Early Action/Early Decision Deadlines: As Uncertain as the Forecast

Note: This week's blog is written by Renae Bowen, a student I worked with in high school. She is now preparing for graduate school. I asked her to assist us in checking, once again, published college application deadlines.  Her task was to compare published dates of the Common Application to the dates within mycca.net, and confirm both with the colleges. You will find her experience very revealing.  It is especially timely because so many colleges announced the pushing back of their Nov. 1 deadlines this week because of the storm.  For a list of the colleges with a pushed back date, click here.
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   In the event that the moist, cold air and your overwhelming desire for pumpkin-spice everything have not informed you – fall has arrived. The season for application deadlines came all too quickly, but the scariest news is that those impending dates have not acclimated yet either. “Ummm, ours is either November 15^th or December 1^st… I don’t know yet, you should call back on Monday, we’re still working it out,” said one secretary whom I contacted in my search for Early Action and Early Decision deadlines.

   During the summer, all Early Action and Early Decision deadlines were updated in the mycca.net database. Even so, I was assigned to verify that dates were still correct after the last few months. Using the Common Application website and a telephone, I researched 450 universities. Somehow I finished feeling more puzzled about which source to trust for my information than when I began.

   Yes, actual admissions staff and admission websites are unclear. Priority deadlines, scholarship deadlines, and deadlines for the opportunity to waive the admission fee all appear incorrectly on the Common Application as Early Action dates. My repeated phrasing of “So, how is that Early Action?” perplexed many university staff members. 

   Some deadlines I referred to confused college representatives further because they had never seen or heard of these random dates in the middle of March or June that appeared on the Common Application webpage. I cannot reiterate enough that even with my phone calls and web researching, no listed Early Action/Early Decision deadline should be taken as absolute truth.

   I blame neither the college staff nor the admission websites for the hazy date listing.  As that same secretary explained immediately afterwards, the flow of applications dictates these dates. Deadlines must change as a result, whether that means making a date later, removing a date or adding one on. (For more information on the instance of each of these types of changes in the 47 colleges who edited their deadlines, click here for a report.)

  My advice is simple: Call the college directly, and be ready to go over the terms and definition of their “Early Action” and “Early Decision” plans. Be sure that they really are! Websites are fast, but university staff is much closer to the accurate source.

The Performing Arts Application

Working with students pursuing performing arts majors has special demands. These high energy creative students have very demanding schedules as well as lofty dreams and aspirations. It is important that counselors help students review their options and make a plan for application. The application procedure often varies from the norm. Possible supplemental applications, early deadlines and auditions require due diligence on the part of both the student and counselor. To complicate the process further these students usually apply to a larger than normal number of colleges. Below are four important factors to keep in mind when working with these students:

1. Determine the type of college that best meets the needs of the student. Consider the following factors: admission audition vs. non audition, B.F.A. vs. B.A., conservatory, arts college, or traditional college.

2. Start early. Allow time to research the type of program desired and if the student will be applying to programs that require an audition, time is needed to complete applications early and prepare for auditions.

3. Apply broadly. Audition based programs are subjective. Often students will apply to a combination of audition and non-audition programs.

4. Get organized. Supplemental applications, scheduling and preparing for auditions, and busy schedules make calendaring and planning indispensible.

Shan Schumacher

Higher Applications

PLEASE JOIN US FOR AN ONLINE SEMINAR WED. APRIL 27 & MAY 18 ABOUT WORKING WITH PERFORMING ARTS STUDENTS.  USING TAGGED LISTS WILL BE FEATURED AS ONE OF THE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO USE WHEN WORKING WITH PERFORMING ARTS STUDENTS.  CLICK HERE FOR THE SEMINARS PAGE

Are we having FUN yet?

Last week one of our students stated, "I wish I could come here every day." I responded, "You would like to come in and work college applications every day?"  (I was a bit incredulous.)  He responded, "Yes, I think it is fun.".  This is NOT a feeling anyone else I know would share.  Working on college applications is not usually described as "fun".. This is a stressful experience for seniors, parents and consultants. Yet, as "Max" (not his real name, to protect the innocent, or naive, depending on your point of view) saw it as an exciting time.  He is enjoying the self exploration process that is an integral part of the application process.  Students are writing essays that flaunt the way they have been taught to write the past four years, delving into the first person of  who they are and what makes them unique.  They are learning more about their parents; what jobs parents have had, where they went to school and what the family income is.  It is an eye opening experience for students and for parents.  And yes, for us, it is "fun".  We are enjoying the journey, the process, along with the student and the parents.

Our hope is that mycca.net can assist you in this process.  Helping you spend more time with the students and parents, and less on the paperwork, is our goal.  See the Latest mycca.net updates for new HELP documents just uploaded, and College Updates for information on Ohio changes in the works.