This New Year's Eve day many seniors did what they've been putting off for for months -- they filed their Common Application. or at least they tried to. With so many procrastinators piling on, the Common App site slowed down and, according to the New York Times, even caused time out errors for some users. As you might imagine, anxiety ensued. Now what!? Those who were persistent were able to file, but why put yourself through that needless stress?
Applications should always be filed well before due dates because you just never know. And because you will sleep easier. And -- here's an important one -- so your application won't be on the bottom of the virtual pile, the last one read by a weary admissions officer who, after all, is only human and who gets tired.
The Common Application organization noted that last year that more than 171,000 applications were filed in the 72 hours from Dec. 30 through Jan. 1., 75,000 of them on Dec. 31. Don't let yours be one of them next year.
BTW, another Common App tip: Starting around late October/early November you're likely to find the site slow going on Sunday afternoons. Pick another time to work on your app online. You can always work on elements like your essay offline and do the Web-based portions when you're not part of the herd.
