The Foreign Service Journal, December 2016

98 DECEMBER 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT counselors who have students applying to the University of Florida have reported some technical difficulties that both the Coalition and UF are working on. Other Coalition members are paying close attention. So What Makes It Different? The loudest buzz is about Coalition App’s “Locker” feature. This is an online storage bunker of sorts, a place to store materials that will support your applica- tion. You can start doing this as early as 9th grade, uploading photos, videos, documents and more. No one can see any of this until you “unlock” it for the colleges you apply to in 12th grade, or share certain files with mentors. The advantage of the Locker is that you can take your time over the course of four years, uploading when you need to. Even if you have no idea what colleges you will be applying to in your senior year, you can use the Locker as an orga- nizing tool starting in middle school. You can also ask a mentor such as a teacher or counselor to look at the items in your Locker and comment on them at any time. Essay prompts are a little differ- ent, too. The topics are broader, and the recommended essay length is shorter—300-500 words, rather than the Common Application’s 650-word limit. The Coalition App also features the prompt, “Submit an essay on a topic of your choice,” which the Common App abandoned a few years ago. (See sidebar for comparison of Coalition App and Common App essay prompts.) Once you are registered and signed in, you have access to video tutorials about how to use the Locker and articles about all aspects of the college application pro- cess, from extracurricular activities and The advantage of the Locker is that you can take your time over the course of four years, uploading when you need to. Continued from page 94