A A C R A O

D e nve r, C O

A p r i l 0 2 , 2 0 1 4

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Andy Hahn, Member Support SpecialistChad Massie, Director of Technology

OVERVIEW

Common Application Mission

Reflection on 2013-14

Review of Online Process

Expectations for 2014-15

Your Questions

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INSTANT POLL

Who do we have in the audience?

1) Admissions – Member College

2) Admissions – Non-Member College

3) Registrar

4) Other

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COMMON APPLICATION

MISSION

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WHO WE ARE

Not-for-profit

Membership association

Founded in 1975

Free to applicants, secondary schools,

teachers, counselors, faculty, and registrars

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MEMBERSHIP COMMITMENT

Membership is open to

colleges and universities

that promote access by

evaluating students

using a holistic

selection process.

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40 YEARS OF SERVICE

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1975 1980 1995 2000 2008 2013

4th gen online school forms

system - transfer517 members

pilot year15

members

first 100 members

Common App floppy disk

156 members

2nd genholistic commitment

200 members

3rd genonline school forms system – first year

315 members

DIVERSE MEMBERSHIP

560 member colleges

– 47 states plus DC

– 95 public institutions

– 7 HBCUs

– 25 international colleges in 11 countries outside the US

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MEMBER GOVERNED

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

{ 9 chief enrollment officers

4 school counselors }

APPLICATIONS ADVISORY

{ primarily admission operations

professionals }

OUTREACH ADVISORY

{ school counselors

CBO counselors }

PROMOTING ACCESS Funding professional development for counselors serving

low-income students– College Board National Forum

– NACAC Critical Components Workshop

– National College Access Network Annual Conference

– National College Advising Corps Summit

– National Partnership for Educational Access Annual Conference

Sponsor for Events and Organizations– NACAC Access College Fair

– NACAC Student Essay Scholarship Contest

– AACRAO

– PESC

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REFLECTION ON 2013-14

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INSTANT POLL

How familiar are you with the common app online?

1) I’ve never used it before

2) This is my first year using the system

3) I’ve been using the system for years

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YEAR 1 IN BRIEF

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Many Many Users

New System

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35million

2013-14 APPLICATION STATS

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1.5 million accounts created

3.4 million applications submitted

2.0 million e-payments

765,000 total fee waivers

780,000 unique applicants

72,000 of whom are transfer applicants

2013-14 RECOMMENDER STATS

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20,500 secondary schools represented (+10%)

13 million online school forms (+39%)

325,000 unique online counselors, teachers,

academic evaluators, and registrars (+10%)

APPLICANTS BY STATE

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1. New York (14.08%)

2. California (11.74%)

3. New Jersey (7.39%)

4. Massachusetts (6.62%)

5. Illinois (5.58%)

6. Ohio (4.91%)

7. Pennsylvania (4.53%)

8. Virginia (4.00%)

9. Connecticut (3.98%)

10.Maryland (3.92%)

“No state“ /

International would

have been 3rd if

included

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• 203 countries represented (including the US)

• Top 10 Countries

1. China (36.12%)

2. India (6.03%)

3. Canada (4.51%)

4. Korea, Republic Of (4.33%)

5. Singapore (2.66%)

6. United Kingdom (2.42%)

7. Brazil (2.02%)

8. Hong Kong (1.88%)

9. United Arab Emirates (1.73%)

10. Pakistan (1.70%)

APPLICANTS BY COUNTRY

DEMOGRAPHICS

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COUNTRY OF HOME ADDRESS

91% Domestic; 9% International

PARENTAL EDUCATION

71% At least one parent with a Bachelor’s; 29% First Generation

SCHOOL AFFILIATION

73% Public; 11% Independent; 14% Religious; 2% Charter; <1%Homeschool

Students of Color 20%

780,000

Unique

Applicants

55%

45%

White 67%

No Response 13%

CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS

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Expecting changes in general statistics and demographics of future applicants.

– The number of high school graduates is shrinking, but the proportion who are ethnically diverse is growing.

– Transfer application usage is climbing.

