Class of 2025…the Common App is ready for YOU! This is an exciting day and the beginning of a new chapter for students applying to college. I realize it also comes with some stress, so here are some of my tips for navigating the Common App.
- Account Rollover – If you started your Common App prior to 8/1, SOME info will roll over; other info won’t. Check out my article with all of that, plus intel on what’s NEW in this year’s Common App.
- Preview – That’s your best friend in the Common App. Preview + proof what you enter with the PREVIEW button before submitting. If you’ve seen me talk at schools, I share the comment from one admissions officer who told me a student uploaded breakup texts from a boyfriend by accident. Preview + proof! Trust me, it’s worth it!
- AI-Generated Essays – No. Please, no! So many reasons why.
- For the WRITING SECTIONS – Write & edit somewhere else before copying & pasting into the Common App. Then PROOF again. Many times, spacing & formatting gets wonky and needs to be adjusted.
- Already entered ACTIVITIES? – Did you edit first offline? Change/add anything? UPDATE! Also, note the activity section allows you to MOVE activities UP & DOWN after entering. Again PREVIEW! Position + Organization appear in BOLD and are automatically separated by a comma for you.
- Respect the Word Counts 🙂 – One year, a student called me to say that the Common App was allowing him to enter MORE than the word count. Should he? No. Follow the directions provided 🙂
- Formatting – Usually has to be redone after entering content and is really limited (italics, bold, underline). This is a REAL bummer to me. I’ve had many students who wanted to insert emojis or international languages, and I’ve suggested this upgrade every year to the Common App. Maybe one year…
Here’s a new video to SHOW you how to navigate the 2024-25 Common App below:
I hope this helps! Happy writing, and go shine like rockstars!
