How to use common app
Prepare for gaining international grants or scholarships out side Egypt after finishing grade 12 by knowing well how to build your common app application and how to search for a good colleges and how to apply to colleges from my following video
https://youtu.be/NCp7J_eBZ4A
2. The Common Application (informally known as the
Common App) is an undergraduate college admission
application that applicants may use to apply to any of
517 member colleges and universities in 47 states and
the District of Columbia, as well as in Austria, France,
Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and United Kingdom.
What is the Common Application?
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3. The Common Application is a not-for-profit
membership organization that, since its founding
over 35 years ago, has been committed to providing
reliable services that promote equity, access, and
integrity in the college application process.
Why was the Common App created?
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4. Augustana College, IL * Knox College IL
Blackburn College, IL * Lake Forest College IL
Bradley University IL * Northwestern University IL
Chicago State University IL *School of the Art Institute of
Columbia College Chicago IL Chicago, IL
DePaul University IL * Trinity Christian College IL
Illinois College IL * University of Chicago IL
Illinois Institute of Technology IL * University of Illinois at
Illinois Wesleyan University IL Chicago (UIC)
What Illinois universities accept the
Common Application?
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5. There are over 500 member college and universities. The below list is a
small sample.
California College of the Arts CA
California Institute of Technology CA
DePauw University IN
Marquette University WI
Purdue University IN
University of Miami FL
University of Michigan MI
University of Notre Dame IN
Xavier University OH
Yale University CT
Valparaiso University IN
Harvard College MA
What other universities accept the
Common Application?
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6. Sign up for the Common Application
(www.commonapp.org).
Account Set Up:
Use your CPS email address.
Set up an easy user name and password.
Text yourself and save this info in a million places.
How do I begin my application?
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7. You can keep changing info until the minute
you submit the application. So don’t worry.
You can go back and make changes.
Any requirement with a red star over the
prompt is MANDATORY to fill in.
If you plan to apply for financial aid, you
need to add your SSN. If you don’t have one,
enter all 0s.
Overall Application
8. Remember, when you’ve completed one section or
college, a green check will appear. Your goal is to have all
green check in a college row by the time you submit each
individual college.
You will also see a variety of tips on the right hand side of
each part of the application. These are there to help you
should you have questions, or provide more information
based on certain answers or information that you
provided.
More Overall Application Information
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9. Once you get an account, you will see the Top Row for the
first time. The row includes from left to right-Dashboard, My
Colleges, Common App, College Search.
College Search is where you will start. You can search
colleges by name. You can search by location or type.
If you click on the blue name of the college, it will bring to
the college page with all vital statistics from deadlines, fees,
and required recommendations.
Go back to the college row, and you can add it to your list. It
will give you a chance to go to the Dashboard or back to
college info. There are also links to individual college
websites.
How to Navigate the Common
Application
10. The next tab left of College Search is the
Common Application.
This is your working document where you
complete your app.
You can have 10 versions of your application, but
only 3 versions of essays. So the ideal is to
work on one common application. Again you
don’t submit it until you’re ready.
How to Navigate the Common
Application
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11. My Colleges. Third from right.
This page lists each college of your list. When you
click on the college, it will provide core information
about college in center. To the left, it will list the
status of Questions, Recommenders, The Common
Application, and if required, Writing and Arts
Supplements.
A green check will appear if a section is completed.
You can click on each to complete the section. You
can also track when recommenders have submitted
their materials. If the Common Application is
completed, Preview and Submit will appear. You can
begin the submission process here.
Application Navigation
12. Just left of Common Application is the Dashboard. This is
where you see the status of each application you have in
progress.
You will see a row for each college with Deadlines.
Common Application and Writing Supplement. If there is a
green check you have submitted that section.
You can click on that check and get to the date submitted
and PDF of your application or supplement.
A yellow dot means you have started the process but not
submitted.
A red dash means a section is not required.
Dashboard
13. The Common Application now has several sections you must
complete. You will work on each one and you can go back
and forth between sections. You can track the sections on
the left.
Individual Information
Family Demographics
Educational Information
Testing
Activities
The Essay
Additional Information
The Common Application Sections
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14. Individual Information-This where they track your address and
demographics. You will need to show your languages spoken and
demographics. This is up to you. They now ask you to identify where
each of your parents was born.
Family Demographics-They ask you to identify your living arrangements
and identify your family members. This will prepare you later for
financial aid. You will need to add your parents’ education. This is
confusing if your parent has a graduate degree. You will need to put
college, and then enter the number of colleges and graduate schools.
They will pop up when you enter the number.
Individual Information and Family
Demographics
15. Educational Information- This is where you provide your
academic history. You need the date of your graduation as well
as your GPA and class size. Honors go in this section. You can list
up to 5 honors. You cannot move their order around.
Testing-The Common Application is not only asking you to report
how many times you took particular tests, but it is also requiring
you to add your scores for each one. These responses are
mandatory, according to the Common Application. But
remember, the contract of testing is between you and the testing
organizations—The College Board, the ACT, not with the
Common Application. So you can opt not to report data here. No
matter what–You must send your official scores directly from the
College Board or ACT to the colleges to which you are applying.
Educational Information and Testing
16. • Visit: CPS Family Connection (Student Login)
• Log into Family Connection with your CPS email address and
password
• Match your Family Connection account to your Common
App account (once in Family Connection, students need to
click on the "Colleges Tab" and "Colleges I'm Applying To."
The directions state to enter Common App email and birth
date but that may not appear, so students need to manually
reenter all schools they are applying to. Once that appears, it
will merge them.)
• Use Family Connection to send your transcripts to colleges
you've applied to.
HOW TO request to have your Transcript,
ACT, Recommendations, and Fee Waiver
Sent
17. • When you choose a school to add to your list, a gray
box will appear.
• The grey box instructs you to REQUEST TRANSCRIPTS
• ALL transcripts requests INCLUDE the following: fee
waivers, ACT scores, AND transcripts!
• The counselors receive alerts through their account
and will send the appropriate information to the
schools / The Common Application.
• CONFUSED? Don’t be! If you are still unsure, please
visit your counselor for clarity.
Continued
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