After listening to a panel of Director of Admissions speak yesterday at Princeton University, many of whom represented Princeton University, University of Delaware, Rutgers, Drexel, University of Maryland and more, I realized that Halloween wasn't going to be the scariest day this year.

With the Common Application calling in a support team (from Amazon?) to help sort out problems with the server and system, many member colleges are extending early admissions deadlines. Schools like Villanova, Rutgers and Muhlenberg College had their own application.

The series of complicated problems posed by the Common Application worry both students (with their parents and school counselors) and colleges.

Colleges are worried about their continued inability to access and read submitted applications through online enrollment management systems. Some colleges are resorting to the old method : manual processing.

The Common Application reports that half of the colleges using a daily automated process to retrieve files are testing or waiting to go live with the software fix.

However, for those with functioning retrieval systems, there are still reports of applications and documents showing up as empty files or blank pages. As addressed by many concerned and anxious school counselors, the colleges, at the same time, struggle with glitches in the automated systems and receive hundreds of calls from anxious applicants, teachers, and school counselors seeking acknowledgement of documents sent weeks ago.

The colleges represented at the panel suggested that counselors and applicants wait a day or two after the deadline to see if their documents were received by colleges. Many member colleges are going to accommodate the concerns and honor a few days after the deadline of document receipt. Some are taking a more flexible approach to enforcing their deadlines. Princeton University suggests that students use the Universal Application.

From the schools' perspective, between problems with the Naviance connection and an inability to access documents through automated processes, they simply have no way of telling whether a document has been sent or received.

It’s stressful for all involved—applicants, recommenders, and colleges.

And while procrastinating applicants may heave a sigh of relief, it’s worth mentioning that the wise student will make every effort to get applications sent long before deadlines. Not only is it worth the peace of mind, but you also potentially avoid traffic jams and service interruptions down the road. Note: The devastating Hurricane Sandy of 2012 also caused many headaches for student applicants last year.

Continue to check with individual college websites for the most up-to-date information and speak with Lee Academia Consultants for more up-to-date school extensions and get help with completing your applications.

Lee Academia Consultants are continuing to monitor the early decision and early action deadlines changes that were released in the past 2 weeks. We hope to continue to update our blogs, but as of today, October 28, 2013, we have a list of over 20 college deadline changes. Here we will be listing a few. Continue to check the deadline extension at each college's website to be certain. For the rest of the college updates, contact a Lee Academia Consultant.

Over 20 colleges have moved their early decision and early action deadlines.

Check with your college's websites for the more up-to-date extensions.

We will be posting the colleges with the extensions this weekend. Stay tuned.

MCAT registration for the January to May 2014 exam dates has resumed.