WHAT IS THE COMMON APPLICATION?
The Common Application allows seniors to apply to a number of colleges with a single application. There are about 300 colleges that participate in this program. Students will often need to submit a supplementary essay or form, but the Common Application saves an incredible amount of time. Paper Common Application forms are available in College Counseling. Students can also complete and submit the Common Application online. The link is on the College Counseling webpage under “Internet Resources.
The Common Application is a standardized undergraduate college application form that is accepted at more than 240 accredited, independent colleges and universities nationwide. Schools that accept the Common Application include Boston University, Cornell College, New York University and Syracuse University. Some of these institutions use the Common Application exclusively. The Common Application looks similar to most college applications, with all the usual fields for name, address, school and test data, as well as questions about your work experience and volunteer activities. For the personal essay, you may choose one of four questions, or propose a question of your own.
The Common Application, www.commonapp.org, is a not-for-profit organization that serves students and member institutions by providing an admission application online and in print that students may submit to any of 346 colleges and universities. Once completed online or in print, copies of the Application for Undergraduate Admission can be sent to any number of participating colleges. To help with any questions you might have, the online Applications Support Center has answers to 146 FAQs, and provides a ticket system for college applicants to submit additional questions to support professionals.
