The Common Application’s Board of Directors has hired a consulting firm to conduct a “complete and expeditious review” of the organization’s structure and technology, according to emails the board recently sent to members.
As Nancy Griesemer, an independent college counselor and blogger, first reported on Monday, the board held an “off-cycle” meeting in December to discuss the technical problems that have dogged the revamped online application since last summer.
In a December 26 email to colleges, Thyra L. Briggs, the board’s president, said she and her colleagues had sought an independent report that would identify the causes of the problems, and make recommendations “as to how we can improve and regain the confidence of our members.”
In the email, Ms. Briggs, vice president for admission and financial aid at Harvey Mudd College, said Censeo, a consulting firm based in Washington, D.C., soon would seek feedback from member colleges and high-school counselors, probably in the form of a survey. The board plans to share the firm’s findings with members in March.
A subsequent email to counselors said the board would solicit responses from users for whom the new version of the Common Application—CA4—represented a change. “We will seek input from students at a later time,” Ms. Briggs wrote.
