Optional Report

What is an Optional Report?

The Optional Report is a Common App form that lets you send colleges updated information about a student after you've already sent their School Report. You can send it at any point in the school year.

Common reasons to send one:

• New grades are in. For example, a senior applied Early Action and their 1st quarter grades are strong. Send an updated transcript so colleges see them before they make a decision.
• Something you sent was wrong. Correct a mistake on the transcript, GPA, or class rank you sent with the School Report.
• The student's senior schedule changed. For example, they dropped or added a course.
• You need to update your evaluation of the student.

Good to know before you start:

• It's for Common App applications only. You'll only see the Optional Report on applications the student is submitting through Common App, and only if your school uses Overgrad's Common App integration.
• Send the School Report first. The Optional Report becomes available once the student's School Report has been sent to Common App. If you haven't sent the School Report yet, just edit the School Report instead.
• One report covers every Common App college. When you add an Optional Report to one application, Overgrad adds it to all of the student's Common App applications, and sending it once sends it to all of them.
• Each student can have one Optional Report. Once it's sent, you can't send another one for that student.
• It isn't a Midyear or Final Report. Colleges that require a Midyear or Final Report still need those separately.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What is an Optional Report?
• Send an Optional Report from a student's profile
  • Step 1: Add the Optional Report
  • Step 2: Complete the form
  • Step 3: Send it
• Send an Optional Report from the Application Manager
  • Add an Optional Report from the Applications tab
  • Complete and send Optional Reports from Caseload Overview
• Optional Report statuses

Send an Optional Report from a student's profile

Step 1: Add the Optional Report

1. Go to the student's profile and click the Application Manager tab.
2. Find any of the student's Common App applications. Click the three dots (...) at the end of the row, then click Attach Document.
   
3. Under Document Type, select Optional Report.

   Is Optional Report greyed out? The student's School Report hasn't been sent to Common App yet. Is it missing from the list? Either the student already has an Optional Report, or this isn't a Common App application.

4. Leave Attach to this application only selected and click Attach or Request. Overgrad automatically adds the Optional Report to all of the student's Common App applications

Step 2: Complete the Form

1. Click the application's row to expand it. You'll see Optional Report in the list of documents with the status Requested. Click Complete Form.
2. Under What updates are you making?, check every box that applies. Each one adds the fields you need to fill out.
3. Fill out the fields that appear. For an updated transcript, choose which grades the transcript includes (for example, 1st Quarter senior year grades), click Select File From Computer to upload the transcript as a PDF, and check the box to confirm you've uploaded it. Then click Save. The Optional Report's status changes to Ready.

Step 3: Send it

Click the three dots (...) on the Optional Report row and click Send Document. This sends the Optional Report to Common App, and every Common App college the student applies to can see it.

Need to change something first? Click Edit in the same menu. Need to remove it? Click Remove from Application. This removes it from all of the student's Common App applications. You can only edit or remove an Optional Report before it's sent.

Send an Optional Report from the Application Manager

To work across your caseload, go to Application Manager in the menu at the top of Overgrad.

Add an Optional Report from the Applications tab

Click the Applications tab. Find a Common App application for the student (use the Student filter to narrow the list), click the three dots (...) at the end of the row, and click Attach Document. Then follow Step 1 above.

Complete and send Optional Reports from Caseload Overview

Caseload Overview shows the status of every Optional Report for your students in one place. You can't add a new Optional Report from here, but you can complete and send the ones you've already added.

1. Click Document Types, check Optional Report, and click Save.
2. The table now shows only students with an Optional Report, along with its status.
3. Click the three dots (...)on a status to act on it:
   • Requested: click Complete Form to fill it out.
   • Ready: click Send Documents to send it, or Edit to make changes first.

Tip: Hover over a status to see which colleges the Optional Report is attached to.

Optional Report statuses

• Requested: you've added an Optional Report request, but the form isn't filled out yet.
• Ready: the form is filled out and ready to send.
• Submitting: Overgrad is sending it to Common App.
• In Common App: Common App has it. It switches to Sent once the student submits that college's application.
• Sent: the college has it.
• Failed to Send: something went wrong. Click the three dots and choose Retry Send.