Creating an account and filling out an application is free. 

Many colleges do not charge an application fee, particularly if you apply by a certain date. You can filter colleges by application fees in the college search section. 

If a college does charge a fee, it can range from $25 to $90. You will be prompted to enter credit card information when submitting your application. 

A majority of Senn students qualify for application fee waivers and don't have to pay anything to apply. 

In Common App, ensure you check the fee waiver box in the profile section. You only need to check one box to receive the fee waiver. Most students select, "eligible for free/reduced lunch."

Your counselor will submit the fee waiver via SchooLinks. 

Not sure if you qualify for a fee waiver? Experiencing financial hardship but not sure if your situation fits any of the boxes on the waiver? Reach out to your counselor. 

You can create your account at any point in time!

The Common App rolls over every year on August 1st, and everything entered in the "My College" section will be deleted. So wait until August before senior year to really begin in earnest!

You can submit your applications as soon as they are ready. No need to wait for November 1. In fact, it's better to submit early so that you avoid any potential website glitches!

Once you hit "Submit" for a specific college, that application is locked and sent; you cannot edit it for that school. 

However, you can go back into your Common App profile, edit your essay or change information, and then submit that newly updated version to a different college on your list.

 If you made a major mistake on a submitted application, you must email that specific college's admissions office directly to ask for a correction. 

Yes! Do not wait for your recommenders to finish their parts before you submit yours. 

You can submit your application the second you are ready. Your counselor's school report, your transcripts, and your teacher recommendations will sync up to your file automatically whenever they upload them, even if it happens after you submit. 

When you add a college, you have to choose an application deadline. Here is the breakdown:

• Early Action (EA): You apply early (usually November 1st) and find out your decision early (usually January). This is non-binding—you have zero obligation to attend if accepted.

• Early Decision (ED): You apply early, but this is a legally binding agreement. You, your parents, and your counselor must sign a contract stating that if the college accepts you, you must attend and withdraw all other college applications. You can only apply to one school Early Decision.

• Regular Decision (RD): The standard deadline (usually January or February). You find out your decision in the spring and have until May 1st to decide.

Almost every college on the Common App allows you to select "Undecided" or "Exploratory Studies" as your intended major. Admissions officers do not expect a 17-year-old to have their entire life mapped out. Applying undecided will not hurt your chances of admission at most liberal arts or general universities. 

If you need to write an essay about your major of choice, consider writing about multiple interests you have and what you are considering majoring in. 

Yes! In fact, most students change their major at least once. 

 Choosing a major on the Common App simply tells the college what you are currently interested in so they can assign you the right academic advisor when you arrive. 

You typically don’t officially declare your major until the end of your sophomore year of college. 

Important: certain majors can be hard to transfer into. If you're interested in engineering, nursing, or business, most often you need to be directly admitted to that major as a freshman. It can be really challenging to transfer into one of those majors depending on the school. 

To do a deep dive on how different colleges treat choosing a major, review this chart here. It outlines over 200 colleges policies on choosing a major, which ones are selective, and how easy it it to change. 

We recommend you don't self report your test scores on the Common App. 

Most colleges are test optional, meaning you can carefully decide which schools to send your scores to. Self reporting on the Common App means that every school automatically sees your scores. 

Look at admission data in SchooLinks to see where your ACT score falls in relation to average accepted scores. 

Once you decide where to send your scores, send an official report through your student ACT portal. Ask your counselor if you need a fee waiver to send the scores. 

AP and IB scores aren't really reviewed in the application process. They can be sent once you've enrolled in a college and are hoping to earn transfer credit.