplemental materials".  It's hard to keep up with!  I started adding that to my spreadsheet.  

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Thanks for the extra account information.  I will definitely do that!

 

Also, here is what it says on the UC Davis website for freshman applications:

 

"Letters of Recommendation and Other Materials

Please do not include letters of recommendation, copies of awards, transcripts or samples of your academic or creative work with your application. They will not be reviewed or returned to you."

 

So, I think that means they don't want them at first????  Maybe after they put the student in the "maybe" pile, then that stuff is requested?  I don't know because we have never been through this before.  What do you think.

 

Hot Lava Mama

 

 

 

I think a couple things are going on here.  As others mentioned, they are using their own app, not the Common App.

 

The student isn't submitting those supporting documents.  In some cases, they just don't want to handle them.  In other cases, they don't typically come from the student.  

 

With most of DS's apps, he put in an email address for letters of recommendation and counselor and the college or CA sent a link directly to that person so they could complete the required rec or transcript.  (His Dual Enrollment transcripts were extra. He requested those at his college and had them sent to admissions from the Records Office.)

 

It does look like usually they only require a transcript after an offer of admission is made.

 

However, as a homeschooler your kid may fall into the category of needing to have them review additional exam results to consider him for eligibility.  Look for previous threads about UC A-G requirements and Admissions by Exam or Admissons by Exception.

[quark]

You would use the UC application for the UCs, not the Common App. There are no transcripts, course descriptions etc to upload for UC applications. Everything is reported in the application itself. They also don't usually ask for LoRs but I read on College Confidential that some UC applicants (not sure about Davis) were asked in Dec/ Jan to submit LoRs! Might be something new that happened in the last application cycle.

 

I believe they will ask admitted students for a transcript in July.