I’m currently a junior and am looking to apply early action this fall. With my common app, do I submit my common app once and then it is sent to every school I want to apply to? Or do I send them each at a time? I’m asking this because I like some schools more than others, and I’d like to share my appreciation for some schools in the common app (not complimenting them so I can get a spot, but just kind of saying why I’m applying to that college). If common app sends out my common app to all of the schools at once then I feel like I can’t be specific in my common app essay.
You submit to each school separately. You can change your essay every time if you want (although I wouldn’t recommend that). Some schools have a supplement where you might be required to submit additional writing, sometimes a version of “Why {Our School}?”. That would be the better place to get specific about why you think that school is a fit for you.
Adding to the above point ^
It’s a little bit of both. There is a general information section that you fill out once with all your personal information, coursework, etc. But each school you apply to also has a supplemental, where they ask what your potential major may be, if you’re planning on full-time or part-time enrollment, if you plan to live on or off campus, etc. Then with each school you must submit the application separately.
As a junior you can make a common app account now. Common app accounts this year will roll into next year, so it couldn’t hurt to get started, fill things in, and get acclimated.
I think a college would not actually look very favorably on a common app main essay that talked specifically about them by name. They then KNOW you are tailoring for them, and assume you will do it for everyone else, too. If the college has a supplement (especially a Why X? essay), that is a great place to talk about why it is a fit.
I am not sure with the Common App as it is today whether you can create multiple versions. It is set up so you don’t have to, trying to make it easier to apply to more schools. But I assume there is a way to do it (there was on the old version). The two reasons my kids did extra versions were:
- The Common App Main essay for D1 didn’t look so great when she reviewed it after doing an EA app with it, and she wanted to tighten it up a bit. So she did the process available at that time to copy the app so she could update the essay with a better version.
- D2 wanted to re-order her activities (since they are supposed to be in order of importance) for the one tech school on her list, bumping up a couple of the tech activities. So she created a separate copy for that school.