Each year high school seniors fill out several college applications at one time. The Cooperative Institutional Research Program’s 2007 Freshman Survey indicates that 27% of high school seniors apply to six or more colleges. This number has increased 5% from 2002. As seniors try to balance sports, clubs, church, volunteering, friends, and studying, how can they make time to complete six or more college applications? The answer is the common application.
National Common Application
A national common application is an application that multiple colleges across the United States will accept for admission submission. The purpose is to simplify the admission process by reducing the number of applications a student needs to fill out. Since colleges essentially request the same type of information, common applications allow students to fill out one application that can be sent to several different colleges.
Students simply create an online account, fill out the application, and save it in their online folder. The application can then be sent to all of the colleges that the student chooses. The downside of the national common applications is that not every college will accept them, so students and parents should do some research. Member colleges are listed on the national common applications websites.
The most popular national common applications are The Common Application and The Universal Application. Students must pay an application fee for each application sent to the different colleges.
State Specific Common Application
More and more colleges within the same state have grouped together to create a state common application. Essentially the same purpose of the national common applications, the state specific common applications cater to colleges within that particular state. Some common applications may include both state/public institutions and private colleges or there may be separate common applications for the state colleges and the private colleges.
Use an internet search engine to determine if your state has a common application or ask a school counselor. Students usually have to pay an application fee for each application sent to the different colleges.
Common Black College Application
The Edu, Inc. has established a Common Black College Application, which allows African-American students to fill out one application to be sent to 32 different Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). There is a one time fee of $35, which is approximately $1 per college. Edu, Inc. is dedicated to increasing the number of African-American students matriculating to college after high school.
A common myth students have is that colleges prefer their own application rather than a common application. This statement is false. The college admission offices are looking for information on students to compare them to the other applicants. The same information will be provided from both the college’s own application and the common type application. If a college preferred one over the other, they would only use one type.
Overall, common applications are truly time savers. The virtual format allows for less paperwork and more access to a larger number of colleges. The common application process reduces the time students spend on completing multiple applications which then in turn reduces the stress level of students. By utilizing a common application students are able to focus less on completing multiple applications and more on their leisure activities. National, state, and black college common applications can be a senior’s best friend.
Kerrie Troseth - Kerrie is a licensed school counselor who works exclusively with adolescents. As a school counselor she is trained in the areas of ...
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