The Common Application

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Created By: The Common Application

Audience: Students, counselors/advisors, parents

Big Picture: If you’re ready to start sending those college apps in, look no further—the Common Application lets you fill out one application, and then use it for up to 600 different colleges and universities. It’s that easy. Once you register, you can use the site to track your apps, manage your tasks, and more. And if you need a little extra advice, the site’s got videos, articles, and blog entries to help answer almost any question you can think of.

How It Helps You: Maybe you’ve already picked your major, or you’re just looking for colleges near home. Either way, once you feel you’re ready, this is the best and simplest place to get the application process rolling.

Must-Use: Visit the Plan Ahead section as a kind of check-in to see how ready you are—the How to Prepare link breaks it down by grade, from middle school to senior year, with expert tips to help you avoid common pitfalls.

Parent-Friendliness: A page specifically for parents (found in the top nav) gives them a brief overview of the site and offers advice for how they can be of help to you while you’re sending in those applications.

Protip: Before jumping right into applying, first check out the Virtual Counselor—you’ll find lots of short videos and articles that’ll give you tips on things like how to get into your dream school and when to start writing essays.