How exactly does the Common App work and what does it do for us applicants?

I've been hearing so much about the Common App, but can someone break it down for me? What are the main things the Common App does and how does it affect our application process? Feels like there's a lot I might be missing, so I'd love some clarification!

Hello there! Happy to shed some light on the Common App for you. Think of the Common Application as a one-stop shop for applying to multiple colleges. It simplifies the process by allowing you to enter your personal information, extracurricular activities, and personal statement just once, and then submit that same information to multiple schools. This saves you from having to enter the same details over and over for each college. Your recommenders can also send their letters to the Common App, which saves them the effort of submitting them individually to a bunch of different schools. One last advantage is that the platform helps you manage your applications by keeping track of deadlines, school-specific requirements like supplemental essays, and test score submissions.

The Common App definitely streamlines the application process, but remember to tailor your supplemental essays and short responses to reflect the unique aspects of each school you're applying to—unfortunately, finishing filling in the Common App info probably doesn't mean you're totally done with your applications.

Overall, the Common App is designed to make your life easier during the often stressful college admissions process, but make sure to still take ownership of your applications, as there can be some idiosyncrasies with particular schools' applications that you need to be on the lookout for! Good luck!