College application is overwhelming and stressful nowadays. So many colleges to apply to and so many applications to complete, students end up stressing over deadlines or incorrect information. That is where the Common App is helpful. It is an application which is created to simplify and streamline the college application process. Rather than completing different applications, you can apply to different colleges using the common apps.
Over 1 million students use the Common App to apply to United States and international universities annually (source: commonapp.org). Over 1,000 colleges and universities use the system. What it means is that one application opens the door to multiple schools at once.
"Success is the sum of small efforts — repeated day in and day out."
What is the Common App?
The Common App is an online college application system. It streamlines the process of applying to several colleges and universities by completing a single application form. Rather than entering the same information repeatedly for each school, you enter it once and forward it to all your choice schools.
This application includes personal data, school history, test scores, activities, essays, and letters of recommendation.
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How Does the Common App Work?
1. Create A Common App Login At Commonapp.Org
First, go to Common App's website at commonapp.org. You will establish a common app login with your email address. This will help you track your applications, deadlines, and other details. With the account created, you can then proceed to add colleges to your profile and fill out the required sections of the application.
2. Enter Personal Information Like Name, Address, and School Details
Your personal information is the first section of the application. This includes your full names, home address and contact and pages of your institution. Details about your parents or guardians will also be needed from you. This is so that the colleges will recognize you and confirm your background. Make sure that everything is done and right.
3. Insert The Names of The Colleges You Wish to Apply to
When you have entered in your own information, you'll select the schools to which you wish to apply. The Common App provides you with access to more than 1,000 colleges, and you can put them on your list of school to which to apply. You can apply at as many as you desire and have the Common App send their information to as many colleges for which you made selections, streamlining time and effort.
4. Complete The Application (And Your Essay)
Next, you will complete the remainder of the application, including your academic history, extracurricular activities, honors, and test scores (if requested). Maybe most crucial is your personal statement essay. It is in the essay that you can be sharing your story and achievements and why you are going for college. Now you have an opportunity to explain who you are and what you love to colleges.
5. Send Your Application to Colleges of Your Choice
Once you have written your application, proofread all of it. Once you're ready, you can submit. The Common App will send your entire application material to the colleges you've listed. There's the potential for supporting materials such as a letter of recommendation or test scores that you can upload, but once you've submitted them all, colleges will get all items that are needed for review of your application.
6. Colleges Will Get Everything They Need to Evaluate Your Application
When you submit your Common App application, your information will be passed on to every college that you've applied for. Your personal facts, academic details, extracurricular activities in school, essays, and recommendations constitute this information. Admissions officials will receive such information and employ it in a bid to determine whether you'll be a fit for their college and whether or not they'll accept you.
Key Statistics and Trivia
- More than 1 million students use the Common App to apply annually.
- More than 1,000 colleges and universities use the Common App worldwide.
- Common App users submit to 5.4 institutions, on average (source: Common App Annual Report).
- Over 60% of Common App applicants apply for financial aid (source: Common App Data Brief).
These figures reveal why students in such large numbers choose to apply via the Common App.
Why Use the Common App?
1. Time Saver: Complete One Form, Apply to Numerous Colleges
One of the most ideal reasons to use the Common App is that it is time-efficient. Rather than having to accept separate application forms from various colleges, you will only need to fill out one. Then you can simply apply with one such form to numerous different colleges. It all contributes to making the whole process a much less daunting rhythm when applying to several institutions.
2. Organizes You: Assignments and Deadlines All In One Place
The Common App organizes you by having all of your college applications in one location. You get access to important deadlines for each school, monitor the status of your application, and ensure that you have completed everything that you need to do. This application puts everything into one location so that you never miss anything.
3. Simplifies Essays: You Are Crafting One Statement for The Majority of Colleges
One of the most difficult aspects of the college application process is essay writing. Luckily, the Common App makes it easier by asking you to write a personal statement that can be applied to most schools. Instead of writing an essay for every college, you can take a seat and brainstorm one excellent essay and apply it to all the colleges you're interested in applying to, saving you time and energy.
