Coming Soon: A Paperless Common App

Common Application Makes Paperless HS Transcripts Possible

Many college applicants have been tripped up in recent years by the need to follow up online applications with paper copies of high school transcripts. That will soon be a thing of the past – for applicants to Common Application member schools, at least.

The Common Application recently completed a year-long test run of software that allows high schools to electronically submit students' transcripts, school profiles, and teacher recommendations to colleges and universities that use the Common Application. The organization plans to make this new feature available for applicants to all Common Application member schools this fall. This will mark the first time that large numbers of college applicants will enjoy the convenience of completely paperless college applications.

As any AP English Lit student should be able to tell you, though, technological progress often has a darker side. Here are three things that college applicants should keep in mind as they deal with paperless applications:

1. This 'totally paperless' experience will be available only for the 277 colleges and universities that accept the Common Application. That list may not include the schools you want to apply to.
2. Many of the schools that accept the Common Application have their own, supplemental application forms – and it's to your advantage to complete and submit them. Those procedures may or may not involve submitting things on paper.
3. Many applicants have sabotaged their admissions chances by lapsing into overly casual language in their online applications. Remember, a college application isn't an instant message, even if it is done completely online. Use proper written English in all your applications and admissions correspondence. Sentence fragments and random abbreviations make a poor impression on admissions officers, even if they do appear on a computer screen rather than on paper.