The fall season is a stressful time for all seniors who are planning to attend college. Seniors across the country are deciding on which schools they should devote their time and money on, writing supplemental essays and paying application fees. The Common Application, known as the Common App, simplifies the process of applying to multiple universities. Students take into account several factors in determining where to apply such as geographic location, ranking, what majors they offer and more. But as some schools require applicants to use the school-specific application portal to apply, one more factor has to be taken into account when making a college list: if the application is offered on the Common App.
The major difference between the Common App and applying to school-specific application portals is the convenience of the Common App. With one central application platform, students can apply to multiple schools at once. They can avoid putting in redundant information such as family history or the activities list for each college which saves time and effort. While most schools have opted to adopt the Common App system for their application process, some colleges such as Georgetown University and the University of California (UC) schools have remained to stay within their own system, adding an extra layer of complexity.
Georgetown University, known for its rigorous academic programs and prestigious law school, uses a separate application system not available on the Common App. This different system can complicate applications made to fit the style of the Common App. The transfer of an application from Common App form to the format of a school-specific system can weaken the presentation of the applicant.
“One of the greatest differences I have noticed on the Georgetown application is the activities section, where you can include 6 activities unlike the Common App which allows 10, and there is no space to elaborate or provide descriptions of the activities,” senior Kristin Chen said. “This makes it harder to showcase all of the things I have done throughout high school, so I have to be more intentional with what I choose to include.”
The UC schools’ system stands out not only because it is separate from the Common App but because it allows applicants to apply to up to 9 UC campuses with just one application. Still, the different format from the Common App may feel unfamiliar for applicants.
“The UC schools’ application system gives me slightly more flexibility as I can put up to 20 activities on the activities list instead of 10 and there’s no personal statement,” senior Ethan Hsu said. “But, it has been time consuming to have to re-enter all of my basic information into this application system when it’s already loaded onto my Common App.”
Although there are many differences between the Common App and school-specific applications, one part of the process that is consistent for both is not for the students applying, but for teachers sending in teacher recommendations to colleges. The Naviance system that recommendations go through is designed so that there are minimal differences for teachers.
“Teachers can usually still just upload recommendations through Naviance, even if the school doesn’t use the Common App,” math teacher Laura Brager said. “Teachers can still upload the same rec [recommendation] they wrote for the other schools and it’s a hassle-free process no matter the application system.”
While students may debate the pros and cons of applying to Common App versus non-Common App schools, the decision ultimately depends on if the extra hassle is worth it, or how passionate the applicant is for the specific school. While most will prefer the simplicity of the Common App, sometimes the additional work and time is worth it for a specific college. Either way, it is good to take into account whether a college offers their application on the Common App when constructing a college list a student’s junior or senior year.
