Penn unlikely to join Common App

While more colleges have embraced the Common Application in recent years, Penn remains steadfast in its decision to only accept its traditional application form.

"We have always believed our application is unique and different and we want to keep the application process for Penn very serious," Dean of Admissions Lee Stetson said.

The Common Application -- which began in 1975 with fifteen colleges -- now includes over 240 colleges and universities across the country.

All colleges admitted to the Common Application organization must consider applicants holistically-- using both objective criteria such as test scores and grades as well as subjective ones such as essays and extra-curricular activities.

Colleges must also pledge not to discriminate in the admission selection process against applicants based on the particular form that an applicant uses.

"The original goal was that since these schools had such an overlap in applications why not create a single application?" said Rob Killion, the executive director of The Common Application.

He added that this lets students spend more time on the substantive work of applications, including essay crafting, high school homework and campus visits.

According to Killion, 450,000 students have used the online common application this academic year.

There is no way to track how many print applications were used.

However, Killion said that the Common Application is not right for every university.

"Different institutions have different philosophies on what it is looking for in an applicant," he said.

Five of the eight Ivy League schools currently accept the Common Application with the exceptions being Brown, Columbia and Penn.

Most notably, Princeton and Cornell began accepting the Common Application this year.

Both have shown a marked increase in their applicant pool, with Princeton increasing 19 percent and Cornell increasing 16.2 percent from last year.

Both institutions credit the Common Application as a factor in raising their numbers.

However, according to Stetson, an increase in the quantity of applications does not necessarily correlate to an increase in the quality.

"The seriousness with which students use the common application is suspect," Stetson said.

Penn admissions officers place a premium on whether a student is intent on attending the University when considering their application.

"One of the key questions in the application is so we can judge whether [they're] serious," Stetson said, speaking of the mandatory essay question that asks why the student would like to attend Penn.

Stetson estimates that eighty percent of the campus had Penn as their first choice school and sees "no point in ruining that just to engender more applications."

He stressed that while it may not be the right fit for Penn, the Common Application is not a bad idea for other universities.

"Just because we are comfortable where we are doesn't mean we would never consider it down the road," Stetson added.

Essay question Common App: "Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe thatinfluence." Penn App: "You have justcompleted your 300-page autobiography. Please submit page 217."

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