zweebopp

This seems like a very weird phenomenon, but colleges are now writing to my son that they "see" they are listed as one of the schools on his "My Colleges" list on his common app. Yikes! How much else do they know? This from schools he has yet to send money or actually apply.

"We see you have listed us as one your colleges to get your application. We look forward to reading your application. Our deadline is...."

Anyone get this kind of "Big Brother Is Watching You Creepy-ness"? One of those schools that admitted to knowing they are on his list, asks in their application "What other schools are you applying to?" I'd think they already know!

MacGyver

They don't already know. There is no surreptitious behavior going on with colleges spying on applicants that use the Common App.

If you start *any* online admissions application, the college that runs that application is going to at least know you started the app. In the Common Application system, if an applicant adds a college to his or her My Colleges list, that applicant shows as an in-progress application for that college.

If you are at all worried, I advise that your read the Common Application Privacy Policy statement. Common App colleges on your son's My Colleges list can only email him because he gave them permission to do so when he registered with the Common App Online system.

No Common Application member college can see a list of other colleges an applicant has on his or her My Colleges list. Colleges often ask for this information to help them understand their applicant pool and competition from other colleges at a high level. Nothing nefarious.

Hope that helps allay your concerns.