College Application FAQ

• Deadlines
• What day are my applications due?
• Common App says the deadline has passed even though it isn’t 11:59 PM in my time zone!
• I actually did miss the deadline. Can I still submit my application?
• I turned in my application but haven’t received my admissions portal yet.
• General Application Questions
• My teacher showed me my letters of recommendation. Does that mean I broke FERPA?
• Can you assess my chances of getting into [insert school]?
• Should I add links to projects or publications in my application?
• Where can I get application fee waiver codes?
• Can I lie on my application?
• Test Scores and Exams
• What range should my test scores be in for me to submit them?
• How many AP classes should I take?
• I opted to not share my test scores with a school on Common App but the PDF of my application still shows my scores!
• I wanted to send my test scores but they’re not showing on the PDF.
• I still need to send in my test scores! Should I pay extra for rush shipping?
• Essays
• An AI checker said my essays are written by AI but I didn’t use AI.
• My Common App essay is formatted differently than I wanted it to be.
• I’m doing my UChicago essays and their website doesn’t show all previous years’ prompts. Where can I find a more comprehensive list?
• Interviews
• What information do interviewers receive about me?
• How do I address my interviewer?
• What’s the difference between an evaluative and an informational interview?
• I wasn’t offered an interview. Is this a bad sign?
• Financial Aid
• How will I get financial aid for early decisions if FAFSA doesn’t open until December?
• Supplemental Materials
• Can I submit my application before my rec letters are ready?
• My recommenders or counselors are late with their materials (rec letters, transcripts, etc). Am I cooked?

Deadlines

What day are my applications due?

For Common App schools, they’re due end of the day stated at 11:59 PM in your time zone. This often means the early deadline is November 1st 11:59 PM, not October 31st. For non Common App schools, it’s always best to check their websites. However, most are either end of the day stated in your time zone or the time zone the school is located in.

Common App says the deadline has passed even though it isn’t 11:59 PM in my time zone!

Common App runs on Eastern Time regardless of your location. The deadline is still 11:59 PM in your local time, so turn your application in even if it says it’s late.

I actually did miss the deadline. Can I still submit my application?

Yes, there’s a grace period. If you have extenuating circumstances (e.g., natural disaster in your area) contact the admissions office and they’ll work with you to find an extended solution.

I turned in my application but haven’t received my admissions portal yet.

Be patient, it can take a few days. Some schools such as certain UCs wait until January to send out portals. Make sure to check your email’s spam tab as well to make sure your portal didn’t go there.

General Application Questions

My teacher showed me my letters of recommendation. Does that mean I broke FERPA?

No. By waiving FERPA, you cannot request your letters of recommendation from a university you enroll in. If you request your admissions file, they will be omitted. However, your teachers are allowed to voluntarily show you your letters of recommendation at any time.

Can you assess my chances of getting into [insert school]?

Chance mes are not accurate. Different schools look for different qualities in applicants, so A2C is unable to allow them.

Should I add links to projects or publications in my application?

Admissions officers are unlikely to click links, so you’re best off describing them instead.

Where can I get application fee waiver codes?

You can go through the Common App’s process, email the college you’re applying to in some cases, or see if they offer special days where fees are waived (e.g., SUNY schools). Events hosted by colleges, such as webinars or fly ins, may also sometimes offer fee waiver codes.

We also have a list of fee waivers on this page.

Can I lie on my application?

No. When you submit your application, you check a box affirming your application is truthful. If you’re caught lying, your admission offer may be rescinded, even if you’ve already enrolled.

Test Scores and Exams

What range should my test scores be in for me to submit them?

Test scores are taken in the context of your high school. If students at your school usually score around a 1000 on the SAT and you score a 1400, then this would be considered an amazing score in the context of your school, even if the average SAT of admitted applicants at the college you’re applying to is higher.

How many AP classes should I take?

Generally, your course load should be rigorous but still reasonable. Don’t take all of the easiest classes possible, but also don’t go as far as to overwhelm yourself. AP classes are considered in the context of your school. If your school only offers a few APs, you will not be penalized for only taking a few APs.

I opted to not share my test scores with a school on Common App but the PDF of my application still shows my scores!

