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Introduction

Components

College Search, Dashboard, Financial Aid Resources

CommonApp

My Colleges

Differences in application plans

Which application round should I choose?

Submission

<aside> ✅ Tip: Create a new e-mail account to use solely for college admissions. Use this to create a Common App account.

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1. Introduction

The CommonApp, as the name suggests, is a common portal used by a large number of colleges and universities for receiving applications. This greatly simplifies the application process as an applicant won’t be required to repeat the same information for all the colleges. It is updated for the new application cycle in August. Besides the web version, The CommonApp can be accessed on both android and iOS devices through its mobile application.

You should create an account on www.commonapp.org and start by filling out the Common App section and adding a few colleges to its Dashboard. The CommonApp has “Instructions and Help” and “View tutorial” sections on every page which will help you fill the entire application.

<aside> ❓ What about the Coalition Application? We recommend using the Common App over the Coalition App (another application portal) since the Common App is more widely accepted.

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<aside> 📢 Keep in mind that some colleges like MIT and Georgetown do not use the CommonApp and require you to apply through their separate portals.

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2. Components

We will provide an overview of each component along with some important instructions and information. Everything else is very straightforward to figure out.

College Search lets you find and add up to 20 colleges to your Common App. The Dashboard allows you to view and manage these colleges. Go to Dashboard → "Application Requirements” for a quick overview of the requirements and deadlines for each of your colleges. In Financial Aid Resources, you will find links to the financial aid requirements of your colleges.

a. Common App

This part of the application is sent to every university that uses the CommonApp. It contains personal and biographical information, educational history, activities, test scores, and a personal essay known as the "CommonApp essay."