Top Ten Common App Enhancements

Top Ten Common App Enhancements for 2016-2017

Every year, the valuable feedback you provide is transformed into new features for the Common App. Here are the top ten enhancements for the upcoming application. 

Enhancements to Application System 

1. Gender Identity. The label of the sex question has changed to “sex assigned at birth” with an information button letting students know that they'll have the opportunity to share additional details regarding their gender identity within the application. Once your students are in their application, they will see an added optional short answer question in the Profile section asking if they would like to share more.

2. Search for colleges by: application fee, writing requirements, test requirements, and recommendation requirements. These new options will appear along with the current and existing criteria that students can already search by.

3. Auto Save in the Application and Recommendation systems. System will actively save the open section every 90 seconds. Also, clicking “Upload” saves questions in the section the student is working in automatically. And while working on a long answer or essay, the Save occurs automatically if your student times out while editing a long answer in full screen mode.

4. Old and New SAT Tests. Your students can accurately self-report scores from both old and new SAT tests. They will be able to report scores from the SAT taken before March 2016 as well as tests taken in March 2016 or after.

5. Updated Citizenship. The U.S. Refugee or Asylee status added as an option under the Citizenship Status question and removed from the Visa question. Non-U.S. citizens will be asked to identify both the currently held Visa type, if applicable, and their intended future Visa type. Students will also have the option to select "I do not know which Visa I will hold."

6. Review and Submit tab: Now there are three separate links that can take students back to the three sections (Common App questions, College-specific questions, and Recommenders and FERPA). The Personal Essay requirement and link will appear when a college requires the essay but the student hasn't completed yet.

Enhancements to Recommender System 

7. Pre-populate School Report. Four new sections added to the Counselor Profile to help with pre-populating student forms -  Class Rank, GPA, Transcript, and International School (when applicable). As you complete these sections in the Counselor Profile, your answers will pre-populate each student’s school forms.

8. New Student Search Feature. You'll be able to use the search box to search for a particular student. The search box is a type filter, which filters as you type. You can enter any part of a student’s name, and the list will bring up only records that match the search criteria.

9. Enhanced Export to Excel. This function now includes a new tab in the Excel file to capture all colleges for all applicants. You will see their deadlines, form statuses, form requirements by college as well as teacher recommendations and statuses by college. The list can be easily sorted and filtered.

10. Greater Flexibility with Counselor Forms. You'll be able to access, complete, and submit the Counselor Recommendation prior to submitting the School Report.