August 1st marks the annual rollover of the Common Application (also known as the Common App), which officially starts its new undergraduate application season. The Common App is especially useful for students preparing to apply to U.S.-based undergraduate programs and select schools around the world. The platform can consolidate multiple applications in one place and significantly reduce redundancy, saving time and reducing the stress that can come with tedious and repetitive data entry. If you don’t yet have an account on the Common App, the refresh won’t affect your ability to create a new account, but we strongly recommend creating one if you are preparing to apply for colleges this year. If you already have an account, this explainer on the Common App website notes that “each year we may remove some questions, ask new questions, or make some other adjustments.” This blog post will provide some background on the Common App, a look at which schools use the Common App, an overview of what this refresh means for applicants, and how it may affect user experience on the platform.
What is the Common Application?
In 1975, 15 private universities joined together to accept a common application format with the aim of streamlining the application process. In its earliest form, the Common App offered a booklet of identical application forms that could be submitted to colleges separately. By 1980, more than 100 universities were accepting the Common App and that number has continued to grow, with more than 1,000 universities across the U.S., Canada, Japan, China, and Europe now accepting the Common App. Today, the Common App is managed by a non-profit organization and is overseen by a board of 18 college admission deans and secondary school college counselors. For a more detailed history of the Common App, check out this student-written article.
Who Should Consider Using the Common App?
As mentioned above, those applying to multiple U.S. universities are likely to find the Common App most useful. Especially strong writers may also favor the Common App because it offers six essay prompts as well the option to write about the topic of one’s own choosing, which provides a great chance to introduce one’s goals, values, and accomplishments while showcasing a strong communication skill set.
Why is There a Rollover and What Happens?
Each year on August 1st, the Common App releases a platform update to improve user experience and make changes to the application, including adjustments to the questions that are asked of applicants. When users who have an existing account login, they will be prompted to confirm some basic details, including their name, their intended year of enrollment, and any schools that they have previously indicated interest in applying to. The rollover will not affect Common App tab responses, colleges in the My Colleges list, and any past applications, which are retained in PDF format. However, invitations to counselors, teachers, and other recommenders will be removed, as will responses to questions or writing supplements because many colleges change their applications each year. Ambitious 11th grade students will want to bear this in mind as any written answers added to the platform before August 1st will be lost during the rollover, so it is wise to keep these answers on file elsewhere as a backup.
Which Schools Do and Don’t Accept the Common App?
As mentioned above, more than 1,000 universities and colleges now use the Common App, with a large concentration of them being private schools. In the U.S., more than 75 of the U.S. News & World Report’s top 100 universities as well as the vast majority of the top 100 liberal arts colleges utilize the Common App. In Europe there are nearly 20 universities using the Common App, and across Asia a handful of U.S.-affiliated or international campuses make up the majority of the Common App users. You can search for specific universities that use the Common App by using the search tool on their website. There are a few notable U.S. schools and state systems that do not participate in the Common App, including the California and Texas state schools, which have their own application systems, MIT, Georgetown and a small number of other major American universities.
Get Started Today
The summer before 12th grade is a great time to organize your application materials and planning. If you don’t yet have a Common App account, we recommend that you sign up for one after August 1st, and if you already have an account, be sure to login after the rollover to check on your profile. If you have questions about your application strategy, school selection, or other aspects of the application process, feel free to reach out and book a free 20-minute consultation with one of our experienced consultants.