Aaaack? How Do I Do This? Common App Question

[Reefgazer]

 So, I’m trying to complete my guidance counselor part of the Common App.  When I get to the upload transcript section, I intended I see four slots to upload documents. I was going to put the Excel file transcript in the first slot, her Word document course description the second, and her unofficial community college transcript in the last.  However, at the beginning I had to check a box that said if I “say I’m going to upload transcript and do not, my account will be closed”.  If I upload the course document file in the secon slot (which technically doesn’t count as one of the three transcripts,  but a supporting Word document,  it seems I will get my account closed.   I was going to merge the two files but one is an Excel file and the course document is a Word file.  What do I do here, and where do I upload the course descriptions and not run into problems?

Edited January 4, 2020 by Reefgazer

[EKS]

They won't close your account if you upload a course description document as a second transcript.  

That said, I'd submit your documents as pdfs rather than Excel/Word files.

[Reefgazer]

11 hours ago, EKS said:

They won't close your account if you upload a course description document as a second transcript.  

That said, I'd submit your documents as pdfs rather than Excel/Word files.

 

11 hours ago, EKS said:

They won't close your account if you upload a course description document as a second transcript.  

That said, I'd submit your documents as pdfs rather than Excel/Word files.

The application said they are converted to pdf Giles during uploading.  Why does the CA say this? The course description isn’t a transcript, and the CA is very threatening about this regarding the account.  Terrified of being in CA jail....

Edited January 5, 2020 by Reefgazer

[RootAnn]

I believe the wording is if you don't upload any transcript in the available slots. I uploaded course descriptions as one of my slots & my account  (from last year) is still active.

I think you are reading too much into it.

[EKS]

1 hour ago, Reefgazer said:

The application said they are converted to pdf Giles during uploading.  Why does the CA say this? The course description isn’t a transcript, and the CA is very threatening about this regarding the account.  Terrified of being in CA jail....

I always took it to mean that they would close your account if you said you were going to upload a transcript and then didn't.  I can't imagine that they would check each document that was uploaded to see if it was actually a transcript, but I can imagine that they have the software automatically check whether any documents have been uploaded.

Edited January 4, 2020 by EKS

[Farrar]

Seconding changing it to a pdf yourself. You wouldn’t want it to convert weird with their software. When you do the pdf, you’re sure your formatting looks the way you want.

[Reefgazer]

4 minutes ago, Farrar said:

Seconding changing it to a pdf yourself. You wouldn’t want it to convert weird with their software. When you do the pdf, you’re sure your formatting looks the way you want.

Normally I would do it myself, but after you upload, there is a window that shows up and asks if the document looks exactly as you want it to, and if not, you can change it. I did make a minor tweak to my school profile.  At any rate, my actual transcript is in an Excel file and I did have to convert that to a pdf before it would even upload.

[Reefgazer]

Should I upload community college transcripts if I already sent them directly from the colleges?  One is in pdf format, the other is a link that is not convertible, so I don't think I can load that one in. 

[RootAnn]

Did you include the classes on your transcript? If you already had the community college send them, you don't need to upload the copy you have.

[Reefgazer]

1 hour ago, RootAnn said:

Did you include the classes on your transcript? If you already had the community college send them, you don't need to upload the copy you have.

Yes, I included the community college courses on the transcript and in the course descriptions, and already sent them off to her prospective colleges.

[EKS]

9 hours ago, Reefgazer said:

Should I upload community college transcripts if I already sent them directly from the colleges?  One is in pdf format, the other is a link that is not convertible, so I don't think I can load that one in. 

I only uploaded our homeschool transcript (and course descriptions).  All of the transcripts from other schools (real credit granting schools) I had sent separately.  My transcript included all classes my students took--homeschool and otherwise.

[UmmIbrahim]

9 hours ago, EKS said:

I only uploaded our homeschool transcript (and course descriptions).  All of the transcripts from other schools (real credit granting schools) I had sent separately.  My transcript included all classes my students took--homeschool and otherwise.

Just popping in to agree with this. Since you are talking about the Common App, I split apart my course descriptions and official transcript into two PDFs and uploaded those in the two transcript slots.

My ds has lots of dual enrollment credit from the local community college, and I just sent his official cc transcript directly to all of the universities using their parchment system. Our homeschool transcript also includes a listing of all of those courses and their corresponding grades as well, so anyone reading it gets a complete picture of what he's taken.

