So one thing I noticed is that at many of of the complaints about apps (not everyone getting notes, using wikis for reference, uneven standards)- all connect to the way that that apps for canons the mod was familiar with got different treatment from those that the mod didn't know very well. I think this probably wasn't intentional, but it did create a strong sense that different apps were being judged by different standards- because they were, even if that wasn't the intention.

For apps the mod was canon familiar with, they might have focused more on characterization, rather than dotting the is and crossing the ts of the app requirements. They had an easier time judging the samples, and could easily come up with notes or small items for the characters to find when they arrived.

For apps the mod wasn't familiar with, they ended up adhering much more strictly to the app requirements and may have had a harder time judging samples, which meant that these apps ended up getting held to an unfairly higher standard, in addition to getting checked against possibly inaccurate or out of date fandom wikis without applicants being told this would happen. If they'd used apps from canons the mod was familiar with as their basis for 'what makes a good app', then applicants would end up feeling, correctly, that they were being held to a different standard, and feel less than welcome when their character didn't get a note or item on acceptance.