What is the Common Application, and how do I fill it out in order to maximize my chances of getting into my dream school?

The Common Application is the product of a non-profit organization with 900 member Colleges and Universities across all 50 states and 20 countries. The purpose of the Common App is to have one centralized hub for applying to multiple schools across the country and around the world. Once you create an account and log in, you are provided a dashboard that can be filled with Colleges and Universities that you wish to apply to. Although the Personal Statement is a major component of the Common App, which is sent to all of the schools from which you wish to gain acceptance, the Activities section is by far the most misunderstood section…

Often times we can be self-deprecating or too humble when discussing our talents and accomplishments. In the Activities section of the Common App, this is the time to brag about yourself and announce your Extracurricular pursuits from the rooftops! Far too many students describe their Activities in an unprofessional and haphazard manner. The Activities section is your opportunity to present your body of work outside of the classroom in a curriculum vitae type fashion using resume type language. Word choice for the Title and Description of your Activities is of paramount importance. For example, if you participated in an Internship that involved data entry, one could describe it as inputting data into a spreadsheet in the office. However, a savvy applicant will fill out the Common App Activities section by writing, “Database management in order to generate sales leads and maximize revenue for the corporation.” Although these two ways of communicating the information mean the same thing, the way you present yourself and your Activities is crucial to getting accepted to your dream school!

Assigning the duration of each Extracurricular pursuit on the Common App can be confusing… The minimum number of hours for an activity is 2 hours per week. The summer is approximately 12 weeks long and the school year is generally 40 weeks. If you participated in a performance based activity such as violin year round, then you would select 52 weeks.

The Ranking of your Extracurricular Activities is also a critical component of this section. Generally speaking, the activities in which you have had the most consistent and sustained involvement over a long period of time should be ranked highest. Therefore, #1 should be playing a sport for all 4 years of high school, where as second priority would be given to participating in the Robotics Club for only 2 years during your Sophomore and Junior year. Even though the Robotics Club is more revered among Math and Science based Colleges and Universities that do not have extensive athletic programs, the 4 years of involvement in another activity takes precedence.

Don’t waste this opportunity fumbling through the growing pains and mistakes that most applicants make while applying to College. Get trusted advice from an experienced College Counseling firm by calling Dow Educational Solutions for help on your Common App today!