SENIOR INFORMATION

The Common Application is used by 900+ colleges. Students fill out one main application that will be used for all Common App schools, and then each school typically has a few additional questions. These questions are called the school's Common App Supplement. 

Students should allow plenty of time to fill out the Common App since it has about 40 sections, and requires writing. 

The Common App officially opens every year on August 1.

When & How to Start the Common App

• Create your account at www.commonapp.org.

• Under the Common App tab, start filling in informational sections except the counselor information in the Educational section. Counselor allocations may change early in the school year, so you could have a different counselor than before. Counselors assignments will be announced before the school year begins. 

• Under the College Search tab, add colleges to your list.

• Look up individual college supplements and writing requirements. Many schools have several short essays. Complete any optional essays (they’re not really optional).

• Complete the FERPA Waiver under My Colleges tab. The section is called Recommenders and FERPA. Check the boxes and provide your electronic signature for the FERPA. Important: Ignore the Recommenders section. You will request letters of recommendation through Naviance, and then only after school starts and the teachers have said yes.

During your Senior Year (adjust according to your deadlines)

• Fill in the counselor information in the Education section of the Common App tab according to the new Rock Ridge counselor allocations, which changes every school year.

• Manually input your college/university by selecting the + sign on the right side of screen under “Colleges I’m applying to”

• Paste your essays into the appropriate spots on the Common App. Most colleges require both a main essay for the Writing section and at least one supplementary essay in the Questions that are under individual colleges in the My Colleges tab. Be absolutely certain that you paste the correct essay into the correct slot. 

• Complete any remaining parts of the application. Use the Dashboard tab and make sure that all sections have green checkmarks. It is easy to miss parts of this complex application, so be thorough.

Complete the FERPA Waiver 

• In your Common App account,

  1. Go to the My Colleges tab. (If you have not already added your colleges, do so.)

  2. Select any of your schools, then go to the Recommenders and FERPA section. 

  3. Under FERPA Release Authorization, click Complete Release Authorization.

  4. Read the text on the next screen and click the box to agree. 

  5. Ignore the Recommenders part of this Common App section. We do letters of recommendation through Naviance, not the Common App. If you use the Recommenders section in Naviance, you will disable the letters of recommendation function in Naviance not only for your account, but for all students requesting the same teacher. 

  6. In Naviance, go to your Colleges I'm Applying To list and match the accounts if you have not already. Enter the email address you used for your Common App account and click the Match button. 

• Note about FERPA:  Saying yes to the FERPA waiver means that you trust the teachers and will allow Rock Ridge, Naviance, and the Common App to handle materials, including letters, and send them to the schools on your behalf. You waive your right to preview the letters.