The Coalition App was a bit different, and I had a separate PDF that was a single document with the course descriptions tacked on after the transcript, because I could only see one slot for uploading a transcript with their interface.

Sooooo happy to be done with applications (Got the last ones in January 1! College apps ate up so much of our fall semester because ds is applying to tons of reach schools). This is my oldest child, so our first time realizing what being the "homeschool guidance counselor" really entailed on the paperwork side. Ugh! I was not ready at all 😄 Good luck to you as you go through the process!

[EKS]

1 hour ago, UmmIbrahim said:

The Coalition App was a bit different, and I had a separate PDF that was a single document with the course descriptions tacked on after the transcript, because I could only see one slot for uploading a transcript with their interface.

Yes, I did this too.  

[EKS]

1 hour ago, UmmIbrahim said:

This is my oldest child, so our first time realizing what being the "homeschool guidance counselor" really entailed on the paperwork side. Ugh! I was not ready at all 😄

I thought I was ready this year because I had already done it five years ago with the older one.  It ended up being even more difficult this time around because the younger one's high school experience has been even more odd than the older one's was.

I absolutely think that dealing with college applications is the most difficult thing I've done as a homeschooler.

[UmmIbrahim]

20 minutes ago, EKS said:

I thought I was ready this year because I had already done it five years ago with the older one.  It ended up being even more difficult this time around because the younger one's high school experience has been even more odd than the older one's was.

I absolutely think that dealing with college applications is the most difficult thing I've done as a homeschooler.

 

Wholeheartedly agree with this being the toughest thing! I keep telling myself I'm going to do better with the next kid as far as documentation and record keeping, but knowing my nature, it'll be just as bad a few years from now 😂

Having a lot of application balls in the air is also requiring some management. Following up with login portals and document checklists. Getting on interview schedules. Each school having its own interface between Common/Coalition App and dealing with bugs in the system when documents/transcripts don't transfer over (*stink eye* at you Emory). I've been learning a lot as I go!

[Reefgazer]

3 hours ago, EKS said:

I thought I was ready this year because I had already done it five years ago with the older one.  It ended up being even more difficult this time around because the younger one's high school experience has been even more odd than the older one's was.

I absolutely think that dealing with college applications is the most difficult thing I've done as a homeschooler.

 We are finally done and submitted last night!  I totally agree with this; the learning was steep!   Thank you all for your help and guidance through this!

 

[Reefgazer]

 I have to say I don’t think the Common App is worth the hassle.  My daughter only applied to five or six schools, two of which didn’t use the Common App, so we went through all that rigmarole for only four schools.  When my son comes up in a few years, if he’s only going to apply to. Handful of schools, we’ll use the regular apps from the colleges; many of them are so much simpler and straightforward.

 

 

[UmmIbrahim]

1 hour ago, Reefgazer said:

 We are finally done and submitted last night!  I totally agree with this; the learning was steep!   Thank you all for your help and guidance through this!

 

Congratulations on finishing up! It feels great to get it all in 😁

[UmmIbrahim]

57 minutes ago, Reefgazer said:

 I have to say I don’t think the Common App is worth the hassle.  My daughter only applied to five or six schools, two of which didn’t use the Common App, so we went through all that rigmarole for only four schools.  When my son comes up in a few years, if he’s only going to apply to. Handful of schools, we’ll use the regular apps from the colleges; many of them are so much simpler and straightforward.

 

 

Huh, that's interesting. I fell in love with the Common and Coalition App during the process (We had too many schools, and only 1 (MIT) didn't take either Coalition or Common. That probably colors my view of things). For us, it was nice to not have to type all of the demographic information out again and again. I also loved the fact that his recommenders primarily had to submit letters to Common and Coalition and we didn't have to bother them with lots of different incoming requests in different formats whose emails might have ended up in their junk folders. The logistics of that doesn't sound fun.

My DS took the PA Homeschoolers summer session about writing the Common App essay, and we were SO GLAD that he had a well crafted essay ready to go for all of his schools. Of course, everyone and their dog has a supplement, so the fall semester was still college essay bootcamp over here. 

Our one separate school (MIT) had an app that was a pain (so many essays(!), reformatting the class list to fit their categories, etc.), so I was not loving doing an extra app (with extra work for the recommenders!) for them. 

I guess it all depends on your school list and what their applications are like. Congrats again on getting it all in! 🎉