Common App standardizes their PDF process, meaning PDF applications may still display any scores inputted even if you chose not to send them to that school. As long as you clicked to opt out of sharing your scores, the school will not see them.

I wanted to send my test scores but they’re not showing on the PDF.

Some colleges suppress certain info such as test scores from the PDF version of your Common App. They’ll still receive your scores if you opted to send them.

I still need to send in my test scores! Should I pay extra for rush shipping?

First, see if you can self-report. That would mean you don’t need to send in official scores until you enroll. If you do need to send in official scores, there’s almost always a grace period after the application deadline unless a school’s website specifically says otherwise, so you wouldn’t need to pay for rush shipping.

Essays

An AI checker said my essays are written by AI but I didn’t use AI.

Colleges rarely if ever use AI checkers as they’re not accurate. AOs know what a high schooler’s writing does and does not look like.

My Common App essay is formatted differently than I wanted it to be.

It’s okay if this happens. In case you come across this before you submit your essay, here’s a list of formatting errors you can check for:

• Automatic bold font when pasting essay from another software.
• Em dashes converting into hyphens: fix this by using three hyphens (---) in place of an em dash. Note that sometimes editing text after doing this can revert this back to a hyphen.
• Extra line breaks between paragraphs: fix this by not using blank line breaks as Common App will automatically add a single blank line break between paragraphs for you once you submit.
• Paragraph indentation getting removed: it doesn’t work on Common App so you’ll have to leave it out.
• Non-Latin characters (e.g., non-Latin languages, special characters like math symbols) in essay displaying as a question mark: Common App only supports Latin characters, so you can’t use others such as the aforementioned ones. If you must use a special character, you can write the name of it out in Latin characters.
• Google Docs/other writing software showing a different word count than Common App: Most softwares don’t count characters such em dashes that are surrounded by spaces on both sides as a separate own word. Common App does this, leading to a slightly higher word count on it than other softwares.

I’m doing my UChicago essays and their website doesn’t show all previous years’ prompts. Where can I find a more comprehensive list?

Use our linked page below!

Interviews

What information do interviewers receive about me?

Interviewers typically receive your name, high school, contact info (email/phone number), and your stated academic interest. This can slightly vary by college.

How do I address my interviewer?

You can usually address them the way they sign off their email to you. So if they sign off without a title like Mr./Ms./Mx., you can address them by their first name. If they sign off with a title, use that title. Note unless a woman signs off with Mrs. herself, you should use Ms. as her title. If they’re a professor or have a doctorate degree, it can be best to use “Professor Lastname” or “Dr. Lastname” unless you’re told otherwise by them. In cases where you’re unsure of the interviewer’s gender, you can omit their name and open with a “good evening” or similar.

What’s the difference between an evaluative and an informational interview?

An evaluative interview means the interview is considered as a part of your application. If you’re not offered an evaluative interview, this part of your application will be waived and not counted against you. An informational interview is like a conversation. You speak with a current student, alumni, or admissions officer to learn more about the school, but the interview will not be used as a part of your application.

I wasn’t offered an interview. Is this a bad sign?

No. Interviews are usually offered on a space available basis by your location, so it’s not always possible to interview all applicants. In cases when interviews are offered based on need for more information on an applicant, not receiving an interview just means AOs feel they have a complete picture of your application from what you’ve already submitted. Many applicants in these cases still get accepted without interviews. When an interview cannot be offered to you, AOs will waive it from your application and not count it against you.

Financial Aid

How will I get financial aid for early decisions if FAFSA doesn’t open until December?

Schools with the CSS Profile will use that for your financial aid package. Schools without the CSS Profile will not be able to give you a final financial aid package until later. In those cases, you may work with the school to check if you can continue applying elsewhere in the case of early decision until you receive a finalized aid package. While waiting for your final aid package, you can use a college’s net price calculator to estimate your cost of attendance.

Supplemental Materials

Can I submit my application before my rec letters are ready?

Yes.

My recommenders or counselors are late with their materials (rec letters, transcripts, etc). Am I cooked?

No, there’s almost always a grace period unless stated otherwise on a school’s website.