A Step-by-Step Guide to the Common Application
You’re an excited high school senior ready to embark on the scary but thrilling journey of college applications, and then you encounter something known as the Common Application. As daunting as all of the sections of the Common App might seem, if done right, it can help ease the process. The Common Application is divided into different sections:
- Profile
- Family
- Education
- Testing
- Activities
- Writing
- Additional Information
In this blog, we will take a closer look at the sections and provide tips for filling out each one. A very important factor to remember is that these upcoming sections apply for all of the schools on the Common Application! All of the colleges you apply to within this platform will see the same information that you’ve filled out in the Family section or Activities section of the Common App. Therefore, do not write anything that’s specific to any one of the schools. You can tailor your responses in the college-specific sections that come up once you have chosen a school, but the following will be sent to all of the schools on your list.
Your entire college application process rides on how you fill the Common App out! To help guide you through them, here is a step-by-step look at each of the sections and the best ways to tackle them.
Preparing To Fill Out The Common Application
To fill out the Common Application, make sure you have all of the information with you. You will need:
- Your high school transcripts
- A list of your extracurricular activities
- Your parents’ or legal guardians’ employment information, education, etc.
- Your test scores
- Contact information for your recommenders and guidance counselor
- Your school’s College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) code
Start collecting the documents and asking for recommendations ahead of time. Your teacher or counselor cannot write a stellar recommendation on the spot if you only give them a days’ notice. You should ask them as early as the end of your junior year, or at the beginning of your senior year.
Remember, each section is very important, not only individually, but how they work together to paint a more holistic picture of you as an applicant. Do not rush through these details. Think about all of these logistics carefully, and you will set yourself up for success as you fill out the Common Application.
Profile
The first piece that you have to fill out on the Common Application is the Profile section. The Profile section helps the admission officers get an overview of your background. While this portion might seem very straight-forward, these fundamentals matter. As an applicant, there are some important choices you have to make here. Through the following questions, admissions officers get a substantial idea of who you are and where you are from. The Profile section asks for:
- Personal information – Make sure to fill out this section very carefully, as it’s easy to mix up information such as your first name and last name. This section allows you to put in a nickname if applicable, your name in another language if you have one, and if you’ve used any other names previously. It also lets you elaborate more on your gender identity if you don’t identify as male or female.
- Address – The Common Application has options for your permanent home address, as well as an alternate address if you have multiple addresses. For example, if you go to boarding school, you can check the “send mail to temporary or alternate address” box. This section matters because admissions officers at most colleges read applications geographically. Each admissions officer is assigned a particular geographical region, either according to each US state, or according to country. If you’re from Minnesota for example, your application is going to be read with the rest of the applicants from Minnesota. You could be going up against people from your school and from your area.
- Contact details – The contact details section lets you add your preferred phone number, as well as any alternate numbers where you can be reached.
- Demographics – Filling out the Demographics section is optional. However, if you choose to do so, it helps colleges get a better idea of the race distribution in a class year, what ethnic or religious group might be underrepresented, and can be used for affirmative action purposes.You might not have been expecting to talk about your religious preferences or feel comfortable doing so. The religious preferences drop-down menu includes many different practices along with “none.” Listing your religion will not hurt your chances of getting into college. The US Armed forces status allows you to list whether you are currently in the armed forces, have been previously enrolled, or are the dependent of someone serving in the armed forces.
- Geography – This section asks for your country of birth, city of bi