The Common Application – Part II

The Common Application (or commonly referred to as the Common App) is a standardized undergraduate college admissions application that enables students to apply to more than 500 national and international colleges and universities. It permits both first-year applicants and transfer students to apply to any of the 500+ colleges by submitting one application. Instead of writing different essays, as well as supplemental essays, for each college that a student is applying to, students choose one essay from a list of five essays, and submit the same essay to each of the participating schools that require a writing component.

In “The Common Application – Part I,” we introduced the Common Application and discussed its pros and cons. The Common App is continually making changes to their application system and most recently, a Freshmen student in high school and start an account so that he/she can use the system as a college search tool.

As students prepare for the college application process, here are some helpful tips for those who decide to use the Common Application.

• ­­­Students must be detailed, deliberate, and attentive when completing the application questions. Based on students’ answers to specific questions, subsequent questions may pop up based on their preceding answers. For example, if students select the school of business as their anticipated major or program, be sure they do not accidently answer the prompt for the college of arts and sciences.

• Always double-check the requirements and information presented in the application. There is an application requirements grid with a lot of information concentrated in one location for all of its participating schools. Since there have been reported mistakes in the past, such as incorrect deadlines, once students narrow down their potential list, they should visit each college’s website and carefully check the information on the Common App against the information on the school’s website. In addition, students should sign up for mailing lists from each of the colleges they intend to apply. After signing up for the mailing list, students should be on the look out for email updates, approaching deadlines, and reminders from those colleges.
• Prepare for the essay portion in advance. For the personal statement portion, applicants are limited to 650 words. Therefore, students must ensure that their Common App essay precisely reflects the information they want to communicate to the majority of the colleges.

For the personal statement, supplemental writing, and activities sections of the application, students should write, edit, and revise their responses offline, especially because the Common App does not have a spellcheck option.

When students are ready to initiate the Common Application process, it simply takes four steps:

1. Create an account – Create a username, using a frequently checked email address, and password. Write down the username and password in a safe location. Remember, the email you are including on your application should be an email account you check daily.
2. Add colleges to the list – After students log in, click on the “College Search” tab and they can begin to add potential schools to their “My Colleges” list. Students can also search for particular schools by looking up the name, as well as other information such as deadlines, location, and distance from the student’s home.
3. Know and understand what each college requires from its applicants – The information students complete on the Common App will provide a great deal about them. However, some colleges may require additional information or questions that are distinct to them. Students can also use the “Requirements Grid” to sort through requirements and deadlines from particular schools.
4. Gathering necessary materials – The Common App is separated into several sections. It is handy for students to have the following items easily accessible when working through each of the sections:
   1. A list of senior year courses
   2. A list of extracurricular activities both in and out of school
   3. A copy of the student’s high school transcript
   4. Scores and dates from college entrance exams the student has taken or plans to take
   5. Information about parents and their occupation, educational background, employers, etc.

It is also recommended for students to print out a hard copy of the “Common App Basics” guide as a helpful resource when working through the application process.

Below are the five 2016-2017 essays prompts:

• 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.
• The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
• Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

• Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

Be aware that there is high traffic on the website as the fall deadline approaches. According to the Common Application, in 2015, between October 31 and November 2 alone, prospective students submitted more than 200,000 online applications.

Mill Creek Academy is here to support your student as he/she begins to think and prepare for the college application season. If you need last minute assistance on the application process, contact us now for assistance!

For more information about the Common Application, such as college listings or the Common App Basics guide, visit: https://www.commonapp.org

For a list of the 2016-2017 essays, visit:
https://www.commonapp.org/whats-appening/application-updates/common-application-announces-2016-2017-essay-prompts