Common Application
Completing the Common Application
Use this page as a guide when you are completing the Common Application to ensure you complete it accurately.
Before you Begin the Common Application
Information you will need:
Your social security number if you plan to apply for financial aid
Your parents preferred phone numbers and emails
All of the institutions where your parents went to college/graduate school (if applicable), degrees earned and year they were earned
Parents' occupations and employers
Sibling info (full names, ages)
Completing the Common Application Necessary Info & FAQs
Profile Section
Make sure to use your name as it appears on your high school records
Education Section
If you transferred to Ridge, make sure you add all high schools you have attended in this section
If you have taken college courses (dual enrollment where you paid to receive credit or college courses for credit during the school year or the summer you should add those here)
Graduating class size can be found HERE
Class Rank Reporting is NONE
GPA Scale is 4!
GPA Weighting is: Weighted
Make sure to list all of your senior courses.
Select Semester as the type of scheduling system
Enter PE/Health 12 as a full year to save yourself time
NOTE: All RHS classes are College Prep unless you are taking Honors/AP. We do NOT have standard level classes.
Honors: e.g. National Honor Society, National Merit Commended Scholar or Semifinalist or Finalist or Scholar. Consider this resource for some guidance
Testing Section
Only provide your SAT or ACT score information if you intend to send it to ALL of your schools. Otherwise, you should indicate that you do not wish to self report.
Each college/university that is test optional will ask if you want to report your scores on their supplemental section so that is where you would be indicating if you are test optional or not which will allow you to provide your scores to some and not all schools.
Activities Section
Be mindful that you can't use many words for your descriptions so make them count!
Consider ranking your activities in terms of their importance to you or the extent of your involvement in them (i.e. officer positions, captain, etc)
You can combine similar types of activities if you find that you have too many - also you are permitted to use hobbies or family responsibilities in this section like caring for a sibling or an elderly family member
Writing Section
Do NOT make your common app essay college specific since your application will go to all of your schools
Refer to our Essay page for resources and tips for writing your college essay
Courses & Grades Section
This section will only become visible to you if one of the colleges you add to your My Colleges tab requires it
You should select your high school (Ridge or another school if you were a transfer student) and the calendar year
Grading Scale: A-F
Schedule: Choose YEARLY (this is different than the Education section above)
Designate the subject area and then type the course name as it appears on your transcript
Course level: Enter College Prep, Honors or AP (remember there are no courses at Ridge that are below College Prep!)
Make sure to carefully enter and double check your final grade and credits earned in each course
When you are done, indicate that you have reported all of your courses for that grade
FERPA Waiver
A completed FERPA waiver is required in the Common Application before your transcript can be sent and before your application can be submitted.
Why you should consider waiving your right, according to the Common Application website: Waiving your right lets colleges know that you will never try to read your recommendations. This reassures colleges that your recommenders have provided a recommendation that is candid and truthful. While you are free to respond as you wish, if you choose not to waive your right, some recommenders may decline your request, and some colleges may disregard letters submitted on your behalf. Even if you do NOT waive your right to access your letter, you still won't be able to view any recommendations until after you have been admitted to and enrolled in a school. In other words, FERPA does not give you the right to review recommendations before they are sent to your colleges. Click for more information on FERPA.
How to Complete the FERPA Waiver: Video tutorial
To access the FERPA waiver, you must add at least one school to the “My Colleges” list on Common App.
Click on the “My Colleges” tab, then “Recommenders and FERPA” underneath the school name. Click on “Complete Release Authorization” in the center of the screen.
Read the Instructions in the Release Authorization.
Scroll to the bottom and check the box for “I have read and understood the FERPA Release Authorization explanation above.
Check the box to acknowledge the FERPA form. Click Save and Close.
Click either “I waive my right to review all recommendations and supporting documents” or “I DO NOT waive my right to review all recommendations and supporting documents.”
Check the box “I understand that my waiver or no waiver selection above pertains to all colleges to which I apply…”
Enter your signature and date. Click “Save and close.”
Please note that selections on this page CANNOT be changed once you sign & click Save
Matching the Common App Account to Naviance
Video Tutorial
*Note: Although the Naviance interface has been updated visually in 2023, the steps in the video remain the same.
*Note: Although the Naviance interface has been updated visually in 2023, the steps in the video remain the same.
To complete the Common App matching process, a student MUST:
Create a Common App account
Add at least one college on Common App
Complete the Common App FERPA Release Authorization on Common App
Once these steps are complete, then:
Log into the Student’s Naviance account : https://student.naviance.com/ridge
Click the “Colleges” tab
Click “Colleges I’m Applying To”
The Common App Account Matching screen is displayed at the top of the page
Click “Match Accounts” and provide the information requested
NOTE: Naviance prevents us from electronically submitting Common App school forms for students if this matching process has not been completed, so it is IMPERATIVE that this step is completed!
Recommendations & Transcripts
Do not invite teacher recommenders or your counselor to submit their letter of recommendation through your Common Application account unless your teacher has directed you to do so. Do NOT add your counselor.
We use Naviance to submit school documents. The Common Application portal will generally not update with school documents. Monitor your college application portals to verify your documents have been received. If you are uncertain, contact the admissions office directly.
Common App Help & Assistance
Help with the Application: Applicants needing assistance should reach out to Common App through their Help Center
Review the Comprehensive Resource Section
By clicking "Ask a Question," you can also contact a member of the support team
Check out the mobile app for Common App