<p>Agreed.</p>
<p>I wonder why colleges are surprised by the jump given the increasingly ubiquitous nature of the common apps. However those supplements were a “bear” and a half. We saw the complexity for what it was - an attempt to discourage students from apply - especially those who wait until after finals to finish up their applications. It wasn’t possible for my D to retool her essays for each college - that’s how diverse they were this year. Some started with long philosophical preambles that then asked students to expound on a similar experience.</p>