Small Ways to Make a Big Impact on Your Common Application

The Common Application officially opens each year on August 1st, and we have a ton of tips for ways to maximize your application and ace the application process.

Major Matters. We often hear from colleges that they’re looking for students who have specific academic interests and pursue them outside of the classroom. You can read more about this in our blog post about “pointy applicants.” Essentially, you want to be sure that if you apply to be a business major, your application shows intentionality with that choice. Are you checking the box because business majors “make a lot of money,” or have you pursued business-related activities, have goals associated with that specific major, and sound reasoning for why you want to study it? A few key areas to highlight your specific major of interest:

• Academic Program: Almost every college will ask you which Academic Program you are interested in. Some colleges read exclusively by major and the major you choose can have a great impact on your admissions decision. Other colleges don’t make admissions decisions based on your major of interest but do look to make sure that your chosen academic program makes sense within the context of your application. Did you get a C- in Chemistry? You may not want to select Pre-Med. Have a slew of extracurricular activities that speak to an interest in Computer Science? The admissions committee may raise an eyebrow if you apply as a Sociology major. It’s important not to lie – don’t try to backdoor your way into a college by picking what you think is a less competitive major. However, some majors are indeed just ultra-selective and a similar, adjacent program might be a safer option. It can be helpful to have a third party (like your Premium Prep counselor!) review your application and help you figure out what major or program makes the most sense within the context of your accomplishments.
• Future Goals: This question, buried at the bottom of the Education section, can feel like a throwaway, but you should use it to your advantage to show genuine interest in your chosen area of study! Be sure that whatever career field you choose aligns with your major choice, and don’t be afraid to say you intend to earn the highest degree in your field (MBA, JD, etc.). Pro Tip: If you select “Other” for Career Interest, a text box will populate, allowing you to elaborate on your career goals. This gives you 100 additional characters to explain what you hope to do after graduation. If you have clearly defined goals in mind, this can be a great place to share those.
• Supplemental Essays: We’ve written at length about how supplemental essays can be even more important than the personal statement. They’re your chance to demonstrate interest, show you’ve done your homework, and elaborate on why that specific university is the right fit for you. This includes the major or school you select! Again, make sure that if you are writing about an intended major, program, or research interest in your supplemental essay, the rest of your application matches those interests.

Test Scores. The landscape of standardized testing is constantly changing. Some schools are still operating with a test-optional or test-blind admission process, while others have transitioned back to requiring them. Additionally, many colleges have slight nuances in their test score procedures. Some colleges allow for students to self-report their test scores, while others require official scores sent from CollegeBoard. If you plan to apply test-optional to all of your colleges you can skip the Testing Section of the application entirely. But you may also decide to send your scores to some schools and not others. Pro Tip: You can change your answer to the first question of the Testing section (“In addition to sending official score reports as required by colleges, do you wish to self-report scores or future test dates…”) to ‘yes or no’ depending on the school you’re submitting to. Before hitting “submit” to each school, simply change your answer to this question. If you select “No”, your responses to the rest of the questions will disappear. If you change your answer back to “Yes,” everything will have been saved and will repopulate!

Activities Section. The activities section is often a huge missed opportunity for students when completing their applications. Many do not use the space to their advantage. You only get 150 characters in the Description section of each activity, which is barely a few sentences. You’ll want to be sure that you’re specifying your specific accomplishments within that space, rather than discussing the club as a whole. Additionally, don’t waste precious characters with “I” statements. It’s perfectly fine to abbreviate and condense. A few examples of how to maximize this section are: