Start Term for Common App

The Commonapp form only gives me the option for Fall 2020 which is for the September joinings. I’ve checked specific university websites and their timelines ask for applications in the month of November for EA and December to January for Regulars. Should I leave it blank and wait for Spring 2021 or does preferred start term not affect the application at all?

I’m guessing you’re a current junior thinking of applying for spring admission. The common app officially won’t open for you until August 1st. So you won’t be able to input term information until then.

You definitely need to put the correct start term. Only put in the one you’re applying to!!! Otherwise, the admissions officers will be looking at your app in the context of the term you applied to and you will be admitted/rejected to that, not whatever one you intend to enter. You can still fill out most of the information, I believe, and it will roll over at August 1st and you can enter the right term (though I think there are somethings that will not roll over to 2021 application, like essays).

@BarbaraCruz He can start filling out the common app portion, but not the individual schools yet. So he can fill out things like family info, his common app essay, testing info, etc.
The school portion will reset on August 1. The essay prompts provided for individual schools might also change so don’t have him start writing any of those essays yet unless you know 100% they will be used for next year.