PURPOSE

The Common Application is the application for admission used by more than 1,000 colleges and universities to evaluate potential candidates. Although some colleges do not allow you to submit an application through the Common App, most have transitioned to this system as a way of consolidating and streamlining admission data. The Common App gives students the opportunity to describe themselves, their academic achievements and extracurricular activities.

TIMELINE
The new form becomes available in early August. You can create a login ID and password before then to review the information required from the previous year. You will be assigned a Common App ID Number.  
  • If you're applying Early Action or Early Decision, most schools will require you to submit your application around November 1st
  • Regular decision applications are generally due by January 1st
  • Example 1: applying Early Decision to begin college in Fall 2025 - submit Common App by November 1st, 2024
  • Example 2: applying Regular Decision to begin college in Fall 2025 - submit Common App by January 1st, 2025

APPLICATION FEES
The Common Application itself is free, as it serves as a hub for various colleges' applications. The amount you pay in fees when submitting will depend on how many colleges it is being sent to, and what each college charges for an application fee. The application processing fee for colleges is usually between $30-75.
  • Example: School A charges $50 per application; School B charges $30; School C charges $75. The total due at the time of submitting your Common Application to Schools A, B, and C will be $155.

The Common App provides fee waivers and information about this can be found here.

FORMAT
 The format of the Common Application can sometimes change from one year to the next. Here is the format of the application as of 2023:
  1. Profile: basic data including name, address, phone numbers, demographics, etc.
  2. Family: parent employment and education and sibling information.
  3. Education: secondary school(s) attended, counselor name and contact information, list of any college courses taken, Senior Year Courses, Honors
  4. Testing: self -reported GPA & test scores (optional)
  5. Activities: list with with associated information such as year of participation, time spent, positions, honors, etc
  6. Writing: an essay of 250-650 words in which you write about yourself (various essay prompts provided)
  7. Courses and Grades: allows students to self-report the classes they took in high school, along with the grades that they received. Schools will still be sent a copy of your high school transcript.

THE WRITING SECTION
Essay requirements will vary by school. The Common Application provides space for you to complete several writing prompts, whether each school requires them or not. These prompts will be included in your applications to each school you are sending your Common App to:
  1. Personal Essay (650 words or less): a series of prompts are provided and you select one to write about. This will help admissions to understand your character, background, and value as a potential student. See below for more information.​​​
  2. Disciplinary History (400 words or less): an optional section that allows you to explain any school or community infractions
  3. Additional Information (250-650 words): an optional section that allows you to explain any special circumstances or additional qualifications that have not been addressed elsewhere in the application.
 
Suggestions for Writing:
  • You can use a standard five-paragraph essay structure for your Common App essay, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. If you’re comfortable branching out from this structure, feel free! As long as your essay is organized and well-written, the number of paragraphs is not important.
  • The Common App platform will not allow you to indent (tab) your paragraphs, so add an empty line between each paragraph to separate them.
  • Type your essay in a separate Word document, then paste it into the Common App platform. The font should be standardized once you paste your work in. In case it isn’t, use a 12 pt., single space, simple font like Times New Roman or Calibri.
  • Avoid all caps, bold, underline, and italics because they can look more conversational than professional. The same applies to emojis, hashtags and excessive exclamation points.
  • Professional, easy-to-read formatting is important. The content and quality of your writing is even more important. 
  • After reading through the Common App essay prompts, it’s a good idea to choose three favorites. Then, brainstorm a list of topics for each of your selections. 
    The best idea will be interesting, meaningful, and engaging or thought-provoking. It should be a topic that’s unique to you, or at least something that will separate your essay from the hundreds or thousands of others the admissions team must read.
  • You should also ensure that your chosen topic is a good representation of you and what you bring to a college campus. Perhaps most importantly, it should be something you’re genuinely excited to write about.

Examples of previous Common App personal essay prompts:
  1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
  2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
  3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
  4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
  5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
  6. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
  7. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
  8. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
​
Supplemental Essays:
Some colleges might request a supplemental essay as part of their application process. Once you have selected colleges to which you are applying, the Common App will prompt you to let you know if there is a school supplement. You should determine early in the application process whether you have to answer additional essay questions, as this will require additional time and planning. Although these essays add more work on to your application process, they help to paint a colorful picture of you as a student and future member of the college's community.

Examples of typical supplemental essay prompts:
  • Why do you want to attend our school?
  • Why have you chosen your major?
  • Tell us about your extracurricular activities
  • How have you promoted or honored diversity in your community?
  • Describe a leadership role you had in school or in the community
  • Recall a difficult life experience and how you overcame it

SENDING TEST SCORES
You must indicate in your College Board account (not Common App account), which scores you would like your test scores sent to. Note that the College Board recommends allowing up to 10 business days for your scores to arrive at the schools. Please plan accordingly.

TRACKING APPLICATIONS
Within your account you create “My Colleges,” the list of colleges you plan to apply to. Each school then has its own “record” with the following items and status updates for each item :
  • Questions
  • Assign Recommenders
  • Submission – Common App
  • Writing Supplement
  • Submission – Writing Supplement