How to ApplyI’m not going to give you a complete runthrough of CommonApp - that would take way too long and it’s been done to death in other sources. But hey, if it turns out you actually want that - let me know and it’s something I may consider! Instead, I’ll give you the key information you need to know.
Firstly, where do you apply? Most US Universities are on two main platforms; the
CommonApp and the
CoalitionApp. The CommonApp is the most popular out of these two, so I will be referring to fields on this form in this post. However, some universities (such as MIT and the UCs) aren’t on CommonApp and have their own application portal.
The main “Common App” section is mostly self-explanatory, though there are a few parts that I would like to cover just for clarity.
Education -> Colleges & Universities:It is unlikely that as a student in the UK you would have taken any coursework at a university. Check “0” here.
Education -> Grades:- “Graduating Class Size” - The approximate number of people in your year at school.
- “Class rank reporting” - At most UK schools, you should check “None”.
- “GPA Scale reporting” - Select “None”.
Education -> Current of Most Recent Year CoursesMost UK schools have 3 terms, so you should select “Trimester” as your school’s scheduling system.
Education -> HonorsHere you can put anything such as subject awards you have received from your school, or any certificates you have received from academic activities (such as olympiads or UKMT).
Testing -> Tests Taken“ Is promotion within your educational system based upon standard leaving examinations given at the end of lower and/or senior secondary school by a state or national leaving examinations board?” - Answer “Yes” to this question.
Testing -> Senior Secondary Leaving ExaminationsI’ve seen a bit of conflicting information on this. I know of people who included their GCSEs in this, but when I was applying I was instructed to put “0” in this field, as my A-Levels were the only things that should count.
Writing -> Personal EssayThis is your main essay, but it is a mistake to think of this in the same way as your UCAS personal statement. US universities want to get to know about
you, not just your academics. The prompts give you some helpful ideas on what you can write about. Try to tell a story of personal development or reflection. What you really want from this essay is for the admissions team to know about
you as a person, not as a student. Development and overcoming a challenge is something that’s great if you have such a story. If not, think about what you really want the admissions team to know about you and how you can turn it into an interesting story or essay within the word limit.
Now that you’ve filled that in, it’s time to add some universities! Navigate to the “College Search” tab, and enter the name of the university you wish to add. Click the “+” icon just to the left of its name, and it will be added. You can add as many colleges as you would like.
Next, navigate to the “My Colleges” tab. This is where you will answer questions that each individual university has set for you, add recommenders, and submit your final applications. The main thing to note here is the “Recommenders and FERPA” tab in each university’s area.
Click the box that says “Complete Release Authorization”. You will then get a box asking if you wish to waive your FERPA rights. FERPA allows you to see what your recommenders have written about you. However, universities know that you can see this. As a result, they may not take your recommendations as seriously because you would have had the ability to pick and choose recommenders who were more favourable to you. I would strongly advise that you
waive your FERPA rights. This means that you will not be able to see what your teachers have written about you - universities will know you have waived these rights and will take your recommendations more seriously which will be more favourable to you.
Now that’s done, you can invite your recommenders! Firstly, you’ll want to invite a Counselor. They will submit a general reference for you, as well as a copy of your transcript and a report on the school’s info. Generally, this will be the same person who handles the UCAS applications at your school.
Next, add your teachers. You can choose any teachers to write a recommendation for you, but it is in your best interests to ensure they know you well. It’s always great to pick a current teacher if you can. When you add a teacher to CommonApp, they are added to your profile, which means that you don’t have to invite them for every individual school. You can also add many teachers to your profile, and pick and choose which university each teacher’s recommendation goes to. Keep a lookout at the requirements of each individual school; as some may require one reference from a STEM teacher and another from a Humanities teacher or some other specific combination - although this won’t show on CommonApp so you’ll have to check their website to find out!
I’d like to give one final piece of advice regarding this:
Be yourself! US universities are very good at seeing straight through people just saying what they think the university wants to hear, and doing so won’t do you any favours. US Universities are looking to build a well-rounded class, so by being true to yourself you may find that you meet criteria that nobody else does; which will help you in the admissions process! Universities don’t want unhappy students, and their admissions team knows the university better than anyone else - they will be making sure that the university is truly a good fit for you, as well as you being a good fit for them, and they can’t do this if you aren’t true to yourself in your application. It’s better to be rejected from a school than to be admitted and unhappy because it wasn’t right for you.