College application is a complicated process for parents and students. When in their last year of secondary school, students do many things at once: study for and ace tests such as the ACT and SAT, join prospective college trips and apply to colleges and universities.
A lot of schools require students to apply online through their school websites, such as the Popular private institutions like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Georgetown University in the District of Columbia. Several states also run program registrations that applicants can or must use to apply to colleges. Texas, for instance, has a statewide application submission system, although some Texas schools have already adopted the Common App.
Using a single acceptance form to apply to several colleges at a time sounds like a dream. The Common Application, which began with only 15 schools in 1975, became the answer. Today, it is the country’s most-used platform for college applications and has the ultimate goal of streamlining the college application process.
What makes the Common App an excellent option for college applicants? Here are nine facts on the Common App to get you started. Use these page jumps for easier navigation!
The Common App began in 1975.
College application is a breeze with the Common App – but start early!
The Common App requires you to complete the required information.
The Common App is a useful college application resource.
The Common App is a free-for-use tool but application charges apply.
The country’s most prominent colleges and universities use the Common App.
The essay is a vital component of the Common App.
Students use the Common App prompts to craft compelling stories.
There are ways to make the Common App work for you!
The Common App began in 1975.
The Common Application or Common App is a platform for using a single online application when applying to any of the 900 participating U.S.- or non-U.S. colleges or universities, so you don’ t have to fill out a new form separately for each school. That said, nearly half of all schools connected to the Common App requires students to request an external application.
Regardless of its popularity, some families who may be new to the college application process may consider the Common App frustrating. The app has evolved to adapt to the changing times. The now-completely digitized app used to be a paper booklet that prospective college students would fill out multiple times. Today, students can complete the Common App one time and send the form to as many academic institutions as they want.
The Common App works best for these groups of individuals:
College-bound high school students or first-time college applicants: The Common App will help applicants stay on track through close monitoring of all the deadlines and resources in one location. Through the Common App, they can verify that their letters of recommendation have been accomplished and monitor what materials need to be submitted or uploaded.
- Transfer students: Students who are bound to transfer, but still need to complete a course on another academic institution or perhaps work while going to school can take advantage of the Common App system’s operational features. It simplifies the application process, saving more money, energy, and time.
- Parents and guardians: Applications also request information about the guardians and parents of the students to know whether they are qualified for individual honors and financial assistance, just like first-hand college scholarships. The Common Application also allows parents to aid their children in filling out the application form and other background information only once, instead of repeating it.
- Counselors: The Common App can also be used to aid counselors in helping students determine the right path to take considering their preferred degree programs.
College application is a breeze with the Common App – but start early!
Starting early enables students to get the support they need at the beginning of the school year. The summer before classes begin in high school is the right time for students to start applying for college. Every year, the Common App’s new edition launches every 1st of August.
Students can also set up an account at a specific time and transfer their information to the Common App once it opens. This provides them the opportunity to check the school requirements that they are considering, write essays, and complete some part of the required background information.
To monitor deadlines, accept feedback, and set reminders effectively, students can download and use the Common App’s mobile app.
Here are the steps on how to navigate the Common App:
- Applicants generate a Common Application Profile at CommonApp.org. This part lets you add or remove the college or university to which you want to apply and monitor deadlines.
- Fill out a Common Application Form, which contains general details that all colleges would like to see, like extracurricular activities, complete address, and full name.
- Add any additional applications that the colleges are requesting. Look for the Common App prompts or essay questions.
- Rather than filling out the same material on separate applications over and over again, send the same Common Application to all of your selected colleges.
- Colleges provide the Common Application and other necessary content, such as transcripts that the admission officers will review.
- The schools may reject, approve, or wait-list applicants using the Common Application. They will also ask for submitted portfolios and schedule on-campus interviews through the app.
- Students can use the Common App to apply for financial assistance, like the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or school-specific scholarships.
- While useful for applying to most colleges, the Common App may not work for students enrolling in online courses that do not progress towards a degree. A formal application is likely needed for those pursuing credit courses. If you’re an online student, be sure that your online school uses the Common App.
Unless you fully comply with the rules and complete the process, the Common App isn’t a helpful tool.
