Common App Guide: How to Get Started on Your College Application
Est. reading time: 2 minutes
Written by Sheila Akbar, CEO & President
What is the Common App?
The Common Application (Common App) is an online college application platform used by more than 1,000 colleges and universities. Students create one profile and use it to apply to multiple schools simultaneously, submitting one personal statement, one activities list, and school-specific supplements for each college on their list.
At Signet, we know the best way to tackle a big task (like, say, applying to college) is to break it down into small, simple steps. So here’s your no-nonsense guide to getting started on the Common App.
Step 1: Create Your Account
First, go to www.commonapp.org. Bookmark this page! You’ll be returning here often throughout the application season.
Now, register to create a profile. Remember your username and password, and keep them somewhere secure. You’ll be entering a lot of sensitive information into this form, and you don’t want to be careless with it.
Step 2: Select Your Schools
Once you’ve registered, you can select the schools to which you want to apply using a simple search interface. This allows the Common App platform to automatically lead you through the relevant school supplements once you’ve finished the basic parts of the Common Application itself.
Step 3: Gather Required Information
At this point in the process, pause: Before you start filling out the application, make sure you’ve collected all the information you’ll need to answer the questions.
You may need to speak with your parents to get the appropriate information for each section. These are resources you’ll want to keep handy while you are working:
- Your social security number
- Your parents’ or guardians’ employment information and educational history
- Your high school transcripts (unofficial is fine for now!)
- Your resume
- A list of your activities, honors, and awards
- Your guidance counselor’s contact information
- Your standardized test scores (if you choose to self-report)
Step 4: Fill Out Each Section of the Common App
With this information on hand, you’ll be able to fill out five of the six sections of the Common App:
- Profile (your contact and demographic information)
- Family (your parents’ or guardians’ contact information, employment, and education)
- Education (your high school, grades, and current courses)
- Testing (your standardized test scores)
- Activities (your extracurriculars and volunteer, research, and work experiences)
How to Order Your List
When you are making lists of items like awards, the order is important. For awards and work experience, you’ll want to list them chronologically. Extracurriculars can be listed chronologically as well, but you may want to be more strategic.
Consider listing your activities in order of importance to you, or in order of your degree of involvement (i.e., if you are president of a club you may want to list that club first). Remember, admissions officers like to see commitment and leadership in your extracurriculars, so be sure those elements are prioritized in your list.
Step 5: Save Your Progress
Once you’ve filled in what you can, make sure to click “Save” before you exit the system. Congratulations, you’ve started the Common App! The next time you log in, all of the information you’ve entered will be right where you left it. You can go back to edit or enter additional information at any time.
Next Steps: The Personal Statement
Be sure to check out our advice on writing a great personal statement, as well as an in-depth breakdown of essay prompts, to get started on the last, and most important, element of the Common App! And if you’d like more guidance on the activities list, or if you’re interested in what the Common App looks like from the admissions officer’s perspective, we think you’ll enjoy this interview with an admissions officer.
