College Application Systems 2021-2022: List of Member Schools

College Application Systems 2021-2022: List of Member Schools Across the Platforms

Padya Paramita

May 11, 2021

College Application Systems 2021-2022: List of Member Schools Across the Platforms

As the college application journey begins, you have heard the terms “Common Application” or “Coalition Application” as ways of applying to different schools. In case you’re unfamiliar with exactly how these college application systems function, these portals serve as centralized locations to send your components to multiple institutions. If you fill out the different sections within these systems, you don’t have to fill them out for multiple of your schools. This makes the application process far more streamlined.

No matter which colleges you’ve narrowed down for your final list, chances are you’ll have to use one or more of the following college application systems:

The Common Application (you can find our step-by-step guide here)
The Coalition Application (you can find our step-by-step guide here)
The University of California Application (you can find our step-by-step guide here)
ApplyTexas (you can find our step-by-step guide here)

To help guide you through the college application systems, and what the differences are, we’ve laid out member schools within these portals alongside some of how the different college application systems stand out from each other.

What Are the Application Systems?

Students apply to different schools through college application systems such as the Common Application, the Coalition Application, The University of California Application, Apply Texas, or school-specific applications, such as the one for MIT. These are portals that ask common questions about the student’s background, academics, extracurriculars which are then sent to all of the member colleges within a system. The Common Application is the biggest one of them, with 900 members. However, not all schools use the Common App! Below is a list of all the schools that do not accept the Common App.

Application System	Member Schools
University of California Schools	UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC San Francisco, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz
Apply Texas Schools	Abilene Christian University, Angelo State University, Austin College, Baylor University, Concordia University, Dallas Baptist University, Hardin-Simmons UNiversity, Houston Baptist University, Huston-Tillotson University, Lamar University, LeTourneau University, McMurry University, Midwestern State University, Our Lady of the Lake University, Prairie View A&M University, Sam Houston State University, Schreiner University, Southern Methodist University, Southwestern University, St. Edward’s University, St. Mary’s University, Stephen F. Austin State University, Sul Ross State University, Tarleton State University, Texas A&M University (at College Station, Laredo, San Antonio, Galveston, Central Texas, Corpus Christi, Kingsville, Texarkana), Texas Christian University, Texas Lutheran University, Texas Southern University, Texas State University, Texas Tech University, Texas Wesleyan University, Texas Women’s University, Trinity University, University of the Incarnate Word, University of Dallas, University of Houston, University of North Texas, University of St. Thomas, University of Texas (at Austin, Dallas, El Paso, San Antonio, Tyler, Rio Grande Valley, Permian Basin), West Texas A&M University
School-Specific Applications	American International College, Auburn University, Ball State University, Berea College, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Brigham Young University, Brooklyn College, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, California State University, City College of New York, Clemson University, College of Charleston, Deep Springs College Duquesne University, Elon University, Embry-Riddle, Fashion Institute of Technology, Florida Atlantic University, Florida A&M University, Florida International University, Georgetown University, Golden Gate University, Grove City College, James Madison University, MIT, Rutgers (All campuses), University of Arkansas, University of Georgia, University of Florida

The two biggest college application systems are the Common Application and the Coalition Application. If you are applying to college this upcoming cycle, building your school list is a crucial part of this process. The chance that you will encounter the Coalition Application or Common App at least once is certain.

The Coalition Application allows you to apply to 149 colleges across the country, while the Common App has over 900+ member colleges. Most of the Coalition Application members are also part of the Common Application. The major difference between the Coalition App and the Common App is that the Coalition App only accepts colleges that provide a generous amount of financial aid or scholarships to low-income students.

To avoid having to fill out both applications, applying through the Common Application is a safe bet. The Coalition Application members can still be a strong reference to find schools which provide substantial financial aid.

Check out the full list of Coalition member institutions below, paying special attention to the colleges in bold signifying that they are not a member of the Common App.

Adelphi University
Allegheny College
American University
Amherst College
Arizona State University
Babson College
Barnard College
Bates Colleges
Beloit College
Boston University
Bowdoin College
Brown University
Bryn Mawr College
Bucknell University
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Carleton College
Carroll University
Case Western Reserve University
Claremont McKenna College
Clemson University
Colby College
Colgate University
College of the Holy Cross
College of William & Mary
Colorado College
Columbia University
Dartmouth College
Davidson College
Denison University
Depauw University
Drew University
Duke University
Elon University
Emory University
Florida Southern College
Florida State University
Franklin & Marshall College
Franklin W. Olin College Of Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
Hamilton College
Harvard University
Harvey Mudd College
Haverford College
Illinois State University
Indiana University—Bloomington
James Madison University
Johns Hopkins University
Juniata College
Kenyon College
Knox College
La Salle University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University Maryland
Lycoming College
Manhattan College
Marist College
Mercyhurst University
Miami University—Ohio
Michigan State University
Middlebury College
Mount Holyoke College
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
North Central College
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Oberlin College
Penn State—University Park
Pomona College
Princeton University
Purdue University
Ramapo College of New Jersey
Reed College
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rice University
Rollins College
Rutgers University—Camden
Rutgers University—Newark
Rutgers University—New Brunswick
Saint Michael's College
Simmons College
Skidmore College
Smith College
Southern Methodist University
St. John’s University
St. Mary’s University
St. Olaf College
Stanford University
Stetson University
Stony Brook University
SUNY Albany (University at Albany)
SUNY Binghamton (Binghamton University)
SUNY Buffalo (University at Buffalo)
SUNY Geneseo
Susquehanna University
Swarthmore College
Sweet Briar College
Texas A&M University
The College of New Jersey
The College of Wooster
The Ohio State University
The University of New Mexico
The University of Texas at Austin
Trinity University
Tufts University
Union College
University of Arizona
University of Chicago
University of Connecticut
University of Dayton
University of Delaware
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Iowa
University of Kentucky
University of Maryland—College Park
University of Mary Washington
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota—Twin Cities
University of Missouri
University of Montana
University of New Hampshire
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Notre Dame
University of Oklahoma
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of South Carolina
University of South Florida
University of Tampa
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
University of Washington—Bothell
University of Washington—Seattle
Ursinus College
Vanderbilt University
Vassar College
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest University
Washington University in St. Louis
Wellesley College
Wesleyan University
Williams College
Yale University

