The New College Common Application is Coming

The New College Common Application is Coming

by Ann Rossbach, Independent Educational Consultant

Hear ye, hear ye...read all about it!  The new Common Application for colleges will be available August 1st!

For high school students entering their senior year, the college application process is right around the corner.  A new version of the Common App (CA4), a universal application used by 488 colleges and universities, boasts opportunities to report more information and make unlimited versions and up to three essay versions. More importantly, the form offers contextual inline help and will give the applicant status updates that track an applicant’s progress.  Arts supplements will use SlideRoom and all athletic information will be included on the application itself rather than in a supplement.  Submitting the application, fees and supplement will be a one-step snap. 

But don’t register yet!  The CommApp will be offline the last two weeks of July, and any registrations before that date will be cleansed from the system.  Instead, get a jump start on your personal statement by reading, choosing and responding to one of these five new prompts! (Essays should range from 250-650 words.) Supplemental questions from colleges are just beginning to trickle in; these will all be available later in the summer. You may want to spend some time exploring majors and programs at schools on your list.  Although many students apply undecided, some colleges do require that you apply to a specific school that has your major.  Lastly, not every college uses CommonApp, so check colleges’ websites.

Spend your summer wisely by volunteering, finding (or creating) a part-time job, and reading. (Next week’s blog will give you a peek at what college freshmen are reading!)  Continue your campus visits, and gear up for August 1!