Everything You Need To Know About The Common App

Over 750 colleges and universities — from small private institutions to big state schools — use the Common Application, also known as the Common App. This valuable tool helps users apply to more schools faster and more efficiently. Future college students, transfer students, parents and counselors can all benefit from getting to know and understand the Common Application; this page breaks down how the Common Application works and how to get started. Get invaluable tips for finding the best colleges using the Common Application, from writing the essay and submitting to everything in between.

The Common Application can make applying to colleges significantly easier for students, allowing them to compile the information all their schools want to know in one place. Hundreds of colleges use and accept the Common Application, so thousands of high school students, transfer students and those returning to college use it each year. Learn how the application works and walk through the process step-by-step below.

Whether familiar with the Common Application or not, all applicants (and parents or counselors who support them) have questions or concerns. Below are some of the most important questions users have asked about the Common Application. If you still have questions, the Common Application has its own Help Center to guide and advise users.

The Common Application was created to help make applying to college easier and more accessible for future students. Whether planning to take classes online or in-person, a complete list of Common App schools can be found below, but for online students specifically, the map below shows our picks for the best online colleges that also accept the Common Application by state below.

SEE ALL COMMON APP COMPATIBLE SCHOOLS

The Common Application essay is where applicants have their best chance to show admissions officers at colleges who they really are. Beyond the standard information like grades, test scores and extracurriculars, applicants can use the essay to tell a unique story that helps them stand out. Instead of dreading this portion of the Common Application, use some of the tips and tricks below to craft a strong, concise essay.

Consider the Choices

The Common Application essay has multiple prompts which applicants can choose from. The prompts can be found here and cover a variety of topics that allow for innumerable unique essays. Try brainstorming responses to each prompt instead of settling on one immediately.

Start Early

The application process is time-consuming, even with the Common Application, so be sure to set aside plenty of time for completing the essay itself. The essay should be thoughtful and show your capabilities and potentials, not likely something you want to simply churn out in a few hours. Applicants who feel they do their best work under the pressure of a deadline can work with counselors, teachers and others to create personal deadlines independent of the Common App’s due date.

Get Feedback

There’s always room for improvement. Finish writing, but then ask for feedback and be open to revising. Counselors and teachers for high school students — or academic advisors and professors for transferring college students — may have helpful suggestions for improving and clarifying the essay. They can also help applicants make sure that their essay conveys exactly what’s intended.

Remember the Prompt and Guidelines

Even the most beautiful essay may not sway college admissions officers if the writer did not follow the prompt. The Common Application essay also has length limitation, typically around 600 words. That’s approximately three double-spaced pages, so every word counts, and every sentence must serve a purpose. Some schools may have guidelines for their own essay supplements requirements as well.

Revise, Revise, Revise

Hammering it all out in one sitting may not be the best bet. Take breaks from essay work to approach it with fresh eyes as you revise. Consider and apply feedback, but always remember that the essay should not reflect anyone else’s viewpoints but your own. It might take multiple drafts, or tricks like the reverse outline method to make sure the essay stays focused.

Look at Successful Essays

Essays from successful applications and pieces that resounded with admissions counselors on a personal level are often posted online, such as prestigious Johns Hopkins University’s “Essays That Worked”. Try to identify what made these essays so successful and how to replicate the standout feelings or features within your own work and experiences.

Don’t Lose Yourself

Although feedback can be invaluable for applicants, do not let other people’s ideas take the reins. While allowing a parent or hired admissions coach to control or even create the essay for you may seem like a stress-free option, this can have unpleasant consequences. You may end up at a school perfect for the person your essay presented, not for who you actually are. Worse, admissions officers might even realize the essay was not written by the applicant. The Washington Post’s “Parents, Don’t Write That College Essay” offers alternative ways for parents and advisors to help students with their essay without taking control.

A: Make sure to read through the essay prompts and understand what it is you are being asked to write about. If you have an opportunity in your senior English class to pick a writing prompt for college or scholarships, choose one from the Common App. This will allow you to have several drafts read by your English teacher and get some great feedback before you submit. Make it personal and tell your story, not what you think the admissions representatives want to hear. They want to know about you and what makes you inspired to do what you do.

A: It is always a good rule to start early, give yourself plenty of time. If you have some free time the summer before your senior year, go ahead and create an account and get as much information as you can complete. This will help alleviate some of the stress when it comes to completing college applications.

A: The Common Application allows you to apply to over 700 private and public post-secondary institutions with one application. There are some institutions that require supplemental essays, but they all accept the Common Application and you will not have to complete the general application information for each college. This is helpful, and also can save you time. Just make sure the post-secondary institutions you are interested in accept the Common App before you begin.

The Common App also has this really cool and useful mobile app (Android and Apple) that students can download to help keep them organized through the application process.