– Between 2013 and 2020, college enrollment is projected to increase

• 5% for 18- to 24-year-olds

• 16% for 25- to 34-year-olds

• 17% for students 35 years old and older

REVIEW OF ONLINE PROCESS

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AVAILABLE FORMS

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First Year School Forms:

‒ Teacher Evaluation

‒ Counselor Evaluation, including High School Transcript

‒ Other Recommender Evaluation (e.g., coach, mentor,

internship sponsor, etc.)

Transfer School Forms:

‒ Academic Evaluation

‒ Registrar Report

‒ Mid-Term Report (offline only)

PROCESS WORKFLOW

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Student (First Year or Transfer Applicant)

Selects CollegesAdds

“Recommenders”Assigns

“Recommenders”Submits

Applications

PROCESS WORKFLOW

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Recommender (Counselor, Teacher/Faculty,

Registrar, Other)

Establish Password and

Login

Complete Profile

Enter Information for

a StudentSubmit Form

STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

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STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

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STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

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NOTIFICATION EMAIL

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NOTIFICATION EMAIL

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RECOMMENDER PERSPECTIVE

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RECOMMENDER PERSPECTIVE

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RECOMMENDER PERSPECTIVE

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RECOMMENDER PERSPECTIVE

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RECOMMENDER PERSPECTIVE

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RECOMMENDER PERSPECTIVE

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RECOMMENDER PERSPECTIVE

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RECOMMENDER PERSPECTIVE

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ITEMS OF NOTE

The student initiates the process.

“Recommender” username is the email address the student used in invitation.

Ensure that you are on “Recommenders” tab before trying to log in.

Submit button on a form shows only after “Profile” screen is complete.

One submission for all colleges in the student’s My Colleges list to simplify process.

Recommenders can always “opt out” of the online process and submit forms on paper via the mail.

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EXPECTATIONS FOR 2014-15

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HEARING YOUR VOICE

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ADDRESSING PAIN POINTS

• What does the green check really mean?

• I need to be able to see my work before starting submission.

• Why can’t I log in?

• My essay response doesn’t look right.

• The process is confusing.

• The forms don’t meet my needs.

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SYSTEM ENHANCEMENTS

APPLICANT SYSTEM

– Essay topics retained

– Essay formatting

– Print preview

– ePayment reconciliation

– Confirmation emails

– Early Decision agreement confirmation

– General improvements to question texts, and explanations

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SYSTEM ENHANCEMENTS

RECOMMENDER SYSTEM

– First year forms – no changes

– Print preview

– Transfer form updates

– Confirmation emails

– General improvements to question texts and

explanations

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TRANSFER FORMS

Expectations

– Seek guidance from transfer advisors and registrars

– Clarify and expand existing support resources

– Continue to seek helpful online solutions

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2014-15 Registrar Report

– Revised content and process

– No final decisions yet

– Advisory committee has endorsed a one year return to paper to allow sufficient review

– Complex form/process; many questions and potentially multiple people involved

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

Enhanced Help Center Knowledgebase Articles

Improved support response messages

Training Resources

Webinars

Videos

Chat Support

Experienced Users

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appsupport.commonapp.org

recsupport.commonapp.org

SUGGESTIONS AND FEEDBACK

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recsupport.commonapp.org

– submit questions

– needed clarifications

– suggestions for future

enhancements

– general comments

– feedback

ONGOING COMMUNICATIONS

Conferences

Monthly newsletters

Surveys and focus groups

Social Media– Facebook – facebook.com/commonapp

– Twitter – @commonapp

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SUMMARY

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Common Application Mission

Reflection on 2013-14

Review of Online Process

Expectations for 2014-15

Your Questions

QUESTIONS

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www.commonapp.org

appsupport.commonapp.org

recsupport.commonapp.org

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GUIDING PRINCIPLES

• The technology will be reliable.

• Service will be excellent.

• Communication will be proactive and transparent.

• The application will serve the needs of our constituents.

• Members needs will be heard and considered.

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-

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

Application Submissions by Day

Application Submissions 1/1/201410/1/2013

2013-14 APPLICATION STATS

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4.34average

submissions per applicant

4.47first year

4.56without

transfer and ED

1.61transfer