Common App Guide

🏅Overview
Today, we’re breaking down the best ways to fill out each section of the Common App. And if
you’re a senior who still doesn’t know what the Common App is, good luck, my friend.

Profile
The profile section of the Common App is broken down into seven subsections:
​ Personal Information
​ Undoubtedly, this is the easiest part of the entire application. Just spell
your name correctly, and provide a nickname if you’d like (see example
below).

​ Address
​ Put down your permanent home address or an address where you can
receive mail if you don’t have one.
​ Contact Details
​ Put down your cell phone number here. If you’re not sure, you can use
mine. Just ask your mom for the details.
​ Demographics
​ Y’all got this one covered.
​ Language
​ List all languages you know or are somewhat proficient in. Yes, list
English.
 ​ Common App Fee Waiver
​ The Common App itself is free, but some colleges charge application fees.
If you meet any of the Common App's criteria regarding fee waiver
eligibility, definitely opt in. Many colleges also “offer a college-specific
fee waiver. You can contact colleges directly or look for a fee waiver
question on their application in the My Colleges tab.”

Family
The family section of the Common App is broken down into four subsections:
​ Household
​ Put down your parents’ marital status as well as any children you have
yourself.
​ Parent 1
​ Here, you’ll provide information on one of your parents if necessary. Be
sure to list their occupation and highest education level correctly. This is
how you can show you’re a first-generation student.
​ Parent 2
​ Same as before, fill it out for your second parent if necessary.
​ Sibling
​ Provide details about your siblings. Nothing fancy here.

Education
Okay, this is where the Common App starts to get real. The family section of the Common App
is broken down into eight subsections:
​ Current or Most Recent Secondary/High School
​ Specify your current high school and whether you had any gaps in your
education.
​ Other Secondary/High Schools
​ Specify any previous schools you attended in this section.
​ Colleges & Universities
​ Here, you can indicate the number of colleges where you took dual
enrollment classes, completed a summer program, or were awarded credit
for other coursework.
​ You can also specify any degree you earned, such as an associate degree.
​ Grades
​ Report your class size, rank, rank weighting, GPA scale, GPA, and
GPA weighting. Use your transcript to fill out this information. Ask your
counselor to provide you with an unofficial copy if you don’t have one.
​ Current or Most Recent Year Courses
 ​ List your senior-year courseload and course scheduling system.
​ BE SURE to label your classes correctly (AP, IB, Dual Enrollment,
Honors, etc.)
​ Honors
​ You can list up to 5 awards and honors in this section. List them in
order of the magnitude of the impact and recognition.
​ Think back to all the awards you received through academics and your
extracurricular and community service activities.
​ First, breathe if you don’t have national or international awards. No
college is expecting you to. Honors such as AP Scholar, School Honor
Roll, and National Merit are fine.
​ Regarding National Honor Society: list it as an award if you were just an
inductee and general member, but list it as an activity if you either 1) made
a real impact in, or 2) have the space and want to list an extra activity.
​ Regarding athletic honors: list them here if they’re related to academics
(i.e. scholar-athlete award). Otherwise, list them alongside your sport in
your activity description.
​ It is also important to note that you have 100 characters for each Honor.
So if you’ve won a very specific award that needs clarification — you can
clarify directly here (or in the add’l info if you don’t have room).
​ Community-Based Organizations
​ List any external organization or community program from which you’ve
received free assistance (e.g., Matriculate, LEDA, Thrive, etc.)
​ Future Plans
​ Don’t worry, you will not be bound to the career interest and highest
degree you intend to earn here. That’d be crazy if you were forced to earn
a PhD because of your goals when you were 17.
​ And here’s a neat trick I’ve seen someone recommend before. In case you
can’t find a career interest that suits you, opt for “Other,” as this will
propagate a text box for you to list your career interests.
​ You can then use these 100 characters to share your intended
career. I’d only advise you not to be too corny here. For instance,
don’t say, “I want to become a billionaire.”

