Common App Resource Round-up

As deadlines approach, you and your students may have questions about completing the Common App. We’ve compiled this resource round-up to help answer those questions and put the information you need at your fingertips. And if you have a question that is not addressed here, our support team is ready to help.

College requirements

• The requirements grid is one of our most frequently used resources. Here you will find a list of all Common App member colleges, complete with deadlines, fees, and testing and recommendation requirements.
• The writing requirements resource details which colleges require supplemental writing, along with the Common App essay.
• Some colleges continue to ask students about their school disciplinary history. The school discipline resource lists those colleges.

Deadlines

• Deadlines and submission date stamps can be confusing. Bottom line: a college’s deadline is always 11:59 pm on deadline day, in the student’s local time. This deadline FAQ offers helpful detail.

Videos

• You can find brief video tutorials on Common App’s YouTube channel. These short takes cover both the first-year and transfer applications.
• Better Make Room’s TikTok channel has student-facing videos on everything from essay prompts to minority-serving institutions to FAFSA inspiration.
• For students and families just getting started, we’ve recorded an overview of the first-year Common App, complete with school counselor insights. It runs about 20 minutes.

Understanding the application

• Our Application Guide gives an overview of the different sections within the Common App.
• Hard copies of the application and school forms can help students understand how the pieces fit together. They can also be particularly helpful for students with disabilities. Download these ADA-compliant application PDFs for use with your students.
• Common App Ready is your complete toolkit of tips and best practices designed to help your students complete their applications successfully and on time. These downloadable PDF resources make sharing information with students and families easy.

Recommendations

• Our writing guide for counselors and teachers is an easily shareable PDF that breaks down the differences between counselor recommendations and teacher recommendations.
• For general tips that will help any writer, check out our resource on writing effective letters of recommendation.
• This recorded conversation between counselors and admission directors offers new insights into how to approach recommendations in a way that maximizes impact and minimizes effort.