What time zone do Colleges/Common Application use for their submission deadlines?

Parents Forum
1

<p>I know it is inadvisable to submit application at the very last minute. </p>

<p>If we were to do so, which time zone does the computer systems at Colleges & Common Application use to track when you submitted your application? </p>

<p>TIA.</p>

2

<p>I think it’s whatever time zone the school is in. But I wouldn’t cont on it:
The servers are often overloaded at the end.
Your computer might crash.
There could be a power outage.</p>

<p>Just do it a few hours earlier…</p>

3

<p>The University of Chicago has – surprise, surprise! – a somewhat unique take on this question:

I would not rely on this being the policy elsewhere, however. (I also assume they really mean “Regular Decision” applications, since they have already disposed of their Early Action applications.)</p>

4

<p>^ That’s really funny and clever. Kudos to the UofC.</p>

5

<p>@nngmm, since I’m applying to many schools on the east, I should be following EST then.</p>

6

<p>JHS, that’s a lovely contribution from U of C.</p>

<p>It would be nice to know if one were applying from Newfoundland, which has a half-hour different time-zone from the rest of Eastern Canada. Confusing, eh?</p>

7

<p>I was just wondering the same question. I found a link on the Common App Help page, but the link won’t load!</p>

<p><a href=“https://commonapp.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/commonapp.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=849&p_created=1195232405&p_sid=7r3DydVi&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=0&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MTAmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPTAmcF9wdj0mcF9jdj0mcF9wYWdlPTEmcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1lYXN0ZXJuIHRpbWU*&p_li=cF91c2VyaWQ9ZXlpNzYwQGdtYWlsLmNvbSZwX2VtYWlsPWV5aTc2MEBnbWFpbC5jb20mcF9jY2ZfMj1FcmljJnBfY2NmXzM9WWkmcF9jY2ZfND1lcmljeWkmcF9jY2ZfMTE9QWRtaXNzaW9ucyBBcHBsaWNhdGlvbiZwX2NjZl84PTE5Mi4xNjguNy41MCZwX2NjZl82PUlSSVMmcF9jY2ZfNz1Nb3ppbGxhLzUuMCAoV2luZG93czsgVTsgV2luZG93cyBOVCA1LjE7IGVuLVVTOyBydjoxLjguMS4xMSkgR2Vja28vMjAwNzExMjcgRmlyZWZveC8yLjAuMC4xMSZwX2NjZl8xOT0x&p_topview=1[/url]”>https://commonapp.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/commonapp.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=849&p_created=1195232405&p_sid=7r3DydVi&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=0&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MTAmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPTAmcF9wdj0mcF9jdj0mcF9wYWdlPTEmcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1lYXN0ZXJuIHRpbWU*&p_li=cF91c2VyaWQ9ZXlpNzYwQGdtYWlsLmNvbSZwX2VtYWlsPWV5aTc2MEBnbWFpbC5jb20mcF9jY2ZfMj1FcmljJnBfY2NmXzM9WWkmcF9jY2ZfND1lcmljeWkmcF9jY2ZfMTE9QWRtaXNzaW9ucyBBcHBsaWNhdGlvbiZwX2NjZl84PTE5Mi4xNjguNy41MCZwX2NjZl82PUlSSVMmcF9jY2ZfNz1Nb3ppbGxhLzUuMCAoV2luZG93czsgVTsgV2luZG93cyBOVCA1LjE7IGVuLVVTOyBydjoxLjguMS4xMSkgR2Vja28vMjAwNzExMjcgRmlyZWZveC8yLjAuMC4xMSZwX2NjZl8xOT0x&p_topview=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

8

<p>Here’s the info from the common app site. The key sentence is the final one:</p>

<p>

</p>

9

<p>Oh come on! Being properly prepared and having an ability to follow instructions is a indication that you’re an adult and ready for adult challenges. Don’t wait until the last minute to submit something that has a deadline.</p>

10

<p>@lakewashington: if the deadline is Jan 1 and you submit the application at 11:58 on December 31, you are prepared and following the instructions. I see no problem with submitting it last minute as long as you have everything and it is submitted before the deadline. (though I guess it is less stressful to leave ample time!)</p>

11

<p>

Last minute? This post is three years late. ;)</p>

12

<p>I just submitted my application not knowing that I was under the EST deadline ( I live on the west coast). I thought I was submitting it with roughly 2 1/2 hours to spare, but when i got to the submission page I found out I was in fact submitting it an hour late! I would have had it in several hours sooner, but one of my essays vanished from my computer and I had to re-write it based upon an earlier draft. I guess i will be calling tomorrow to see what this means for my chances. I hope it doesn’t effect them as I just spent five months working on essays, touring the campus and working to make sure everything was in order. Plus it cost me $75.</p>

13

<p>Don’t colleges use the submission time as a means of performing a ‘last cut’ of applicants who clearly didn’t plan ahead, weren’t well prepared, couldn’t make decisions, didn’t allow for unknown incidents like their network connection going away, servers crashing, etc. and therefore submitted the app at the absolute last second or beyond?</p>

<p>;)</p>

14

<p>“Don’t colleges use the submission time as a means of performing a ‘last cut’ of applicants who clearly didn’t plan ahead, weren’t well prepared, couldn’t make decisions, didn’t allow for unknown incidents like their network connection going away, servers crashing, etc. and therefore submitted the app at the absolute last second or beyond?”</p>

<p>And dont forget to add perfectionists who COULD NOT place time management over “making this essay PERFECT, it has to be PERFECT dammit, where’s MY THESAURUS!”</p>

<p>Of coure, they admit those kids to the Architecture school. ;)</p>

15

<p>“Don’t colleges use the submission time as a means of performing a ‘last cut’ of applicants who clearly didn’t plan ahead, weren’t well prepared, couldn’t make decisions, didn’t allow for unknown incidents like their network connection going away, servers crashing, etc. and therefore submitted the app at the absolute last second or beyond?”</p>

<p>You took the most fun part out of the college admission process.</p>

<p>In the old days when electronic filing was not popular, I mailed my tax return on the 13 or 14 of April then had fun watching people flock to the post offices at midnight to drop their envelopes on the due date.</p>