Writing Effective Essays



The Common Application(s)

No, the plural in the title is not a typo error! A competitor for the Common App (CA) has emerged. Called the Universal College Application (UCA), it was launched with 13 members (now 44) including some heavy hitters such as Duke, Harvard, Johns Hopkins and 9 others. One difference is that the UCA intends to enable more public institutions to join. In response, the CA has reduced its member prices and will offer discounted pricing to institutions that use the Common App exclusively. The members can still require supplemental forms of their own to accompany the UCA, and so far the members seem to be doing so. Visit to learn more about this new player in the college admission arena.

However, since the UCA won’t have a large membership for awhile, we will devote most of this manual to the traditional Common Application found at .

The Common Application is a not-for-profit organization that makes applying to colleges more convenient for both students and participating colleges. Students are able to complete this single application (online or in print) and use it for any participating school. The same is true for their school report, mid-year report, and teacher recommendation forms. However, many institutions also require their own supplemental forms. There is a separate application for transfer students vs. first-year.

The Common App has features such as a college search engine and the ability to upload fully formatted college essays. In addition, the number of institutions participating in the Common App has passed 600, and its popularity continues to grow. Membership is limited to colleges that use a holistic approach to evaluating applicants, as opposed to only grades and test scores. As of this printing, here is a list of Common App schools:



Over a million Common Apps have been submitted online so there’s little doubt that the process is accepted and appreciated. The application has been fine-tuned over a 35 year period, and the member institutions all agree to treat it fairly and equally to their other applications, if applicable. In fact, many schools opt to use only the Common Application.

You need to register (create an account) on the Common App website in order to access all the materials. All you need is an email address, name, date of birth, phone number and address. The email address is important, as this is the primary way they will communicate with you. Be sure it’s one you check frequently.



Summer is a perfect time to set up your account, especially since the most recent application is just posted. Meanwhile, here are the current essay prompts, and the essays are capped at 650 words. The essay prompts change from time to time, so check as you get closer to applying. (For 2016-17, they remain the same as 2015-16.)

1. 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.

2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?

4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

Check the website for current information.

Here are some resources that offer tips for completing the common app, but we are not recommending them in particular. They are in no way affiliated with Get in 2 College.









We can’t emphasize enough what a nice benefit the Common Application represents, not only for actually applying for colleges but for preparing early by using it for practice.

Be sure to take advantage of this great resource.

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