Can anyone answer a couple of questions about the Common App

[Staci in CT]

To anyone who has filled out/supervised the filling out of this form,

On the secondary school form, you need to rate your student vs. others in her class. Since we home school classes of one, did you check No Basis?

Is there really only ONE personal essay to write? I thought college applications required all sorts of essays. I am reading that you pick only one from a bunch of topics including "topic of your choice." Am I reading it wrong?

Is there anything else that you think I should watch out for when filling out this form? I know that the 08-09 form isn't out until June, but I wanted a head start on putting together school papers.

Thank you for any and all guidance.

Staci in CT

[DollyM]

I don't remember how we answered the ranking question. Can't you just say 1/1 (first out of a class of one) ?

About the essay - yeah, if the school WANTS more than the one essay they will ask for it. DD only needed essays beyond that first one when she went after institutional scholarships - those have their OWN applications (hard copy) that are IN ADDITION TO the "Standard Common App."

Also, the CA has subsequent forms to report Spring quarter grades and seems like other stuff.

[Cynde]

Ds had to submit the CA to several schools this year. For the secondary report, I checked "no basis." The questions asks you to compare the student to others in his class. My thinking was that he was the only student in his class, so I could not really make the comparison in the manner in which they were asking. Immediately below that question is the section for you the evaluator to write your narrative about your student. This is where you can make the student shine, and the section essentially addresses what is asked in the question you checked "no basis" only in more personal detail. For that section, I had more to say than the little space provided, so I did attach another sheet and wrote "Please see attached sheet" in that section. However, the general concensus is not to make the attachment more that one page in length. None of the colleges questioned my approach.

You are correct, there is only one essay for the common application. Our ds chose "own topic." Many colleges will require an additional essay or short answers which you will find in their supplements once you have added them to your college list to apply to.

HTH and good luck!

[Staci in CT]

Thanks for taking the time to respond. Now I understand how to answer the questions.

Staci