The Common Application

More commonly known as the Common App amongst students, this is your gateway into the world of college. The Common Application is the most widely used application by colleges in the United States. It’s an application that is approximately 15 pages long and consists of many parts, such as a part for students to fill out and submit an essay, teacher recommendations, counselor report forms and many more. Each part of this application is essential for the college to which you are applying. Although the Common App doesn’t apply to all schools (like a friend who is looking at music conservatories has a completely different application process), most schools actually use the Common App.
On Commonapp.org, you can set up an account where you can complete your application online. This makes it so much easier because you don’t have as much paper work to worry about. Although you can do most of the application online, things such as the midyear report, the secondary school report, and your teacher recommendation papers will have to be printed and given to the appropriate person that will be taking care of each paper.
On their website, you can also find links to supplements if your college requires you to send in a supplement along with your application. You can also pay the application fee for your schools, while some schools even waive the application fee you decide to send in your application through the website/online rather than on paper. If you can’t find your school on their website, this means then that your school does not use the Common App and you should be sure to either contact that school or look on their website if you have any questions.
Another great thing is how well the site keeps you organized. It has a little checklist for each college to track if you have sent in your application, supplement, and application fees. Not to mention the entire site is free of charge! So if you are having a hard time keeping yourself organized when it comes to college, take advantage of this site. I highly recommend using the site, even if you prefer doing your applications on paper!