What’s a Common App Test?

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The common application essay is a standardized essay that students can submit to multiple colleges and universities through a central application database. It allows students to demonstrate their writing skills and personal history, and some schools require it along with a supplementary essay. The system saves time and information, but students must complete the essay on their own without assistance.

A common application essay is an essay that a student can complete to satisfy the personal statement portion of applications to various colleges and universities. Students may submit this essay through a central application database that includes a large number of colleges and universities that agree to accept a common standardized application. Some schools require students to submit through such a common application system, while others allow students to choose between an application specific to a particular school and the common system. The common application essay can also be used when students fill out an application to apply to multiple campuses of a state college or university system.

The common application essay has a simple prompt that students must answer. The essay allows students to demonstrate their writing skills and also provides some insight into the student’s experiences and personal history. Often, the statement asks students to discuss personal matters, such as important events from their past, or why they want to pursue higher education. This information can be useful to an admissions committee as it assesses a student’s suitability for a particular educational institution.

Some schools accept a common application essay and also require students to complete a supplementary essay. When preparing college applications, it is important to carefully review all requirements, including all deadlines. If the school requires additional writing in addition to the common application writing, the deadline is normally the same as for the rest of the application, but the student may need to follow a separate procedure for submitting this as they must ensure that they only reach one College or University .

One of the advantages of using a regular application is that students don’t have to repeatedly fill out paperwork. If a student wants to apply to eight schools and they all accept a common application, he only needs to fill in basic demographics once and can focus on polishing the common application essay for use on all of his applications. The system also stores information such as letters of recommendation from instructors. If the student needs to apply or reapply to different schools, she can submit that information again instead of having to ask for a repeat letter of recommendation.

Schools often expect students to complete the common application essay on their own and may need to submit an affidavit swearing that they did not receive help. Assistance with the essay may disqualify a student’s application. Students who feel that their writing skills are not up to par can write some practice essays and ask for feedback to learn about what works and what doesn’t before sitting down to write their entrance essays. Some high schools offer workshops to help students prepare college applications.




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