Cornell extends early decision deadline to Nov. 8

Cornell has extended its early decision admissions and financial aid deadline by one week, from Nov. 1 to Friday, Nov. 8.

Jason Locke, associate vice provost for enrollment, and college and school admissions directors made the decision in response to technical problems applicants have experienced with a new version of the Common Application.

“We are aware of the anxiety prospective students may be feeling at a time when they should be filled with excitement at the future possibilities before them,” Vice Provost Barbara Knuth said. “We would like to assure them we are monitoring the situation with the Common Application and taking measures at Cornell to mitigate the challenges.”

The new deadline and information on the process were posted to Cornell’s admissions website Oct. 23. The Undergraduate Admissions Office has created a page on the admissions site addressing frequently asked questions regarding the Common Application, and is also sending e-mails to all prospective freshmen currently in the system and to guidance counselors at schools that submitted freshman applications to Cornell last year.

Common Application has experienced several issues with the new application that launched Aug. 1, including problems with log-ins, compatibility with some Web browsers, uploading documents and submitting completed applications. A 24-hour online help service has been in continuous operation since Oct. 1. The company has shared its corrective strategy and actions taken with its member colleges and the high school counseling community, and is communicating new information to its users through Facebook and Twitter.

The Common Application allows students to apply to multiple colleges with a single form. A service of the not-for-profit organization of the same name, it has been in use for 35 years. The company serves more than 500 member institutions and processes about a million applications a year.

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