Common App is basically a portal. There are two big reasons for using the website.  

1. You're only going on a single website instead of one for each college.  

1.  You’ll fill out all your basic information once.  

By utilizing Common App, you don't have to tell every school your name, birthday, test scores, etc. The website sends that information for you. You’ll fill out the “Common Application” which gets sent to every school you apply to. (That's the name, test scores, etc.) Then you click on each school you're applying to within the portal and fill out that college's particular requirements. These are things like essays, or major specific information colleges want to know. 

We’ll walk you through just how simple Common App is. 

 First: Create an account 

Tips:  

• Even if you did dual enrollment in high school, still select “first year student.”  

• Use a personal email account, so you still have access to your email after you graduate high school.  

• Be mindful of what your email handle is; if you wouldn’t want your future employer to see it, make a new one. 

• Use your legal name so colleges can match your documents to your application.  

 Second: Explore what colleges use Common App 

Tips: 

• You can apply filters to your search, like state, enrollment, distance from a zip code, if there’s an application fee, etc.  

• You can add up to 20 colleges.  

• You can see all the colleges you’ve added in the “My Colleges” tab. 
• Check out the Financial Aid Research tab for information on assistance. 

Third: Fill out the “Common Application” 

Tips:  

• This information will be provided to all the schools you apply to, so make sure your information is correct.   

• If you don’t see a green checkmark after a required section, you are missing information. Make sure to fill everything in. 

• You can skip around sections, save, and return to work on your application later; the form does not have to be filled out in order. 

• Don’t forget to list English under languages!  

• If you are unsure whether you apply for the economic need factors for the “Common App Fee Waiver,” ask your school counselor. 

• List all of your siblings, including half siblings and step siblings. 

• Under “Future Plans,” if you are applying to different colleges for different majors, go back and change the career before you submit to that specific school.  

• List your activities in order of importance.  
• Look over your essay and make sure it pasted correctly into Common App.  

Fourth: Get your Common App recommendation letters and official school forms in order 

Tips:  

• Fill out the “FERPA Release Authorization Form” first! This form says that you are giving consent to not see the recommendation letters before they’re sent off.  

• Every school has different requirements, so be sure to check well in advance so you’ll know how many recommenders you’ll need. 
• Your recommenders will not see the invite unless you assign them to a college. 

Fifth: Fill out the application form for each college's specific requirements 

Tips: 

• Track your application progress in “My Colleges.” 

• Write down each college you're applying for and their requirements. Order your to-do list by each Common App deadline. 

• Have someone read over your essay. An extra pair of eyes is always helpful. 

Sixth: Submit your application 

Tip: 

• Review your application before you send it in. The version you will send off is final and cannot be changed.  

Now that you have read up on our Common App guide, it's time to start applying. Common App has over 1,000 colleges on their website. Schools like Southeast Missouri State University are just waiting for your application to roll in! 

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