Testing
The testing section of the Common App is broken down into subsections based on how many
different types of test scores you’re reporting:
​ Tests Taken
​ Opt-in to self-report some test scores here if you have them. You’ll likely
report an SAT/ACT in addition to AP and/or IB scores.
 ​ SAT/ACT Tests
​ Report your highest SAT/ACT score. If you’re looking to superscore, be
sure to report two scores.
​ Specify whether you’re planning to take a test again (e.g., October test
date)
​ AP Subject Tests
​ Report ALL scores of 5 and 4, omit scores of 1 and 2, and selectively
report scores of 3.
​ IB Subject Tests
​ Now IB operates differently from AP, and honestly, I’m trying to research
it right now, but I’m a bit confused.
​ Report all scores of 6, and 7 on individual exams. I think 5s will also fly.
​ If you’ve earned an IB diploma, report the exams that have contributed.
​ For other scores, check whether the colleges you’re applying to accept
them for credit and report accordingly.
​ TOEFL/IELTS
​ This is for my international and non-fluent English speakers out there.
American universities want to admit students with good English ability, so
report the better of your TOEFL/IELTS score. (sorry I can’t be of more
help)
*REMEMBER: You can go back and forth after submitting individual applications to add in
and/or omit scores for specific colleges.

Activities
Ahh, the Activities section. This is where you’ll sum up how you spent the last four years outside
of schoolwork.

Writing
The family section of the Common App is broken down into two subsections:

Personal Essay
This. This is arguably the most important part of your application. It is your essay. Your story.
Your magnum opus.
You have the choice of seven prompts:
​ Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so
meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it.
If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
​ The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to
later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or
failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
 ​ Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea.
What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
​ Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you
happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or
motivated you?
​ Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of
personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
​ Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you
lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn
to when you want to learn more?
​ Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already
written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own
design.
And honestly, prompt choice doesn’t matter. Many people say admissions officers start
reading your essays without checking the prompt. That being said, pick the prompt best suited
for your story. And here’s some advice on what prompt may be best for you. (I typed out a bunch
of notes and asked ChatGPT to clean it up — which is why the tone may not sound as funny as
playful as it usually does)

​ Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so

meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If
this sounds like you, then please share your story.

​ Focus on a Significant Aspect: Highlight one aspect of yourself that has

significantly shaped your character.

​ Demonstrate Personal Growth: Show how this aspect has contributed to

who you are today.

​ Choose a Unique Element: This prompt is ideal if you have a specific and
unique background or identity to share.

​ Example: Discussing your cultural or racial background and its

impact on your upbringing.

​ Example: Exploring an interest you are deeply passionate about,

such as making your own sushi.
​ The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later
success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How
did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

​ Highlight Fundamental Lessons: Focus on an obstacle you've overcome

that taught you essential life lessons.

​ Pay attention to the keywords: lessons, obstacles, fundamental.

​ Showcase Transformation: Ideal if your life can be divided into before and
after the challenge.

​ Select a Significant Obstacle: Choose an event impactful enough to have

shaped your life.

​ Avoid cliché topics like getting a low grade or being cut from a
team unless you offer a fresh perspective.

​ Demonstrate Change: Explain how you've changed and how these lessons
define you today.

​ Embrace Vulnerability: Be open about a time when things didn't go as

planned.

​ Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What

prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

​ Choose a Meaningful Idea: The belief or idea should significantly connect

to your personal values.

​ Explain Your Motivation: Discuss what prompted you to question or

challenge this idea.
 ​ Describe the Outcome: Detail the results of your actions and any
resolutions.

​ Show Personal Growth: Illustrate how this experience shaped your

character or worldview.

​ Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you
happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or
motivated you?

​ Focus on the Impact: Concentrate on how the person's actions affected or

motivated you.

​ Express Gratitude: Discuss how this act of kindness changed your

perspective or inspired you.

​ Highlight Personal Development: Explore any subsequent changes in your

behavior or outlook.

​ Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of

personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

​ Select a Pivotal Moment: Write about a significant event that

fundamentally changed your perspective.

​ Balance Narrative and Insight: Allocate time to describe the event and
reflect on your growth.

​ Demonstrate Personal Growth: Show how this experience has significantly

shaped who you are now.

​ Provide Deeper Insights: Go beyond merely recounting the event to

showcase profound understanding.
 ​ Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose
all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to
when you want to learn more?

​ Showcase Intellectual Vitality: Use this prompt to highlight your passion

for learning.

​ Explain Your Fascination: Discuss why this topic captivates you so deeply.

​ Share Your Learning Journey: Describe how you explore this interest
further and who or what resources you turn to.

​ Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already
written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

​ Exercise Focus: Although offering autonomy, ensure your essay centers on

one topic with a clear theme.

​ Reveal Your Identity: The essay should provide insights into who you are
without covering every aspect of your personality.

​ Maintain Coherence: Keep a consistent narrative to engage the admissions

officers effectively.

But remember, your choice of prompt will not impact your admissions decision; what is
important is how well you write your story. Stay tuned for more guided, specifically on writing
college essays.

Additional Information
The additional information section of your application is the perfect place to provide details that
don't fit elsewhere. This section lets you present a complete picture of your experiences and
qualifications to colleges. You can use this space to:

​ Share extenuating circumstances

 ​ You should explain any health issues or family matters that may have
affected your grades or participation in extracurricular activities. But be
brief. Explain the situation and how you grew from it.

​ Provide more context on specific activities

​ You can offer additional details about your top extracurriculars that
couldn’t fit in 150 characters. I often see students expound on the type of
research they are doing here.

​ List additional activities or honors

​ If necessary, you can mention any achievements or involvements that

didn't fit into the main sections of your application, but realistically, only
do this if you are truly missing something crucial. And if you are, why
isn’t that part of your main application to begin with?

​ Explain scheduling conflicts

​ You can clarify any issues that impacted your ability to take certain
courses or participate in activities. For instance, I wrote about why I
wasn’t able to take Spanish during the last two years of high school.

​ Highlight unique aspects of your school

​ Describe situations like not being able to take AP courses in your first two
years or an unusual grading system.

​ Define acronyms

​ Ensure that any abbreviations used in your application are clearly

explained.

Courses & Grades

Many colleges do not require the Courses & Grades section, but some unfortunately do. You’ll
need your transcript to fill this out, so request one of your counselor as soon as you can.
Simply, you will have to list every course you’ve taken as well as its subject, level, grade
breakdown, and credits.

Colleges
Congratulations, you’ve technically filled out the Common App! And I say technically because,
well, now you have to add colleges and answer all their specific questions.

My Colleges
Use the college search tab to search and add the colleges you’re interested in applying to.
Remember, you have a limit of 20 schools on the Common App!
After you’ve added your schools, head over to the My Colleges tab to check out each college’s
requirements. Each college will have the following:
​ College-Specific Questions
​ Okay, this is where you’ll share with colleges
​ If you need financial aid
​ Your current choice of major
​ If you have any supplementary materials to submit
​ If you’re a legacy
​ Your supplemental essays
​ Again, for most colleges, you will not be locked in or bound by your
choice of major, but your answer to this question is still important. You
may have to write a supplemental essay on your choice of major, or your
choice may dictate which supplementals the school will ask you.
​ If you’re a legacy, congratulations, and fu…
 ​ Submit supplementary media materials (if available) if you have a
portfolio or work showcasing genuine talent and ability.
​ I will work on creating some guides on how to write the best
supplemental essays. Unfortunately, that would be too much for this
document. Still, I’ll share my best supplemental essay tip.
​ PERSONALIZE. If you’re writing a “Why Us,” “Why Major,” or
even a roommate essay, personalize the essay for yourself as well
as the college. Create and showcase connections between the two
of you.
​
​ Recommenders and FERPA
​ SIGN THE WAIVER AND RELEASE YOUR FERPA RIGHTS.
​ Why? Because if you don’t, you’re telling colleges that your
recommendation letters have been compromised and should be read
skeptically. Just ask for rec letters from teachers who like you, and hope
they don’t roast you in the letter.

​ Review & Submit

​ Once you’ve gotten to this step, go back and quickly review each part of
your application. Check for typos as well as any funny “jokes” you may
have left in as placeholders anywhere.

📋Summary
Let’s summarize what we learned today!
​ The only part of this guide you likely needed was the activity and writing section,
and you probably skipped over the first three sections entirely.
​ Be intelligent about what test scores to report;
​ Activity descriptions are important and will help you stand out.
 ​ Use the additional information section to your advantage.
​ Now that your grades and activities are mostly set in stone, your essays are your
greatest weapons. Spend A LOT OF time crafting a compelling personal
statement alongside personalized and reflective supplemental essays. And with
that—

Credits: Mahad Khan