Presented by Michelle Scharf, Transfer Center Director

Used by over 500 4-year colleges and universities around the
country and world – some of the most popular ones for IVC
students are Chapman, USC, Loyola Marymount, and NYU

One application goes to all participating colleges you want to
apply to

School forms must be printed and submitted for each school
you’re applying to: Secondary School Final Report (aka School or
Final Report), Mid-term Report, College Report (aka Registrar
Report)

Many schools also require a writing supplement

A fee is paid for each school you apply to – fees vary
 You can indicate you feel you qualify for an application fee waiver
 Ask a counselor to write you a letter explaining why and mail to
schools

You will need two websites for each school you apply
to:
 #1: The school website. Check this first! On the school
website, you will need to find the “Application Checklist”
which will have the following information:
▪ Application due date
▪ Specific school forms needed by that school (not all of the forms
may be needed!) - read carefully!
▪ Additional requirements such as a writing supplement, letters of
recommendation, specific school requirements, etc.
▪ For example, Chapman University, USC, NYU
 #2: The Common App website:
https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/Default.aspx
 Start a checklist of each school you will apply to and include their due
date, fee, what school forms they require, whether they want a
writing supplement, personal statement, letters of recommendation,
transcripts, SAT/ACT scores, and departmental materials
 Use the current version of your browser
 Disable popup blockers
 Once you create your username and password, you can start, save,
stop, and log back in – you don’t have to complete the whole
application in one sitting
If you need support, visit the Applicant Help Center:
https://appsupport.commonapp.org/ics/support/splash.asp
Find each college you
want to apply to –
these will go on your
Dashboard
You can click on the My Colleges
tab to see contact info, application
deadlines, and application fees.
Ignore the Recommendations
Required section – go with what
you find on the school’s website
for required forms. The Common
App is sometimes wrong!
Next, click the
Common App
tab. There are
6 sections to fill
out before you
are finished. This
information will
be sent to all
schools you apply
to. Anything with
a red asterisk *
must be completed.

Some confusing areas of the C.A.:
 Education
▪ Under Current or Most Recent College, you can put IVC
▪ For Advisor information, you can put me or any
counselor you’ve seen
▪ Under Colleges and Universities, indicate how many and
what colleges you’ve attended besides IVC. If none, just
put “0”
▪ Under Current Year Courses, count how many courses
you are taking in fall, spring, and summer and choose
that number. You will then list all classes you are taking
for the 2014-2015 year
From the Common App website (these are just suggestions, not prompts):

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps
you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to
know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Write an essay of no more than 650
words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your
limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don't feel obligated to do so. (The
application won't accept a response shorter than 250 words.)

This essay will be read by all schools you apply to

Feel free to recycle previous “personal statements” or essays you’ve already written

Essay video: http://www.bu.edu/admissions/apply/how-to-write-an-essay-that-gets-noticed/
Your Dashboard will
be home to the schools
you choose. Click on one
to work on that school’s
application. The yellow
dots tell you they have not
been submitted yet. Once
you submit an application
or writing supplement, the
dot will become a green
checkmark. Each application
and writing supplement is
submitted separately.
When you click on a
school, it should say
“Ready” by Common
Application. You just
have to answer that
school’s questions , assign
recommenders, and
do the writing supplement
if required. Click on the
links to complete these
steps.
For the Academic Evaluator, put the
person’s name and email address of
who you want to write you a letter of
recommendation. Then click the red
“assign” button. They will receive an
email asking them to log in, complete
an evaluation, write
your letter and submit it.
For the College Report (formerly known
as Registrar’s Report), print out the offline
form only if the school you’re applying to
lists it on their application checklist. Submit
it to the IVC Admissions office. You will be
asked to either include a transcript request
form or verification form along with it. That
is where you put the university name and
address.
If your recommender has trouble with
creating an account or logging on, or just
wants to submit a hard-copy letter/
evaluation, they can “opt-out” and submit
a hard-copy to each school you are
applying to.
Be sure to give them a stamped, addressed
envelope for each school.
Also, ask recommenders if they are willing
to evaluate you and write you a letter before
inviting them online. Then, give them at
least 2 weeks to complete the task. No one
likes being asked to write a letter at
the last minute!

Academic Evaluators will be asked
to rank you on the following:
academic achievement, intellectual
promise, quality of writing, creative
thought, productive discussion,
faculty respect, disciplined habits,
maturity, motivation, leadership,
integrity, reaction to setbacks,
concern for others, self-confidence,
initiative, and an overall rating.
They will then be asked to complete a
written evaluation and upload a
document.

This is one of the forms at the
bottom, under “Additional
Forms”. If your school asks for
a Secondary School Final
Report (formerly known as a
Final or School Report), then
you will need to print this out
and give it to your high school
to process. They will fill it out
and send it with your high
school transcript to each
college you are applying to.
You may have to print out
multiple forms if you are
applying to multiple schools.

Another form under
“Additional Forms”.
Print this out and take
it to each instructor
you have currently.
They will indicate your
current grade and sign
it. Mail a copy of this
form to each school
you are applying to
and keep an original
for you. Remember,
not every school will
ask for this form.
Once you are finished,
all parts of the application
should say “Ready”. Click
the submit button. A PDF
version of your application
will be created.
Review your application,
pay your fee (if not waived),
and sign.
Once you see the green
checkmark on the dashboard,
the schools you applied to
have access to your application.
You will submit your writing
supplement separately.

If you need to make changes to your application after
submission, you have to contact the college’s
admissions office to do so

If you apply to other colleges after you submit one
application, you can make changes and then submit
to another

Keep an eye on your email – check at least weekly

Don’t miss deadlines for documents such as
transcripts, school forms, letters of recommendation,
portfolios – it can cost you your admission!