Attention, college applicants! The Common App allows you to submit applications to multiple colleges and universities by completing one online form. More than 700 colleges accept the Common App.
Learn about the benefits of the Common App and get our expert tips on how to manage your time through the college admission cycle.
Read More: QUIZ: Test Your College Knowledge!
Before you can submit your application, you’ll need to gather your materials. (Read up on all the pieces of your college application ). Here are your early fall priorities:
You can create an account now and start working on your applications later.
Browse our college profiles , and think about what you want in your prospective college. Our Admissions Experts can help you put a list together!
Plan to take the tests so that colleges will receive your scores by the deadline. If you’re thinking of applying early decision and you’re not happy with your previous scores, you should take the September ACT or the October SAT.
Even if all the colleges you are applying to accept the Common App, their requirements may not be the same! Does your dream school require certain SAT Subject Tests? Gather this information early on so you can plan your senior year testing schedule.
Don’t forget to include things you do outside of school like your weekend job or playing on a regional soccer team.
Read More: 5 Reasons to Take Both the SAT and ACT
Ask your teachers for letters of recommendation early, and make sure they have all the information they need (like a résumé of your accomplishments ) to meet the deadline.
You'll choose from one of seven college essay prompts . Keep in mind that many colleges may also ask you to complete supplemental essay questions that are tailored to their schools.
The Common App will ask you to list their information about their educational background and employer, so if you don’t have this info, start asking!
Don't forget to keep up your grades! Read our expert tips for managing homework AND your college applications .
Application deadlines vary by school, so be sure to triple-check the dates for each school where you plan to submit an application. Here’s a sample list of application deadlines for several colleges.
School | Early Decision / Early Action Deadline | Regular Decision Deadline |
---|---|---|
Duke University | November 1 (Early Decision) | January 3 |
Georgia Tech | November 1 (Early Action) | January 4 |
Harvard College | November 1 (Early Action) | January 1 |
New York University | November 1 (Early Decision I) January 1 (Early Decision II) |
January 5 |
Princeton University | November 1 (Early Action) | January 1 |
Stanford University | November 1 (Early Action) | January 5 |
Yale University | November 1 (Early Action) | January 2 |
College-Specific Requirements: Not all Common App schools have the same writing, testing, essay, and letter of recommendation requirements. For example, if you’re applying early action to Stanford, you should know that October is the last acceptable SAT test date and September is the last acceptable ACT test date. Make sure you’ve done your research!
Financial Aid: The financial aid process is separate from submitting your Common App (and has different deadlines!). Learn everything you need to know about financial aid .
Get a quick and comprehensive review of your college essay. Our experts know how to bring out the best in your writing, and will provide you with the feedback you need to produce a stand out essay.
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