How many colleges accept the Common Application?

The Common Application, which is accepted by more than 1,000 schools, including some colleges outside the U.S., helps streamline an essential part of the admissions process for students. Through the platform, first-time and transfer applicants can apply to multiple colleges at once.

Do most colleges accept Common App?

Not all schools accept the Common App. Colleges may require that you fill out their own application form or ask you to use another application system like ApplyTexas for Texas colleges.

How many total colleges universities accept the Common Application?

We're a community of over 1,000 colleges and universities dedicated to lowering the barriers to college access by streamlining the application process.

Why is Common App limited to 20 colleges?

The Common Application does indeed have a limit of 20 colleges, and that's intentional to encourage students to focus on applying to schools they're truly interested in attending. If you're considering more than 20, it's time to refine your list.

Why don t all colleges use the Common Application?

While a huge number of universities use Common App, there are some that prefer other portals or have their own application system. Generally speaking, religiously-affiliated universities and military schools do not use Common App. A few public or state schools also prefer to use their own admissions application system.

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Why does MIT not use Common App?

For other schools, such as MIT, which received over 33,000 applications in 2022, having an extra barrier to applying may help keep their application numbers manageable. Some schools want extra assurance that applicants are genuinely interested in their university and are seriously considering attending if admitted.

Is it bad to apply through Common App?

Some students worry that the Common Application may actually hurt their chances for acceptance. However, colleges and universities that accept the Common App sign a document stating that they will not favor the traditional, school specific application over other options.

Is 13 colleges too many to apply to?

Students and those who support them often ask how many colleges they should apply for. As with nearly everything in college admission the unsatisfying answer is, “it depends:” the answer could range between 5 to as high as 15. However, some students will only apply to one school.

Is 12 colleges too many to apply to?

In general, most students apply to between 8 and 12 colleges. This is a good range to aim for, provided that the applications you submit represent a broad variety of colleges. Ideally, you want to apply to at least two safety, four target, and two reach schools.

Is applying to 17 colleges too much?

Also, most students who apply to more than 15 colleges are applying to at least a few schools that they wouldn't want to attend. If you do the necessary research before you apply, you should be able to limit your list of schools to 15 or fewer.

Is 11 colleges too many to apply to?

The College Board recommends that high school seniors narrow down their application list to five to eight schools. It's okay to stray a little outside this range, but as a general rule of thumb you should aim to reach those numbers because sending more than ten applications can have drastic consequences.

Is 15 colleges too many to apply to?

There's no magic number for the number of colleges you should apply to, but there are some general guidelines. Apply to 5-8 colleges. If the schools you're interested in are extremely selective, then you may want to fill out more applications, but going over 15 isn't recommended.

Is UCLA on Common App?

As a part of the University of California system, UCLA participates in the UC application. This is the only way for a prospective student to apply to UCLA. The University of California system does not use the Common App.

Do colleges prefer Common App or their own application?

Most colleges who offer their own application will also accept the Common Application. These colleges typically do not have a preference which application a student chooses to submit, though I recommend contacting each college individually to ask if the admissions office has a preference of application type.

Do colleges see your Common App?

Please note that Common App is a not-for-profit organization based in the U.S. Any personal information you provide or we collect is transmitted to, and stored in, the U.S., and will also be shared with our member Colleges and Universities, at your direction, including in countries where laws may be less protective of ...

Does Common App tell you if you are accepted?

College decisions aren't released on the common application. Rather, admissions decisions are released in through each of the college's admission portals that you sign in using a username and password. Every year, students open up their acceptance letters in anticipation of the exciting outcome.

Is applying to 20 colleges bad?

Having a lengthy list of colleges is not necessarily a bad thing, but applying to too many schools can be both time-consuming and expensive. When it comes to application fees, cost can quickly add up. I would suggest aiming for a balanced college list, typically around 8-12 schools.

Is 7 colleges enough to apply to?

Narrowing the List. By the end of junior year, students should have five to 10 colleges under consideration. This allows for some flexibility in choice of major, career plans, and potential financial aid or scholarship options.

Is applying to 20 colleges a lot?

Even the Common Application recognizes this and only lets students apply to a maximum of 20 colleges. However, many students get around this by creating multiple Common Application accounts. But when it comes to making smart application choices, even 20 colleges is too many to apply to.

Is applying to 15 colleges enough?

We recommend applying to anywhere from 8 to 12 schools. If you are applying to the UC system then you might be able to increase this number, but the total number of individual applications shouldn't be anywhere above 15 applications.

Is 15 colleges enough?

Expert opinions on college applications

Similarly, U.S. News and World Report suggests a range of four to 15 applications. One thing pretty much everyone agrees on is there is no strict limit, and individual circumstances will influence your child's specific number of applications.

Is it OK to apply to 6 colleges?

If you're not sure where you stand academically (maybe you earn good grades but attend a large high school where it's difficult to figure out where you truly rank), applying to six or seven colleges with varying entrance criteria and different student body numbers may give you multiple options to determine best fit, ...

Is Common App worth it?

While these two systems maintain some popularity, the wide variety of essay prompts provided by the Common App and the vast number of schools that accept it make the Common App the preferable option for most first-year applicants.

How hard is the Common App?

While the Common App may seem like the most daunting piece of applying to college, it is, surprisingly, the simplest part of the process. It asks you questions about yourself that you actually know, like your name, address, phone number, etc. Do not hesitate to begin filling out the Common App.

Why is Common App so good?

Common App provides resources in English and Spanish for counselors and those writing recommendation letters. The Common App also has a variety of resources for applicants to help make the application process easier, such as financial aid and scholarship information.