It can be hard and take a lot of time for students and their parents to apply to college. Teenagers may juggle their last year of high school, the SAT or ACT, college visits (if available), and applications to several schools. The Common App[1] is an undergraduate college admission form that candidates can use to send their applications to more than 1000 member institutions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, China, Japan, and many European countries. This makes the process easier. Even though many people use Common App, it may be hard for families new to the college application process to understand it. After reading this guide, parents and students will find it easy to use the app.
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Common App[1] is a non-profit organization of more than 1000 colleges and universities dedicated to lowering the barriers to college access by streamlining the college application process. To help students reach their goals, Common App is committed to:
Each year, the new version of the Common App goes live on August 1. There are different due dates for college applications, so you must pay close attention to when they must turn in their documents.
Some schools set November or December as the last day for students to apply for early action or decision. On the other hand, January 1 is usually the last day to apply for regular decisions. Prospective students should use these ranges as a guide and check with individual universities to confirm deadlines. You can start work on the Common App before August 1 by setting up an account.
You can create a Common App account even if you don’t intend to apply for several months or years. You can make a college list anytime by responding to the questions on the Common App tab. The following are the steps you must take:
The summer before your senior year is an excellent time for you to begin working on your applications.
Although you are not required to submit applications during the summer, starting in August allows you to research the prerequisites for the schools you are interested in, write essays, and complete some of the tedious background work before you become overburdened with assignments and extracurricular activities. Furthermore, starting early allows you to receive the assistance you require at the start of the academic year.
As you can see from the preceding components, implementing the Common App is a lengthy process. However, the time required to complete an application varies depending on the school’s needs. It’s best to give yourself at least six weeks to collect everything you need for college applications. That gives you two weeks to complete any background forms and a month to collect the rest of the paperwork.
It is important to note that many colleges require first-year students to submit reference letters and transcripts in addition to any optional parental information requested, such as employer information and educational background. Students must give professors and counselors enough time to upload such documents to the common app before deadlines.
High School Counselors[3] advise students to ask their professors for recommendation letters before the end of their junior year so that teachers can complete them over the summer. Seniors who need reference letters should request them as early in the academic year as possible.
It is always a good idea to look at the previous year’s essay prompts[4] to get an idea of what the prompts for the current year will be. Students, counselors, professors, and admissions officers usually agree that prompts inspire effective essays.
It is critical to remember that prompts are not topics. They are only provocative questions. Students may be told how much freedom they have in what they write through prompts[5].
The full list of essay topics for 2023-2024 is provided below. The Additional Information section will still include the optional COVID-19 question[6].
Source: As listed by the Common App
Students who require assistance completing their application can speak with their high school counselors or admissions professionals at the institutions they are applying to. Various resources are available on the Common App to assist with the application process.
In addition to video tutorials throughout the program, the platform offers year-round, 24-hour technical support. Applicants can submit questions or receive answers to frequently asked questions in the Student Solutions Center. Common App representatives say the average wait time is 20 minutes (but response times vary).
Common App data shows over 475 member institutions do not charge an application fee for first-year students; the application is free[7]. Several other members charge anywhere from $30 to $100 for application processing. However, if you have paid an application fee, you can apply for a fee waiver through the Common App. Apart from Common App’s fee waiver, you can also speak with your high school counselors or directly with the universities you are applying to check whether you are eligible for their fee waiver.
Always apply early; do not wait until the last minute to apply. Along with getting started early, you should take advantage of the Common App preview, which allows you to double-check your applications before submitting them.
You can use the Common App for recommenders[8] to organize and submit letters of recommendation. This page manages your school’s data, tracks requests, and uploads transcripts. On the first-year Common App, recommenders have more options for tracking students’ Common App progress.
You may request that teachers, counselors, or advisors serve as more than one recommender on your application, such as a teacher and another recommender. After you add them to your application, an email invitation with a link to register for an account will be sent to the recommender. Recommenders can decline an invitation or use paper forms instead if they prefer. Alternatively, they can log in and begin working on their recommender forms. The Common App’s recommender types are as follows:
First-Year Recommender Types
Transfer Recommender Types
No. Students are not required to use only the Common App for college admission. Despite its popularity, the platform is not the only one available for college applications. You can also apply to various colleges online by visiting their websites. When applying to them, they can or must use the application processes of some states. Texas, for example, has a statewide application system; however, some Texas schools also accept the Common App.
Some schools accept the Coalition Application[9], and historically Black colleges and universities use the Common Black College Application[10] as an additional submission method. Still, many schools that use these platforms also use the Common App.
Colleges that accept different platforms for application submission do not favor one over the other, but high school guidance counselors may. Because of Common App’s integration with Naviance[11], a company that produces software for college and job readiness, counselors can easily submit supporting materials for universities. You should, however, only submit one application to each college, using whichever platform works best for you.
If you are a transfer student[12], you must submit additional information from your university. Transfer applicants are asked to list any colleges or universities they have attended, in addition to their enrollment dates, college coursework credentials, and GPA. They must also submit an essay.
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