4. Easy to Manage Recommendations: Teachers Send Letters Online
Another advantage of the Common App is how easy it makes it to manage letters of recommendation. You can get your teachers to email their letters directly to you immediately, and they can email them securely. This frees you from the need to have to go pick up hard copies or even worry about sending anything, and guarantees that everything sends out right and in time.
What is The Common App?
The Common App requests a small amount of important information so that the colleges will get to know you and where you are from. The below is what they will require:
1. Personal Information (Birthday, Name, Etc.)
First, it will ask you basic personal data. That is your full name, date of birth, contacts, and your nationality. Those are the data that enable colleges to know you and have your application properly attributed to your files.
2. Family Background (Parents' Educational Level, Profession)
You will also need to enter some information about your family. This is your parents' or guardians' level of education and what they do. Colleges request this so that they can learn more about you, and in a few instances, it determines whether you are eligible for financial aid or not.
3. School Information (GPA, Courses, Counselor Information)
Then you will be asked to share academic background. This includes your high school GPA, what you’ve taken, and the school and guidance counselor information. It enables colleges to see how you did academically and what you accomplished.You’ll also list the classes you’re currently enrolled in.
4. Test Scores (SAT, ACT, Etc.)
You will have to add your test scores (SAT, ACT, or other tests). Some colleges do not require test scores, but most colleges are going to test-optional, so you will not have to add them if you do not want to.
5. Activities (Clubs, Sports, Work)
The extracurricular activities will also be asked by the Common App. Such should include any clubs, sport teams, volunteer activity, work or any other activity you have participated in during high school. Colleges are interested in what you do outside of school because they will get some indication on your passion, interests and leadership skills.
6. Honors and Awards
You'll also include any awards and honors you've won, like academic awards, service awards in your community, or athletic achievements. These allow colleges to recognize what you have done well during high school.
7. Common App Prompts (Essay Questions)
Perhaps the most important part of the Common App is essay questions. You get to choose from a group of essay questions each year to answer. The questions allow you to reveal who you truly are as an individual, what you have learned, and what you are working towards other than what is revealed through the other aspects of your application. The essay is a very important component of your application because it gives colleges an idea of who you are.
8. Recommendation Letters
Most schools also ask for letters of recommendation from teachers, school counselors, or other acquaintances familiar with you. They provide some insight into the character, work ethic, and potential from an individual who actually knows you. You will ask teachers to submit their letters through the Common App.
Familiarity With The Common App Essay
Your application essay in the Common App is very important. Every year, Common App prompts are released, and you are free to choose a set of several different prompts you can write about. The essay provides an opportunity for you to share your background, personality, story, and goals in a manner that you cannot express by any other portion of the application. Now it's your turn to tell your own story and distinguish yourself from the colleges you're applying to.
It is necessary to produce a good essay since most colleges and schools of higher learning insist on it. More importantly, colleges want to know what makes you different and what you will contribute to the college’s community. The essay also lights up future colleges on the reality of your writing and analytical ability, key points in college life.
Myths Regarding The Common App
There are certain myths surrounding the Common App. Some of the most common myths and how they are busted are as follows:
Myth 1: Colleges utilize the Common App.
Fact: Not every college makes use of the Common App. There are some schools that have their own application platform, and you may need to apply individually to such schools.
Myth 2: It is possible to apply to only a few colleges.
Fact: You can submit as many applications as you want through the Common App. That being said, there are some schools that restrict how many applications you can submit.
Myth 3: The Common App will decrease your chances.
Fact: The Common App will not decrease your chances of being accepted into college. Colleges view all applications the same, whether or not they are using the Common App.
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Conclusion
In short, the Common App is a useful tool that simplifies and speeds up college application. You can apply to numerous schools simultaneously by filling out one form. With more than 1,000 colleges now using it, it opens students across the globe to numerous opportunities.
Faqs
Q1. Is the Common App free?
Yes, you don't pay anything to use it. But you do pay separate college application fees.
Q2. Am I able to submit applications to schools that do not accept the Common App?
Yes. You will have to complete each college's individual application if they do not accept the Common App.
Q3. Can I change my application once I’ve submitted it?
You are not allowed to change an application after you have sent to a college but you can change them before sending them to new colleges.
