It’s August 1 which signals that it’s almost back-to-school time for students and for rising seniors, the Common Application is now available. Applicants will find several new colleges have been added this year, like Rhode Island
College (Graduation rate: 46.1%), UNC-Chapel Hill (Graduation rate: 85.7%), and Howard University (Graduation rate: 65.2%). A posting from EdWeek outlined the process for getting started:
Students register for an account and then access the system online. Users can search for colleges by criteria they enter and then click on the schools where they want to apply. Applicants fill out demographic information and their activities and upload their essays.It doesn’t have to be completed in one sitting. Students can work on the form on and off. The completed form can be previewed in a PDF format before sending. Technical assistance is available at the Common App Support Center.The popularity of the Common Application is growing. Last year, almost 2 million applications were submitted through the Common App Online. A new single-day record was set on Dec. 31, 2010, when students submitted 127,175 applications.The system does streamline the process, enabling students to complete one form to send to any number of participating colleges.
via College Bound – Education Week.
Applicants must still be careful in completing the Common Application. Here are 2 important steps to heed:
- Plan your time accordingly because several colleges have supplemental essays in addition to the 2 primary essays. These supplemental essays should speak directly to the selected college, whereas the general Common Application essays should not refer to the specific college(s).
- Review . . . review . . . review . . . before submitting the Common Application. Once you submit, you can not make any changes to the forms.
Please listen to our podcast on College Application Review for more tips on what to do before pressing the “submit” button!
