Guide to the Common Application

As the school year comes to an end, rising seniors will embark on the final year of their high school careers. Many have already begun thinking about the college application process, and some may have already gotten started on their applications. Regardless of where your student may be, they should take the time this summer to look at the Common Application, familiarize themselves with the different sections within it, and ideally get a head start on it to ensure that they will not be in a crunch during the fall and winter months. As there are multiple deadlines that your student may have to work with, the sooner they start their application, the more helpful it will be in the long run. Have your student sign up with the Common Application website and begin filling out as much information as possible.

The Common Application is a widely used application that allows students to apply to many undergraduate universities in the United States. With the Common App, your student can apply to as many schools as they choose to without having to submit separate applications to each school. There are few exceptions though. Some colleges, such as the schools in the University of California System and Georgetown, have their own separate application. We have outlined below what the different sections are, and what information students need to gather to be able to fill them out

Here is the link to the Common App website: Apply to college with Common App

 

 

Student’s Profile

One of the quickest and easiest sections to fill out is this section. This is where your student will fill out their contact information, background, parents’ education background, and other personal details.

Activity list

In this section, your student will be asked to write down their top 10 activities that they have done in high school. They should fill this section out strategically, putting down the most important activities that the student wants to highlight first. Students should prioritize activities that they have been committed to and show leadership, over one time activities that they did freshman year. Students will be allowed a short description for each activity, so they should put some thought into the description of the organizations and positions they held.

Additionally, students should prepare a separate document that lists all of the activities that they have been involved with. Colleges will often give students the option to send in a separate activities list (or a resume), where students can list additional extracurriculars they may have been involved with and provide more in depth (but still short) description of activities already listed. Activities give colleges another perspective on the students outside of grades and test scores. It is an important part of the application where students can showcase additional qualifications, talents, creativity and initiatives, as well as highlight what kind of a person they are. For students applying to highly selective colleges, where most students have stellar grades and test scores, this is one of the most important sections where students can differentiate themselves from other applicants.

Test Scores

In this section, students list their SAT/ACT scores, SAT subject test scores, as well as any available AP scores. It is not mandatory to put down all of the scores - students are given the option to withhold any scores that they do not wish to report. In other words, if a student scored a 2 on an AP exam, they do not have to put down that score. They can (and should) submit an AP test score where they scored a 4 or a 5.

In regards to SAT/ACT tests, students can list their scores through the Common App. However, if the colleges they wish to apply to require students to send in official scores, they must do it as soon as they can. Students will have to send in scores separately through the official ACT website or CollegeBoard website. This takes time to process, so students need to request scores with plenty of lead time. Colleges will oftentimes allow students to superscore (combine results of different sections from different tests) so students should check with each college that they are applying to.

In recent years, many colleges have gone test optional (students are not required to submit any test scores). Beware that “test optional” does not mean “test blind.” Students with high test scores should absolutely send in those scores.

 

Essays

This is the section that students will spend the most time on. The Common App Essay and the Supplemental Essays that colleges require, will show the schools who the students are, as the essay prompts ask students to respond with thoughtful responses reflective of their values and overall character. These essays can be a deciding factor in whether a student gains acceptance into universities, so it is critical that students get started early.  Students will benefit from plenty of time to reflect, working on multiple drafts, and receiving feedback from teachers and other trusted third parties. 5 Simple Tips to Writing a Great College Application Essay outlines what steps to take to get started.

Common App essay

The Common App Essay is the essay that will be sent out to every college that students apply to through the Common App. This essay is a personal essay that gives colleges insight into who that student is, and what he/she values. Particularly for highly selective schools, where most students applying have good grades and excellent extracurricular activities, what the essays convey about the applicant’s character will help differentiate the student. It is important to start early. In fact, students can begin writing their essays now as the Common App recently released the 2020-2021 Common App Essay Prompts.

Supplemental Essays

In addition to the Common App Essay, students will need to write supplemental essays. Supplemental Essays are specific to each college, and are required for any students wishing to apply to that particular school. Typically the essays are short personal responses to prompts that may differ every year. Many of these essay prompts are used to evaluate the applicants further on their character and values, or allow students to elaborate further on their extracurricular activities, but many of the prompts directly ask the applicants to demonstrate why they are a good fit for the particular college that they are applying to. As each college has different essay prompts, it is important to have a good sense for the college list before embarking on these essays. Students should tackle the Common App Essay first, then work through the supplemental essays for the schools they are definitively applying to.

 

Recommendation Letter

This section of the Common Application is not done by students, but rather it is done by the student’s guidance counselor and teachers. Most colleges require recommendation letters from a guidance counselor and at least 2 teachers.

Guidance Counselor Recommendation Letter

While students don’t have to worry about getting their guidance counselor to write a recommendation letter for them, it doesn’t hurt for the students to get to know their guidance counselor and allow them to get to know the student. Students can take the initiative and set up appointments with their guidance counselor. The more that a guidance counselor knows about the student, the less of a generic recommendation letter they will write.

Teacher Recommendation Letters

Teacher recommendations provide insights on what a student is like within a classroom environment from the perspective of someone who has worked closely with the student. As important as grades are, they do not tell the entire story of what kind of a student one may be, so these recommendations fill in the holes. 

Students should ask recommendation letters from teachers who can tell colleges more about them than being an A+ student. Getting good grades from a teacher doesn’t necessarily mean that the teacher knows the student very well. Students should choose teachers that they’ve sat down and had conversations with because teachers will be able to write a more personal essay that really shows the student in a positive light.

Students have to ask ahead of time for teacher recommendations because chances are, teachers are incredibly busy with their own schedules and other recommendation letter requests. The sooner your student asks, it is more likely that teachers will have time to write the letter, and also be able to write a thoughtful letter that is not rushed. Which Teachers Should Students Choose to Write Letters of Recommendation will help students decide on the right teachers to ask and the best way to go about making this request.

Supplemental Recommendation Letters

Other than guidance counselors and teachers, students have the option to submit supplemental recommendation letters. These are recommendation letters from other mentors and figures in a student’s life, such as coaches, bosses, club advisors, etc. While submitting extra recommendation letters won’t necessarily harm one’s application, it is unnecessary and not advised, unless it can provide another perspective on the student that hasn’t been included in any other part of the student’s application.

 

New Section

The 2020-2021 Common Application will give students the option to explain what impact COVID-19 has had on their lives. Throughout the country, this pandemic has had vastly different impacts on each student, so the Common App is giving students the space to write about it. This is an optional section, and only meant to help colleges better understand the students’ individual situation that they faced. 

 

 

 

If your student could use guidance on getting started with the college application process, please book a free consultation with us to learn more about how Versed Advisors can help families through this process.

 

 

For additional insights, check out our blogs:

5 Simple Tips to Writing a Great College Application Essay

Which Teachers Should Students Choose to Write the Letters of Recommendation

Crafting a Cohesive College Application

Does My Child Need a Private College Advisor?

 

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