Everything You Need to Know About the Common App
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The journey towards a college degree starts with selecting and applying to various schools and universities, often more than one. Here are some tips for using the Common Application to apply to multiple colleges.
According to the College Board, most college counselors recommend that high school students fill out and submit five to eight college applications, each of which can have different requirements for essays, testing, transcripts, and recommendations. Keeping track of these details, as well as the application deadlines for each college, can be challenging. Even after submitting your applications, it’s not uncommon to wonder if you filled them out completely.
The good news is that a free application service exists that can help make applying to college easier, and it is called the Common Application (or “the Common App”). In this article, we’ll explain what the Common App is, its benefits, and how to use it.
What Is the Common Application?
In 1975, 15 colleges got together to simplify the application and admission process. The result was the Common Application, a single application that students could send to multiple colleges.
Over the years, the Common App has evolved into an application platform and college admissions hub where students can research various colleges, find financial aid and scholarships, access university resources, find virtual mentors, and navigate their entire college application journey. A staggering 10 million applications were submitted through the Common App platform by almost 1.5 million students in 2024-2025 alone.
Which Colleges and Universities Accept the Common App?
Today, more than 1,000 colleges and universities accept the Common Application, including the Ivy League schools and some international institutions. While not every school accepts the Common App, at present, students can apply to public and private universities in all 50 states and 20 countries through this platform.
In recent years, the Common App has expanded its offerings to include a Common App for transfer students, a Direct Admissions Program, which allows some colleges to make admission offers to qualified students before they apply, and a mentorship program that provides qualified students with free online guidance throughout the college application process.
How Can I Access the Common App?
To use the application, go to the Common App website. Most colleges provide a link to the platform on their admissions page. The Common Application is free to use, but students must pay the application fees charged by the colleges to which they apply. Fee waivers can be requested through the Common App website.
To start using the Common App, you’ll need to create an account and indicate whether you are a first-year student, transfer student, education professional, or “parent or other adult”. This helps the Common App adjust the platform to your needs.
How to Fill out the Common App
The Common App provides a user-friendly interface for students to apply or transfer to universities and colleges. Below, we outline the main steps to filling out the Common App.
1. Create a List of Universities and Colleges
Within the Common Application, students can explore colleges and add or remove them from their college list. The Common App website provides basic information about colleges that accept the Common App, as well as links to their websites and virtual tours.
2. Understand Each College's Requirements
Some colleges require the submission of multiple transcripts, one or more recommendation letters, SAT or ACT scores, and essays, while others require some or none of these items.
It is essential to keep track of the application requirements for every college on your list, so that you submit all the materials the college requires. See CollegeData’s Common App Guide for the application requirements and deadlines for more than 900 Common App colleges in the U.S. The Common App website also contains the application requirements of more than 1,000 colleges worldwide, including:
- Early decision and early action deadlines
- Regular admission deadline
- Application fees
- Additional forms or portfolios
- Essays and/or writing supplements
- Number of recommendation letters from teachers and counselors
- School and mid-year report requirements
- SAT or ACT testing policy
3. Ask for Recommendations
Many colleges ask for at least one letter of recommendation (and sometimes more) from teachers, guidance counselors, or possibly your principal. Some colleges ask for additional letters from non-academic sources, such as a pastor, employer, coach, or even a peer.
The Common Application makes it easy to request recommendations from your teachers and guidance counselors through its intuitive interface. Once you input their names and contact information, the Common App will send them an invitation to create an account and provide them with guidance for completing the recommendation forms and uploading them to the platform.
4. Complete Writing Requirements
Many Common App colleges ask applicants to submit one or more essays. Within the Common App, students will find the following writing requirements:
- The Common App Personal Essay - a 650-word essay that is selected from one of several prompts provided by the Common App.
- Writing Supplements, which may include shorter essays or other questions specific to a college.
- Optional “Additional Information” section, in which students are free to describe how their education has been affected by housing instability, natural disaster, family obligations, health concerns, or other challenge or circumstance.
5. Submit Your Application
Once you have gathered all the required documents, completed your essays, and requested letters of recommendation and a copy of your high school transcript, you are ready to submit your applications. Be sure to complete and send your application by the deadline set by each school. While technical problems are rare, they do happen and thankfully the Common App provides 24/7 technical support by email.
How to Write the Common App Essay
The Common App Essay is required by some, but not all, Common App colleges and can provide admissions officers with a window into your character, goals, and personality. The Common App provides seven essay prompts to choose from.
Here are the prompts for the 2025-2026 academic year.
- Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
- The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
- Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
- Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
- Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
- Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
- Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
Find Out More About Colleges on CollegeData
The Common App makes it possible for students to use a unified application platform to apply to more than 1,000 colleges all across the U.S. and the globe. Before you consider using the Common App to apply to college, start researching potential colleges with CollegeData’s College Search.
