Which College Application Should I Use?
Today's high school parents may not know that there are three national college application platforms:
The Coalition Application: (free to create an account, but each school may charge you a fee to apply - one personal essay) check each college for individual requirements. https://blog.wordvice.com/coalition-application-schools-in-us/
The Common Black College Application: (free to create an account, and a one-time application fee of $20 covers all colleges on the app - no common essay) check each college for individual requirements. https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/common-black-application/
The Common Application: (free account, but each college may charge a fee to apply - one personal essay) check each college for individual requirements. https://blog.prepscholar.com/which-schools-use-the-common-application-complete-list
Each serves a finite (<200) group of schools.
Some schools on those shared application platforms still have additional information required to complete your application. Please check every individual school’s website for instructions on how to complete their application fully.
Some state school systems also use a proprietary state application through which you can pick several institutions within the system to apply to.
And some colleges and universities, usually private ones, have a proprietary application to be filled out solely on their website.
Keep track of which application each school you select will need to submit, the deadlines, fees, and any additional essays or supporting documents they require to complete your application. Here’s a free worksheet you can use to get started.
College Comparison Spreadsheet
