In the past, we have focused on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as the key to making college more affordable. However, since a student must apply to and be accepted by a college before affordability even becomes an issue, there’s another online application that they need to understand—the Common Application, known widely as the Common App. This year’s iteration of the 50-year old application has a refreshed look and feel with an updated visual design. However, the steps that students need to take to complete and submit it remain the same.
The Common App (the App) is a standardized college application system that allows students to apply to many colleges in the United States and internationally using only one form. Established in 1975, the App simplifies the admissions process by making it more efficient for students. It broadens their opportunities for admission to a wide range of colleges without needing to complete a separate application for each one.
The App enables a holistic review by college admissions committees by requiring applicants to submit their academic record, essays, letters of recommendation, and information about their extracurricular activities and achievements. The App enables students to present their stories and experiences, including personal challenges and significant life events, to provide a comprehensive view of their qualifications.
The App Process
By simplifying the application process, he App makes it far more practical to apply to a large number of colleges. Most guidance counselors and admissions consultants recommend that a student submit between eight and twelve applications to gain admittance to their best-fit college. The App saves time and reduces the complexity associated with applying to this many colleges.
Applicants enter their personal information, academic history, extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation just once. This information, as part of the App, will be submitted to up to 20 member institutions designated by the applicant.
The App also includes a personal essay that responds to one of a set of essay prompts formulated by the App. The seven App prompts for this year are the same as last year, but prompts may vary from year to year. Many colleges also require what are known as supplemental essays, which are responses to essay prompts set by them. For most schools, applicants must also submit their scores on the SAT or ACT exams. Students also must learn about special requirements of a target college and be sure to comply with them.
Students may track their application’s status at their targeted schools through the App. There is a dashboard that allows students to see what materials, such as transcripts, exam scores, and letters of recommendation, have been submitted to each targeted college and what materials are still pending.
The App also has features that facilitate communication and collaboration with recommenders such as teachers and counselors. This tool helps manage their contributions effectively, ensuring that recommendations are tailored to the applicant’s goals.
Participating Institutions
The App is managed by the staff of a not-for-profit membership association called the Common Application, Inc. It is governed by a 18-member volunteer Board of Directors drawn from the ranks of college admission deans and secondary school college counselors. In 2025, over 1,100 colleges participate in the App program, including more than 250 public colleges and 12 HBCU’s. Over 400 App colleges do not require an application fee. The membership includes not only four-year colleges but also, as of January 2025, community colleges, which marks a significant expansion of the platform’s reach. This initiative is intended to benefit low- and middle-income students.
About one-third of member institutions are Exclusive Users who use the App as their only application. If a member has a another, separate application of their own, they are required as a condition of membership to give equal consideration to applicants using either form.
An alternative application accepted by over 150 colleges is offered by the Coalition for Colleges. Most colleges that accept the Coalition’s application also accept the Common App. The Common Black College Application (CBCA) was started in 1998 to facilitate the process of applying to HBCU’s. Students who complete the CBCA may use it to apply to any number of the 67 participating colleges.
The App provides flexibility in the application process, allowing colleges to modify the App to suit their requirements. Member colleges have the option of including additional questions or supplemental materials, which assures that each school can maintain its singular admissions criteria while still benefiting from the shared application process.
Impact on College Admissions
The App has significantly influenced college admissions. By allowing students to apply to multiple colleges with a single application, the App has expanded their opportunities. The App has made it practical for students to apply to many colleges, allowing them to seek admission to schools they otherwise would have foregone. Research indicates that applying to more colleges enhances a student’s chances of admission to the schools that fit them best. Colleges benefit by attracting larger pools of applicants that are likely to include more highly qualified applicants.
While the App has facilitated the application process, it has also produced an undesirable consequence. Since rising application volume affects all members, the App has caused a reduction in the yield rates. Yield is the percentage of admitted students who choose to enroll in a college. Yield rates may be volatile and unpredictable, making it difficult for college administrators to conduct such important tasks as facilities and resource planning for the incoming freshman class. Yield is also an important factor in college rankings by influential publications like U.S. News & World Reports.
The New Additional Information Section
Applicants wishing to provide more details that do not fit into other parts of the App may use the Additional Informationsection, which allows for the inclusion of context regarding personal life experiences and challenges. This section is an opportunity for students to highlight those significant aspects of their lives that may enhance their overall appeal.
The App has made significant changes in response to the challenges posed by recent global events. The previously optional “Community Disruption” essay prompt has evolved into the “Challenges and Circumstances” question, encouraging applicants to discuss obstacles they have faced. Additionally, a new required question titled “Responsibilities & Circumstances” has been added to the Activities section to give applicants an opportunity to reflect on how commitments such as caregiving, jobs, and household duties have shaped their lives.
Resources and Support
The App provides resources and support programs to assist students, counselors, and recommenders. Students and their families can access support through the App’s Solutions Center, which is available 24/7/365 for assistance with any issues that may arise. To further aid applicants, the App provides checklists and guidelines that pertain to common mistakes that negatively affect the odds of admission. These resources can serve as quick reference tools to help students organize their college applications efficiently. In addition, many colleges employ professionals who are specifically trained to help students with questions regarding App documentation, forms, and requirements.
Summary of What’s New in 2025-26:
Below are aspects of the App that are new for the current academic year. Some of the changes were noted above.
- Visual Refresh: The Common App has undergone a visual make-over to improve usability.
- New Context Items: Responsibilities & Circumstances questions have been added to help applicants describe their lives.
- ACT Science Section: For Common App purposes, the online ACT Science Section is now optional.
- Additional Information Section: Maximum is 300 words, down from 650.
- Citizenship Question Updates: The citizenship/residency options have been clarified and re-phrased to better support students who are refugees, DACA, undocumented, or green-card holders.
- New Responsibilities & Circumstances Section: A optional, checkbox-style section has been added to capture significant responsibilities or circumstances that may not have been captured elsewhere on the App. This gives applicants students a way to highlight context without writing additional text.
- “My Common Application”: The App organization has determined that the name Common App as a menu item should be changed to My Common Application for easier navigation. This begins with the 2025-26 release of the App.
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