It’s loved. It’s hated. And, at long last, it’s live.
After months of preparation, the Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success has delivered a new college-application platform. As of Monday, a handful of participating colleges are now accepting applications through the online portal, which supporters hope will redefine the admissions process. A total of 56 institutions plan to start using the coalition’s application over the next few weeks.
The first day of August, when the Common Application goes live each year, has long marked the unofficial start of the admissions cycle for rising seniors. This year the date also marks a major milestone for the coalition’s controversial platform. Nearly two years ago, a group of highly selective private and public colleges announced plans for a shared application that students could use to apply to one or more member institutions. The membership requirements would restrict participation to colleges that met specific criteria, such as a six-year graduate rate of at least 70 percent.
Instead of just building an alternative to the Common Application, the coalition envisioned a platform that would allow high-school students to start profiles as early as ninth grade, which would encourage teenagers to plan for college, familiarize themselves with the process, and invite a cast of helpful mentors to help along the way. The idea has sparked months of debate that reached a high point at a national admissions conference last fall.
Read more at The Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com/article/The-Coalition-/237321