On September 26, #CollegeCash welcomed Mandee Heller Adler from International College Counselors (@College_Experts) for a discussion of the Common Application for Undergraduate College Admission. International College Counselors provides expert advice on choosing the right college, scholarships, tuition, essays, and admissions. Mandee Heller Adler is president and founder of International College Counselors. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with Honors and two degrees – one from the Wharton School and one from the College of Arts and Sciences. She also received an MBA from Harvard Business School, where she was selected as a Class Day Speaker. Additionally, she received a fellowship from Rotary International to study at ICADE, a premier business school located in Madrid, Spain.
The Common Application is an easy way to apply to many colleges at one time. Some schools use it exclusively. With the Common Application, students only have to complete one application and essay to apply to multiple colleges. Students can complete the Common Application online, making it easier to stay organized. The Common Application can be used to apply to up to 20 schools. The Common App is very strict on the 20 school limit and doesn’t allow students to create duplicate accounts to apply to more. No student really needs to apply to more than 20 schools, though, so the limit is quite fair.
Over 500 colleges accept the Common App; however there are over 4,500 colleges, so they don’t all use it.
Schools that do use the Common App include Ivy League schools, top liberal arts colleges, and top private universities. Many state schools do not use the Common App including UF, UC, UT, Penn State, and U of A.
The biggest change to the Common App this year is the elimination of the ‘topic of choice’ essay. The Common App now has five new essay prompts with a hard stop at 650 words. The short answer ‘activity’ essay has been eliminated. Changes to the Common App also include the overall look, technical changes, and new drop down boxes.
Students cannot customize their Common App for each school, but some colleges do have supplements where students can tailor the message. The college supplements are where students can say why and how they are a great fit for a particular college. High school students need to research each college and emphasize specifics about how they can contribute to the community.
About 20% of the schools do not want any additional information. They only want you to fill out the Common App. Many of the larger or more popular schools require more info, but big schools like University of Miami, Drexel University and Northeastern don’t. If a college has an ‘optional’ essay or supplement, write the essay. It’s not really optional.
Organize the activities chart by what is most meaningful, in that they represent a significant involvement, achievement, or talent. Highlight activities that are recent, most selective, and ones you are highly involved in. Do not organize activities in chronological order and always make sure to proofread. The three biggest challenges with the new Common Application and how students can overcome them include:
1. When the Common App first went live, there were many technical difficulties, but they’re slowly fixing them.
2. Changing the email password on the Common App gave some students problems with their log in.
3. Problems for high schools include communicating with Naviance and Parchment to submit forms, transcripts and recommendations
For the essay portion of the Common Application write about yourself, keep it real, and answer the question being asked. Students should also tell a good story, and not be afraid to be creative and original.
Most importantly, students need to spend time on essays, proofread them and get a second opinion. Great essays can mean the difference between an acceptance and a rejection.
Three takeaways about the Common Application:
1. Most of the Common App issues have been worked out. It remains an easier, more holistic way to apply to college.
2. Do not wait until the deadline to fill out the Common App. Something this important needs time. If you get tired, save it and return later.
3. Before submitting, get your Common App reviewed by a high school advisor, friend, family, or independent college advisor.
International College Counselors: Website, Facebook, Twitter (@college_experts), Blog
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