The Common App: A Comprehensive Overview

The Common App or the Common Application is a standardised online platform founded in 1975 for undergraduate college admissions primarily in the US and Canada. It is a non-profit organisation that has revolutionised the application process for students from all over the world by streamlining it for them, at the same time reducing the administrative work for member colleges and universities.

The Team & The Mission

The Common App is governed by a 18-member volunteer Board of Directors comprising college admission deans and secondary school college counsellors. Their mission is to promote access, equity and integrity among students interested in higher education. The Common App aims to simplify the college application process for students by allowing them to apply to multiple member colleges and universities by filling a single application.

Member Colleges and Universities

The Common App can now be used by applicants to apply to over 1000 member colleges and universities in the US, Canada, China, Japan and many European countries like Bulgaria, Czechia, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. This includes 250 public universities and 12 historically black colleges and universities. For students in need and for those who want to weigh their options without spending extra, the Common App also features over 400 institutions that do not ask for an application fee.

Getting Started On The Common App

As a student, it’s a simple procedure to create an account on The Common App. To do so, visit the website or download the phone app and follow the steps –

1. Click on ‘Create Account’.
2. Enter your email address and enter a desired password.
3. Choose your ‘Student Type’ by clicking an appropriate option like applying as a first year student if you are a high school senior applying for college for the first time or the prospective enrollment year.
4. Provide your basic personal information like name, email address, date of birth, phone number and location.
5. Agree to the terms and conditions. 
6. Review and submit your details. And voilà! The account is ready.

Details of Students Required in The Common App: A General Overview

Once the account is created, you can fill in other details to complete your profile, like –

1. Basic Personal Information
2. Demographic Data
3. Family Details
4. Academic Details
5. Extracurricular Activities

The table below specifies that exact information required –

Type of Information	Details
Basic	Legal name (As on passport/driver’s license etc.) Date of birth Email address Phone number Home address
Demographic	Country of citizenship Race/Ethnicity Gender
Family	Parents’ or Guardian’s details like – Name Occupations Highest level of education Employment status Household (annual) income
Academic	High school details like – Name Address Expected graduation date A list of courses undertaken High school GPA (if available) SAT or ACT scores (if available)
Extracurricular Activities	Volunteer work Leadership roles Awards or honours received

Please note that this is just a general overview. Specific requirements may vary from year to year. The new edition of The Common App is updated on August 1st every year.

Add Your Colleges and Collaborators

Once your profile is set, you just need to fill out some specific details based on your goals and preferences –

1. Colleges – Search for your target colleges or universities on the app and add them to ‘My Colleges’. At this stage, it’s recommended that you get familiarised with each college’s application requirements and make notes in order to keep up with them.
2. Collaborators – Once the colleges are added, you can add the names of teachers, counsellors and others who would be providing your letters of recommendation and other supporting details by following the steps below –

You may add a personal note if you want, alongside.

Click on the ‘My Colleges’ tab.

Select a college.

Go to the ‘Recommenders and FERPA’ (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) section.

Complete the FERPA Release Authorisation.

Click on the +Invite Recommender tab for the category you want to invite.

Enter the recommender’s name, email address and any other information if required.

To apply to a college or university using the Common App, in addition to the documents and information above, you will also need –

1. High School Transcript
2. Common App Essay
3. Supplemental Essay (for some colleges)
4. Letters of recommendation
5. FAFSA and CSS profile

2. The Common App Essay

The Common App essay or the personal essay is an important component of your college application that requires you to showcase your character, values, experiences and aspirations beyond your academic achievements and extracurriculars. The Common App releases a set of prompts for the essay every year. Students have to choose one of the prompts that resonates with their interests and experiences and craft an essay based on it. It is a personal narrative that provides you with an opportunity to showcase your writing skills and express yourself. We recommend you to incorporate the following aspects in your essay-

1. Authenticity – Make the essay as genuine and honest as you can.
2. Strong Writing – Organise your thoughts well and use strong storytelling techniques.
3. Personal Narrative – Incorporate a personal story or anecdotes that would reveal your experiences, morals, resilience and character.
4. Reflection – Express through examples as to how your experiences have moulded you as a person and have shaped your perspectives and goals.
5. Word Limit – The word limit for the essay is usually 650 words. Sticking to the word limit without undermining the quality of the essay displays a sense of discipline and a strong control over language, expression and your writing skills. 
6. Proofreading – Errors in the essay detract from the overall quality of your writing. So make sure you proofread it well for grammar, punctuations and spelling errors before submitting.
7. Feedback – Ask a friend, family member, teacher or your counsellor to provide honest feedback and make the required changes if they convince you.

3. Supplemental Essays

Many colleges may request for a supplemental essay. It could be an essay based on a specific prompt or may ask you to discuss why you are interested in a certain program or their school. Students should read the prompts carefully, tailor their response accordingly and make sure to highlight why you deserve a place in their prestigious institution.

4. Letters of Recommendation

To ensure a good quality and strong recommendation letter, students must ask their teachers well in advance. Help them write a compelling letter of recommendation by providing them with relevant data, a detailed résumé including a list of your accomplishments. You can also ask a mentor or counsellor to write one of the recommendation letters to highlight your personal qualities and character.

We have discussed earlier how to assign a recommender to a college. Once you do so, an invitation email is generated and sent to the recommender with a link. Recommenders can upload their letters of recommendation directly to the college through the Common App using the link, thus streamlining the entire process.

5. FAFSA and CSS profile

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS (College Scholarship Service) are financial aid forms that students can use when they apply to colleges. Connecting your FAFSA and CSS profile information to your Common App account allows colleges to access your financial conditions and consider you for various financial aid packages. Let’s see how to go about each of them –

FAFSA – FAFSA is used to apply for federal financial aid at colleges that participate in these programs. The form can be filled on the official government website of FAFSA. List the colleges you are applying to through the Common App on the form to ensure that your FAFSA information is sent to them.

CSS – CSS is used to apply for non-federal financial aid such as grants, scholarships and other forms of assistance from individual schools. This is an application required by many private colleges during the application process. To create a CSS profile, a student has to create a separate account on the College Board website. To streamline the process, some colleges may ask you to link your Common App account to your CSS profile.

Additional Tips To Navigate The Common App

1. Start early.
2. Stay calm and patient.
3. Organise your documents – transcripts, test scores, recommendation letters etc.
4. Proofread your application, details, essay/s meticulously.
5. Stay punctual and organised – take care of deadlines and important dates. Avoid last minute hurried submissions.
6. Seek help – The application process can be tedious. Seek help from teachers, College Admission Counsellors and Apply.

Head to Ascend Now to help you navigate through the journey of college applications. Get assistance in searching for the right colleges, deciding on courses to apply for, acing your SAT/ACT, writing a strong personal statement, all this and more under one roof, only with Ascend Now.