2017-2018 Common App Changes

There will be a few changes to the 2017-2018 Common Application (photo credit: Daderot).

We previously reported on the change to the Common Application Personal Statement prompt for the 2017-2018 college admissions cycle. Common App. decided to bring back the “topic of your choice” prompt. We’re still applauding. It was the right move, Common App. You did good, you did good. But we figured we’d report on other, less significant changes coming to the Common Application for the 2017-2018 admissions cycle. So what else is changing, you ask?

Well, if you’re familiar with the University of California application, you know that students have to enter not only their senior year courses but all of their courses through high school. Even though all of this information can be found on a student’s high school transcript, students are asked to insert all of the tedious but super important information anyway. And now the Common Application is asking students to do the same. So all of a student’s high school courses (and grades) will now be entered into Common App. and all of this information can then be confirmed through the student’s transcript that is sent by the high school to colleges.

Another change? Students will now be able to invite folks into their Common App. accounts much like how high school counselors can have access. So if you want the butcher or local mechanic to be able to access your Common Application to review everything you’re submitting to colleges, your butcher and mechanic can now have easy access. Welcome, Peanut Gallery! Of course, private college counselors can now also get official access to a student’s Common Application but we won’t be asking for such access anytime soon. There’s no reason we can’t log in with a student’s credentials. Even though Common App. likely won’t be sharing with colleges who has access to a student’s Common App., call us neurotic but we don’t want official accounts. We work exclusively behind the scenes and we always will.

There are a couple of other changes coming to the Common App. for the 2017-2018 admissions cycle that we’ll write more about in the coming days but, again, the changes are insignificant at best.