Update: Read the latest tips for the 2017-18 Common App.
If you’re a rising high school senior, chances are you’ll be using the Common Application to apply to college this year. An amazing 800,000 students submitted 3.45 million applications through the Common App last year, and even more students will likely take the plunge this year. Those of us in the profession know all too well about the major technical snafus the Common App experienced with the release of version CA4 in 2013. Paragraph breaks in the main essay weren’t displaying properly, there were serious lag times when trying to print preview the application, and students were at a loss for how to navigate the self-reported testing page.
That was the bad news. Now here’s the good news. The 2014-15 Common Application launched on August 1, and so far – everything seems to be going smoothly! I registered myself and was able to complete the application (minus essay writing process) in about an hour. While some of our criticisms of last year’s Common App are still an issue, enough changes to the online application have been made to improve the overall experience. Read our application tips below for completing the 2014-15 Common Application, and don’t hesitate to post a question below as you work your way through the Common App!
