Changes Are Coming to the Common App: Are You Ready?
The college application season is in full swing. With that comes an understanding of using the Common Application, a universal platform that, in the 2018-2019 season, boasted 1.9 million student accounts created, 5.3 million application submitted, and 644,000 recommenders submitted 2.7 million total forms. Clearly, the Common App is gaining popularity within the admissions space.
Below, we share some of the enhancements and improvements being rolled out for the 2019-2020 application season. Stay ahead of the curve so you know what to expect—even before school starts.
How to Make the Common App Work for Your Application Story
I had the opportunity to attend an exclusive seminar geared towards college counselors with the objective of sharing the enhancements for the 2019-2020 season.
The History:
The Common Application was first unveiled in 1975 that invited forward-thinking colleges to be a part of a more streamlined, universal, user-friendly application experience for traditional and nontraditional students alike. With the shared mission to create an application that was simple and a process that was logical, researchers and developers aimed to curate a joyful experience for student, family, and counselor.
The Changes:
Coming August 1, new changes and a refreshed website will be rolled out. With this new year, come new schools with a push towards both applicant and institute diversity (though the top 3 states in terms of application submission are New York, California, and New Jersey).
This year, Common App developers are researchers are excited to forge a better future together with changes that value diversity and more accurately reflect the broader and diverse experience of students that they serve. Today, the Common App website has officially launched their new brand with a refreshed platform to create a process that is even more user-friendly with practical tools and provided resources.
• The website will feature more complete resources designed to guide students and their supporters throughout all aspects of the college application process, regardless of their educational journey. This means targeting more nontraditional students (transfer, adult, dual enrollment, and first generation).
• A new look and feel to the website itself is more reflective of Common App’s mission and values. The website also incorporates more of a diverse experience to more intentionally cater to the students that utilize the platform.
• You’ll noticed that the improved site search feature is more strategically designed to provide easier, more practical access to critical college readiness resources.
• Check out the enhanced college search bar and more robust member detail pages to give students a more thorough explanation and examination of each specific school’s requirements.
• You can also note access to virtual campus tours and more detailed critical application requirements for each member school (a new feature not previously offered on the Common App website experience).
• Be sure to look into the new application guides for both first-year and transfer applicants, specifically developed to guide students step-by-step through the application process.
• The expanded college roadmap was created to address the needs and pathways of all students, including community college learners, adult and returning students, service members, and military veterans.
• Check out Common App Ready, a unique toolkit designed with counselors in mind. Consider adding an advisor to your student portal, which gives guides limited access to student accounts to help students stay on top of deadlines and to-do items.
The Impact:
• We expect that changes to the Common App to more broadly impact and target nontraditional students and applicants.
• We believe that these improvements to the Common App more accurately reflect the changes and strategic advancements happening within the college application space.
• The Common App’s commitment to more strategically target diverse learners, diverse member schools, and diverse areas of the school highlights their objective to “cut through the noise” of the college application process.