Simplify Your College Common Application: A Step-by-Step Guide
Apply to college using the Common Application and meet early action deadlines for more financial aid and less worry.
You can still apply for the 2024-2025 school year through the Common Application! Explore Pacific's undergraduate admissions requirements and apply to start your degree this fall at our historic Forest Grove campus.
The college fairs have come and gone, countless campuses have been thoroughly toured, and you’ve received a seemingly infinite amount of informational pamphlets and fridge magnets.
You’re ready. It’s time to apply to college.
But where to start? While nearly every school has different college application requirements — ranging from fees (applying to Pacific is free!) to essays to test scores — the college application process follows a remarkably stable pattern.
And with the Common Application (frequently called the “Common App” and accepted by everyone from Harvard to Harvey Mudd) sending your transcripts, letters of recommendation, and application to multiple schools has never been easier.
Let us be your guide as we walk you through what you need to know when submitting your college application through the Common App.
STEP 1: Gather your college application materials all in one place
While you do not need to finish and submit your application in one sitting, having everything you need on hand can make meeting early action and priority deadlines much easier.
Here’s what we recommend you have ready before you start your college application:
-
Current transcripts. The Common Application will automatically match your transcripts with the schools you have selected after your guidance counselor has uploaded them.
However, it can be helpful to have an unofficial copy of your transcripts handy so that you can highlight classes that match with why you are interested in a specific program.
-
Letters of Recommendation. Your recommenders will have access to the Common App and will submit their letters through the site.
Reaching out to them early (a month in advance at minimum) will make it easier to meet priority deadlines.
-
ACT or SAT test scores and school codes. Standardized test scores are becoming less and less necessary (submitting scores is optional at Pacific) but they can boost your application when you apply to college.
Keep both your scores and the codes (SAT: 4601/ACT:3488) for your schools nearby.
-
College essay. Colleges vary on whether or not they require an essay. (Pacific requires only the standard writing examples included with the Common Application.)
But just like having transcripts on hand, pulling material from an essay, even when not required, can highlight certain things that set you apart from other applicants.
Why should I prioritize the early action deadline?
Unlike early decision deadlines, Pacific favors the much more student-friendly early action deadline, which allows for a rapid response without committing you to the college that responds first.
For this reason it is very important to check which type of priority application your school uses.
Submitting your college application through the Common App prior to the early action deadline (November 1 at Pacific) also makes you eligible for a large amount of merit-based scholarships that gradually diminish as the application cycle goes on.
In short, applying early can get you more financial aid, a faster response, and increased flexibility, all at no extra cost.
STEP 2: Find your schools in the Common Application
Over 1,000 colleges and universities use the Common App in the college application process and finding them is as easy as typing their name into the search bar.
You can also filter schools by location, application requirements, and degree programs. Once you add a school to your list, you can compare everything from essay questions to application deadlines.
Importantly, schools do not have access to this list, and can’t see what other colleges you are applying to.
Once you have your colleges selected, the Common App automatically creates an easy-to-read table that contains every school on your list and their application requirements.
STEP 3: Submit your Common Application
Believe it or not, this is actually the easiest part of the whole process.
Once you have your application materials ready, submitting your college application is as simple as drag and drop. If you have everything prepared you won’t even need to leave the Common App website.
Applying to college can be expensive, but it would be a shame to not apply to your dream school due to the financial burden of application fees.
However, many universities have application fee waivers based on financial need.
Beyond the application fees, paying for college can be a daunting prospect at this stage of the college application process.
But don’t worry too much too far in advance, many colleges and universities are generous with financial aid, especially to those who apply before the priority deadline.
Pacific offers 20+ unique scholarships to incoming students that reward everything from academics to extracurriculars, or even simply attending a Senior Preview Day event.
So apply to that college or university without fear! Submitting through the Common App (except in cases of early decision) is nonbinding and can provide a wide number of options to choose from.
Do I need to submit my FAFSA at the same time as the Common Application?
With the recent changes in the FAFSA pushing the application start date to December 1, submitting your college application before you’ve sorted out financial aid can be worrisome.
But don’t worry, the FAFSA and the Common App DO NOT need to be submitted at the same time in order to qualify for merit-based scholarships through programs like early action.
That means that you can submit your application before Pacific’s first early action deadline (November 1) and get a decision and scholarship information before the updated FAFSA deadline.
This may mean taking out fewer federal student loans in favor of receiving greater scholarship funding.
For more information on the FAFSA and its recent changes, visit our FAFSA Myths Debunked blog post.
STEP 4: Get in touch with an admissions counselor
After you’ve submitted your Common App the wait can feel endless and lonesome.
So, what can you do if you have questions?
If you want to speak to an expert located on your prospective school’s campus then an admissions counselor is the perfect choice.
Not only can an admissions counselor help answer questions about any potential acceptances, but they can also help facilitate campus visits, put you in touch with faculty, and so much more.
Whether by phone, email, or in person, connecting with your admissions counselor is the best way to make the wait that much easier.
Our rolling application deadline is still open for fall 2024! Browse our application requirements and discover what it is like to be a Boxer.