The Common App enables college applicants to collate all the information that their selected schools most likely would want to know. Complying with conventional application procedures, most schools would require students to write extensive essays but skip some parts in the general application section. You only need to disclose information about your extracurricular activities, education, parental employment, and address. Android and Apple users can also download the Common App.
The Application Requirements using the Common App would typically include:
- High school transcript or college transcript, in the case of transfer students
- Scores and dates for their standardized tests like the ACT and SAT
- Parental information
- Letters of Recommendation (depending on the school)
The application period and deadlines differ according to the school. Generally, you will spend at least six weeks completing the application, including filling out the form and submitting school-specific required documents.
Other vital elements of the Common App are:
- Profile: This portion requires demographic and personal information, like the name and address of the applicant. It also contains relevant information regarding the applicant’s family.
- Academic background: This section is for information on the applicant’s attended high schools (or colleges for student transfers), and classes, as well as Letters of Recommendation. Even though a transcript can be submitted to the Common App, colleges are still required to submit transcripts specifically to the college admissions office.
- Exam scores: Student-applicants use this portion to self-report their ACT, SAT, and Advanced Placement (AP) scores, and SAT Subject assessments. The scores may also be submitted directly to the colleges, as may be required.
- Extracurricular activities: This portion may include sports, volunteering, and interests or hobbies that make the applicant stand out.
- Supplemental materials: This part is for scholarship eligibility. Applicants are typically asked to submit an additional essay, but other academic institutions may request other documents.
There are a few minor components that vary, like the formatting and space allowed for the activity section, and the specific classes and grades needed. Therefore, to determine which application is right for you, find out which applications are approved in the academic institutions you choose. The main advantage of the Common App is that it has been accepted eight times more than the Coalition App in several schools in the country.
The Common App is a useful college application resource.
If you’re looking to apply to many universities, it can be nerve-wracking to not know exactly what they need from you.
The Common App Ready contains information sheets, training videos, and on-demand resources, detailing everything that families, counselors, and students need to know about using the Common App. This resource contains information regarding the design of applications, detailed descriptions of each segment, and requirements for submission. The tool also features resources in the Spanish language.
Aside from video tutorials throughout the program, the website has 24 hours a day, seven days a week, yearly technical support available. Students can look for answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs). They can also send questions through the Applicant Solutions Center. According to the representatives of Common App, response times may differ, yet the average wait time for one response is 20 minutes.
The Common App is a free-for-use tool but application charges apply.
The Common App can be used for free, especially in filling out the application form, but the submission of the application to various schools needs to be paid. Since January 2017, around 250 schools (42%) using the Common App did not charge for application fees. But some universities and colleges in the country require anywhere from $25 to almost $100 for the submission of forms during the application process.
The good news is, qualified students can get fee waivers through the College Board, the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), and the Common App itself. To be eligible, students must establish their financial need and meet the standards set by the NACAC.
The country’s most prominent colleges and universities use the Common App.
Since its official launch, the Common App has grown tremendously popular. From only 15 schools in 1975, there are now more than 800 schools in the US using the platform. The users include on-campus and online colleges, prominent state universities, and small private institutions.
Among the universities and colleges that are widely known for using the Common App are:
- Amherst College
- Brown University
- Duke University
- Harvard University
- Ohio State University
- Williams College
- University of Southern California
- Vanderbilt University
- Yale University
The essay is a vital component of the Common App.
The Common App essay portion enables applicants to demonstrate to college admissions officers why they are the right fit for the academic institution and vice versa. They also utilize the essay to share a compelling story beyond their academic experience.
Essays can be nerve-wracking for students, but don’t avoid, ignore, or undervalue this Common App section.
Here are some tips and tricks to create a concise and thorough essay:
- Begin early
Take the time to craft an insightful essay that speaks for your abilities and potential as a future college student. Your half-baked work won’t take you places. And while at it, make sure you start ahead of time to beat the deadline for submission of your essay.
- Get good feedback
Ask your high school teachers, counselors, career mentors, or professors for suggestions to improve your essay. Take criticism well and value their input.
- Follow the rules.
Even the most brilliant essay won’t cut it if it breaks the rules, such as the word count, formatting, and paragraphing guidelines.
