Rating University Application Portals By Ease of Use

[skhann]

Having gone through the application process at American universities, I have found the State universities to have the friendliest application portals. They usually have the same interface and one can easily go through all the pages/tabs/questions etc. The recommendation list can be updated any time before the deadline. More importantly, they send the recommendation requests immediately after filling in the details. The best part is the payment system where it is a breeze to pay fees for international applicants like me. They accept many, if not all, types of credit/debit cards. Not to mention the application fees are usually less than $50, sometimes even $30ish.

On the contrary, many Ivy League and private universities are seriously a pain in the nether regions. Aside from the fees, which are usually above $100 for international applicants , the online portals are user unfriendly and prone to crash/errors. The recommendation system is not smooth and sometimes one has to complete the app and pay the fees before these to be generated. The payment systems are also complicated and only accept a few credit cards. Wondering if/when they will modify their systems. If funds-starved state universities can do it, what's holding them back? Donors?

Edited January 29, 2018 by skhann