Navigating the Common App Changes for 2024-2025: What You Need to Know

It’s almost June, and you know what that means!

Yep, it’s time to dive into the latest updates to the Common Application that students will see starting Aug. 1, 2024!

This past week, I attended a webinar hosted by the Common App to learn what to expect from the Common App experience during the 2024-2025 application season. (If you want to see what changed during 2023-2024, check out this blog.)

Whether you're a pro at navigating this application or it's your first rodeo, you’re going to want to read about noteworthy news from last year, what’s staying the same, and the changes that will be coming — they’re definitely worth noting.

Let's break it down together.

More Colleges Than Ever Are Accepting the Common App!

First things first: The Common App has now surpassed 1,000 member institutions, and more are expected to be included on the Common App.

What’s great about this is that more schools on the Common App mean less work for you — less time spent filling out the same information over and over again and more time to focus on the things that really matter.

According to the most recent stats, approximately half these colleges don’t charge an application fee, which is good news for the wallets of both students and parents.

And More Students Than Ever Are Using It

Last year, students submitted applications from more than 200 countries and territories. This year, the Common App saw a 7% increase in unique first-year applicants (totaling 1.4 million students), with those students submitting a whopping 9.4 million applications (an 11% jump from last year).

Reminders About Account Rollover

For those of you who started early (and kudos to you!), the Common App will remain open for first-year applicants through July 28 at 5 p.m. ET. (Transfer students: The Common App for you will go offline July 29 at 5 p.m. ET.) It will roll over and then open back up on Aug. 1.

Good news: Your username and password stay the same after account rollover.

Wondering what else rolls over? Here’s the scoop:

• College lists. You can choose to roll over your entire My Colleges list, or you can select only certain colleges to roll over.
• Answers on the Common App tab (profile, family, education, testing, activities, writing, courses and grades).
• Advisor invitations.

Remember that not everything will roll over. Anything on the My Colleges tab (aside from the list itself) won't roll over. This includes college-specific questions (including supplemental essays), FERPA release authorization, and recommender invitations.

Financial Aid Tab Enhancements for Clarity

The Financial Aid tab got a makeover to make things clearer and highlight scholarship opportunities better than ever before.

Fraud

When students create their Common App account, they must agree to the Common App’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. That’s nothing new.

Also new this year is an updated fraud policy. The Common App defines fraud as intentionally providing false or misleading information in your application — think fake transcripts or essays that aren’t your own work (looking at you, ChatGPT). When students submit applications, they will have to affirm that their work is their own.

Make sure to also review the Common App’s fraud policy, and check out these FAQs for students and recommenders. Remember, honesty is always the best policy!

Here’s more information about how the Common App defines fraud and how you can report it: Common App fraud allegation form.

City Year Joins the First-Year Application

Joining the Common App this year is City Year — a fantastic organization that lets students spend a year of service working with schools and communities — is now part of the first-year application process. If you're passionate about making a difference while gaining valuable experience, this might be right up your alley. You can read more about them in this Common App blog.

Redesigned College Info Pages

When the Common App relaunches in August 2024, the college info pages will be redesigned and aimed at making navigation more intuitive. Related content will be grouped together with clear deadline dates (no more confusion between U.S. vs Europe date formats!). Application requirements will be organized in accordions for easy scanning.

Transfer Application Updates

For transfer students, revised high school graduation status choices now clearly include GED or equivalent attainment options under Academic History. Personal Information section updates include additional Household questions and reordering Other Information sections for clarity.

Supporting Information has also been tweaked to clearly include Honor Societies alongside traditional Honors categories.

Direct Admissions Initiative

Here’s something exciting: The Direct Admissions initiative provides proactive admission offers from partnering institutions specifically targeting first-gen and low/middle-income students.

Once you submit your application and the school validates your info, you'll receive an official offer if you’re eligible. Check out more details here.

Interactive Tools Are Coming!

Explore colleges using an interactive map view with expanded filter options like:

• Public/private
• Enrollment size
• Campus setting
• Merit/need-based aid
• Specialized mission
• Test-optional

You can also get a PDF export of college lists, view college profiles, and view virtual tours and image galleries.

And if you want to see an interactive map of all Common App colleges, they’ve got you covered!

Resources for Students

On the Common App website, you’ll find links to tons of resources, including video tutorials for students on topics like:

• First-year application walkthrough
• Transfer application walkthrough
• Approaching the activities section
• Breaking down the essay prompts
• Recommender system walkthrough
• Answers to frequently asked questions

You’ll also be able to access REACH Pathfinder — a map resource to assist students with identifying college fit and navigating the college admissions process.

What ISN’T Changing

Not everything is changing, thankfully. Here are some parts of the Common App that will remain as is this year.

Essay Prompts Remain Unchanged

Good news for those who’ve already brainstormed their essay topics — the prompts remain unchanged this year! Here's a little insight as to how applicants used them last year:

• Topic of your choice — 28%
• Facing adversity — 22%
• Personal growth — 20%

(No, schools really don’t care which essay prompt you answer — so pick the one that feels right to you!)

With Google Drive integration available to pull in essay content directly, getting started is easier than ever.

What Else Is Staying the Same?

Also not undergoing any changes this year are:

• The activities list
• The optional COVID/community impact essay

Help Is Still a Click Away

If you find you need Common App assistance, their 24/7/365 support offers help when you need it, including on topics like:

• FAQs
• Known issues
• Contacting support
• Writing requirements resources
• Application PDFs

You can also email appsupport@commonapp.net with questions.

The Family Resources page and the First-Year Student page of the Common App website also include tips for families to help their students along the journey to college.

While not associated with the Common App directly, the AXS Companion is a great resource for students and parents who have questions on how to complete the Common App.

So there you have it—a comprehensive guide to navigating the Common App changes for 2024-2025! Remember to stay true to yourself throughout this process — after all, authenticity will always shine brighter than any polished façade. Good luck on your journey — I’m rooting for you!

Ready to dive into your Common App? Start exploring now, or reach out to me for personalized essay coaching to make your application truly shine!