- Revise efficiently
Don’t hammer everything in one sitting. Take a short break from essay writing to gain a fresh approach to it. When you clear your head, you’ll find ways to enhance your piece, considering the inputs and suggestions of those whose opinions you trust. Polish your drafts well and use proven techniques like a reverse outline to be sure your essay doesn’t veer away from the topic.
- Check out successful essays
Essays from successful applications that leave a mark are usually posted online. Identify what makes these essays successful and how you can replicate the techniques.
- Never lose yourself
Don’t let the ideas of others take charge by allowing a parent or a hired admissions counselor to influence or even generate the essay for you. You might end up in the right school for the person who wrote your essay, not for who you are. Worse, you can get caught and ruin your chances of entering college altogether!
Students use the Common App prompts to craft compelling stories.
Common App essays are usually limited to 650 words. Students can choose from several prompts covering a wide range of topics.
The Common Application has confirmed that the essay prompts for 2019 to 2020 are the same as the 2018 and 2019 period. The current prompts, based on extensive input from experts, offer students with great flexibility to share their compelling stories in their own words. Maintaining the prompts for the essay gives the additional advantage of consistency during the application process. With essay prompts being the same, students who roll over their current Common App accounts have more time to organize and prepare their applications before their final year in high school ends.
The topics vary. Each prompt enables an applicant to give insights into his or her identity in instances that are not expressed in other sections of the application process. Some encourage students to reflect on their experiences and share their lessons learned. Students can also talk about a subject that fascinates them. Not all schools require students to submit essays, but most would like to see some supplementary material.
Applicants can see the essay questions on the blog of the Common App. Every other year, the organization reviews the prompts. Students can also look at additional questions for schools before starting their applications through the Applicant Solutions Center of the Common App.
The 7 Common App Questions
These 2019-2020 Common App Questions should set the tone for your essay:
- Do you have a talent, interest, identity, or background that is worth sharing and relevant to your college application?
- Recount a moment when you were faced with a problem, loss, or disappointment. How has that influenced you, and what have you learned from the experience?
- Reflect on a time when an idea or belief was challenged or questioned. What sparked your thoughts? What was the result?
- State a problem you have solved or something you would like to address. It can be an intellectual exercise, a research question, a moral dilemma, or anything of personal significance, regardless of the scale. Explain its importance to you, including the steps to define a solution you have taken or can take.
- Share a realization, event, or achievement that has ignited a period of personal development and a new understanding of other people or yourself.
- Describe a topic that is so compelling you lose track of time discussing it. Why does it pique your interest? When you need to learn more, to what or to whom do you turn?
- Share an essay about any theme you may choose. It may be one that you have already written or something that responds to another prompt.
Make sure that it is personal and write your story, not what you think the admissions people want to hear. They want to know about a student’s background and identity, and what inspires them!
There are ways to make the Common App work for you!
Transfer and first-time applicants may apply to more than 700 public and private post-secondary academic institutions simultaneously through the Common App, saving them time, effort, and money.
Here are some tips on how to use the Common App effectively:
Start applying early.
Application for college should be started earlier. Aside from this, experts are urging students to use the Common App Preview, which enables students to evaluate their application before submission. Students can also appoint advisors, who can see aspects of a question and the improvements needed. Nonetheless, students can send one application using the platform that is most appropriate for them.
Brainstorm essays ahead of time.
As a student, take time to brainstorm essays. The Common App questions have been released several months ahead of its annual August 1 launch. Therefore, being able to have an idea of what to write about can make the overwhelming application process much more enjoyable. This also involves planning drafts before a student’s senior year break.
Thoroughly word your honor sections and your activities.
Activities and honors sections should be formulated with caution. There are 150 characters to define each behavior and award, which is not much, particularly if the student has numerous achievements and tasks. Ensure that explanations are well-measured and be as descriptive as possible. It is not required to put down everything that has been done. Thus, if there is not enough room for everything, students only need to list down the specifics and achievements that stand out.
Double-check if there are missed sections in the application form.
The Common App has many components, so it’s easy to miss out on a section or overlook typos. Students need someone else to browse through the app carefully, and it is much better when they are competent in terms of college apps. Through this, the college or university can formulate suggestions to ease the application process. The application needs to represent students as a whole, and it should not feel like a cluster of different sections.