The Common Application: Everything You Need to Know
This term is utilized to refer to a standardized way of applying for admission, acceptable by more than 900 academic institutions. Students can submit this application to institutions they rank highly instead of filling individual applications for each of the schools. Through the platform, both transfer and first-time applicants can apply to multiple schools at once. So, students only need to complete details that the majority of institutions require, including name, address, GPA, and extracurricular activities, only once.
Here’re the steps students need to follow to complete this application.
· Visit commonapp.org and hit the ‘Start your application’ button to learn the process of creating an account and logging in. Students may also download the mobile app to follow deadlines, set reminders, and invite recommenders.
· Select between the first-year student and transfer student option.
· Add user information like name, address, date of birth, email, phone number, and prospective enrollment year.
· Complete the user profile with details on education, demographic data, extracurricular activities, household information, etc.
· Add collaborators like teachers, counselors, and other persons giving letters of recommendation or any other supporting document.
· Search for and add institutions to ‘My Colleges.’
· Understand every college’s admission requirements and follow them accordingly when applying.
The time it requires to complete an application varies depending on an institution’s requirements. However, students should give themselves a minimum of six weeks to arrange everything they need for college applications. Apart from any optional parental information needed, such as educational background and employer details, many institutions require first-year students to submit transcripts and recommendation letters. Students should give counselors and teachers enough time to submit these materials to the Common App prior to deadlines.
It’s important to note that not all institutions require students to submit an essay. Some schools may require students to provide additional information or submit a supplemental essay. Applicants can get to know the requirements for all institutions on the Common App by logging in to their student accounts or downloading a PDF from the website.
Applicants who’ve got questions about completing the application can ask the admission officers at the institutions they’re applying to and their high school counselors for help. The Common App also provides a number of resources for making the application process easier. Applicants who’ve got questions about whether or not they qualify for fee waivers should contact directly the institutions they’re applying to or their high school counselors.
