The past week has seen an unexpected and unusual delay in our ability to address support requests in a timely manner. This delay is attributable to three specific support issues, each of which requires significant research on our end to determine the nature of the problem:

Unsupported Browsers. Some recommenders have been unable to create accounts because they have been using unsupported browsers. We have introduced new alerts to help these colleagues better understand why the system is not responsive, and we have highlighted the list of browsers we support.

Email Address Changes. Some applicants who changed their email addresses after registering an account have been unable to log in. We fixed this issue on September 18, but the solution was not retroactive. We can assist applicants in this situation, but we need to do so on an individual basis.

Payment Records. All payments are processed by a third-party vendor. In some instances, a record of payment is not transmitted back to an applicant's Common App account. This makes it appear to the applicant that the payment has not gone through when in fact it has. We have a daily process in place that reconciles the vendor's payment records with our own. Unfortunately, we are discovering that some applicants are paying a second time before we are able to update the original payment record in their account. We are working closely with our payment vendor on a solution.

The challenge with each of these issues is that the root cause is not always apparent from the information applicants and recommenders provide in their initial messages.  Consequently, the time and effort required to research and resolve these issues is much greater than normal.  While these three issues affect a only small percentage of users, they have had a significant impact on our ability to provide timely responses for all users.

We are working quickly to remedy these problems and return to our usual response time. In the meanwhile, if you or your students are waiting for responses to support requests, please be patient as we move through the queue. Our response may take longer than you or we would like, but we assure you that we will respond.