What is a Common App?
The Common Application (Common App) is a free-to-use application platform, accepted by thousands of colleges and universities throughout the United States and abroad. With the Common App, students can apply to several colleges in a large college application hub. Through this platform, they can look for colleges, build their college lists, request recommendations, manage deadlines, apply for scholarships, and much more.
Where Can I Get the Common App
Students can easily access the Common App through commonapp.org, and those colleges that accept the Common App provide the links to the application from their website. This application is free to use. However, you still have to pay the college’s application fees, although the application fee waiver is available through this app for those students who qualify.
What is the Common App Essay
The colleges that accept admission via Common Application require a personal essay. This app has seven essay topics from which to choose and announces them in the spring before August 1st.
However, not all schools require students to submit an essay. There are a few institutes that may require students to submit a supplemental essay or additional information. Applicants can check the requirements for all the schools on the Common App when they log in to their account and download the PDF.
Applicants can also check the supplemental questions for the schools before the application process through the ‘Student Solutions Center’ of the Common App.
When Can I Apply with the Common App
The new version of the Common App is released every year in the month of August 1st, but you can create your account before the given date. If you want to familiarize yourself with this card, then you can create a practice account, which will allow you to access all the features of this platform.
How to Complete the Common Application
These are the steps to follow on an application through the Common App:
- Firstly, need to visit commonapp.org, and select the “Start your application” option.
- If you are a first-year student, then you have to select the “Create an Account” option.
- Then, select between the first-year student or transfer student from the given option.
- Provide the user information, such as name, email, phone number, address, date of birth, etc.
- Then, fill up the user profile section with the details of education, extracurriculars, demographic data, etc.
- Next, you must have to add collaborators such as counselors, teachers, and others providing letters of recommendation or any supporting documents.
- After that, look for and add schools to the “My Colleges” section.
- Make sure to check each college’s application requirements and follow those accordingly.
What Should I Do If I Face Any Problem with the Common App
If the students face any issues while filling up the application form, they can ask their high school counsellor and admissions officers at the colleges they are applying to for help. This platform provides resources in English and Spanish language for counsellors and those writing recommendation letters.
Can I Get an Application Fee Waiver via Common App
The Common App is free to use, however, the applicant must pay the college application fees while submitting their application. Around half of the member schools don’t charge any application fees for their first-year students, as per the data provided by the organization. Applicants who qualify for the fee waiver scheme will be able to make that known through the application.
How Does Common App Work for Transferred Students
The transfer section of the Common Application works the same way as it does with new applicants. There are over 600 schools throughout the US that accept the Common App for transfer students. However, unlike the first-time applicants, transfer students will have additional information to submit from colleges attended. In the app, they have to list any college or university attended, dates of enrolment, college coursework completed, and GPA. An essay is also required for the transferred students.