The Coalition App has far fewer schools than the Common App—149 compared to the latter’s 900+. Member colleges include most public universities, as well as each of the Ivy League schools, Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Chicago, and top liberal arts colleges such as Williams, Amherst, Wellesley, and Bowdoin.

Newest Common App Members

Recently, Common App welcomed 30 new members into the system. “Key to our mission at Common App is lowering the logistical and systemic barriers to college access,” said Jenny Rickard, President & CEO of Common App. “Thanks to our diverse membership, all students, regardless of their background, have the opportunity to apply to the colleges or universities that will help them achieve their best future.”

The biggest name on this list is undoubtedly University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign, which is a renowned university, particularly for its engineering programs. Hopefully, these new additions will grant you greater access to keeping all of your documents in one place if you’re using the Common App for all your applications.

What are the Differences Between the Application Systems?

You may be wondering about what the difference is between all of the different college application systems. While essentially they all ask for similar information that can help colleges understand your context better—such as your contact information, family information, high school details, list of extracurriculars, and your personal statement, they also differ in certain areas. One difference is that a lot of schools don’t exist in multiple systems. But there are technical distinctions as well such as in word limits, essay prompts, number of activity list slots and more. To help guide you through these differences, we’ve laid out some of the ways in which the different application systems stand out from each other.

The new members are:

Austin Peay State University (TN)
Belmont Abbey College (NC)
Charleston Southern University (SC)
Colorado Mesa University (CO)
Colorado School of Mines (CO)
Concordia University- Ann Arbor (MI)
Eastern Illinois University (IL)
Fort Lewis College (CO)
Gordon College (MA)
Governors State University (IL)
Grace College (IN)
Illinois State University (IL)
Indiana Tech (IN)
James Madison University (VA)
Lebanese American University
Manor College (PA)
Mississippi College (MS)
Mount Saint Joseph University (OH)
Northeastern Illinois University (IL)
Oregon Institute of Technology (OR)
Portland State University (OR)
Pratt Institute (NY)
Rockford University (IL)
Saint Augustine’s University (NC)
Southern Illinois University Carbondale (IL)
Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville (IL)
Texas Wesleyan University (TX)
University of Alabama (AL)
University of Illinois at Springfield (IL)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (IL)
University of North Georgia (GA)
University of Northwestern, St. Paul (MN)
University of the Commonwealth Caribbean
Villa Maria College (NY)
Western Illinois University (IL)
Westfield State University (MA)
Wingate University (NC)

What are the Differences Between the Application Systems?

Criteria	Common App	Coalition App	ApplyTexas	University of California
Number of Member Colleges	900	149	53	9
Opening Date	August 1	August 1	July 1	November 1
Sections	Profile, Family, Education, Testing, Activities, Writing, Additional Information	Personal Information, Contact Information, Demographic Information, Citizenship Information, Family Information, High School Information, 12th Grade Coursework, 9th-11th Grade Coursework, SAT/ACT College Information, Subject Tests, Additional Tests, Honors and Distinctions, Academic Interests, Activities/Experiences	Biographical Information, Educational background, Educational information, Test scores, Residency information, Extracurricular and volunteer activities, Employment information	Start Your Application, Campuses & Majors, About You, Academic History, Activities & Awards, Test Scores, Personal Insight
Personal Statement Prompts	Answer any one of the following: A. 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. B. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? C. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you? D. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. E. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? F. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.	Answer any one of the following: A. Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. B. Describe a time when you made a meaningful contribution to others in which the greater good was your focus. Discuss the challenges and rewards of making your contribution. C. Has there been a time when you’ve had a long-cherished or accepted belief challenged? How did you respond? How did the challenge affect your beliefs? D. What is the hardest part of being a teenager now? What’s the best part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)? E. Submit an essay on a topic of your choice	Answer any one of the following: A. Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today? B. Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself. C. You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?	Answer any four of the following: Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem-solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement? Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?
Personal Statement Word Limit	650 words	550 words	100 words	350 words each
Activities List	Up to 10 activities, 150 characters for each description	Up to 8 activities, 255 characters for each description	10 activities, 70 characters for each description	Up to 20 activities, 350 characters for each description
Honors Section	5 awards and honors, 100 characters for each description	5 awards and honors, no separate description section	8 awards and honors, 80 characters for each description	20 awards and honors, 350 characters for each description, 250 characters for requirements
Deadline	Depends on the school	Depends on the school	Depends on the school	November 30

Now that you’ve received an overview of the major differences between the different college application systems, you know which portal you need for the colleges on your list and prepare your activity descriptions, personal essay lengths, and plan out the number of awards you want to include accordingly. A big part of impressing college admissions officers lies in strategizing filling up your application profile in a way that optimizes the space you’ve been given and bringing out the best segments of your high school career. If you capitalize on the Common App, Coalition App, ApplyTexas or UC App, a big chunk of your college application, you’ll get a big chunk of the pressure out of the way. Good luck!

Tags :common application,coalition application,uc application,college application systems,apply texas,application portal,applying to college