As college deadlines are fast approaching, Dunbar students are closing their applications, anxious to see where there future may lie. However, the simplest way to apply to college is far from easy. The Common Application, a nonprofit organization referred to as the Common App, has experienced unexpected glitches in payment and processing after its first software update in six years.

According to the Common Application’s mission statement, the organization has been providing a simplistic way to apply to college for over 35 years, just recently eliminating the paper form of the application. The application makes it easy for students to enter

Numerous colleges, including Georgia Tech and William and Mary, have extended their application deadlines due to the issues, placing a strain on the deadlines for admission. The main problem with these glitches is that for over 175 schools, the Common App is the only way to apply for admission, and many students are nervous about how these problems will affect the admissions process if their applications refuse to send or the payment is not accepted.

Behind the scenes of the website is a board of directors, consisting of past and present college presidents and officials, making them well-informed of the rigor of the college admissions process. The board is working to fix these problems as students begin to reach their first application deadlines. However, most of the problems are not the fault of the system.

“We are aware that some users are experiencing problems with the PDF previews,” an update on the Common App website in October read. “We are investigating the cause and will report as soon as we have information to share. As frustrating as this problem is for those who encounter it, please know that it is not systemic and does not impact all users.”

The organization has expressed that they are working on fixing the problems but have offered no apology to the colleges or students using the software. Some students have found themselves unable to log in the day before an application is due, hurting their chances for admission and scholarships.

To stay updated with the Common App, the organization offers a Facebook page and a Twitter account with daily updates regarding the fixes in user problems. With these glitches in tow, this season of college applications is proving to be one of the toughest yet.