Common Application

Common Application
Name	Common Application
Type	Nonprofit association
Founded	1975
Headquarters	United States
Services	College admission application processing

Contents

Common Application The Common Application facilitates undergraduate admission to multiple colleges and universities through a single online form. Institutions such as Harvard University, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, Yale University and Princeton University participate alongside public systems like the University of Michigan and private colleges like Amherst College, Williams College, Pomona College and Swarthmore College, impacting applicants from regions including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, London and Beijing.

Overview

The platform aggregates application elements used by institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University, Brown University, Duke University and University of Pennsylvania to streamline processes originally handled by organizations like the Commonwealth College Board and modernized by entities including The College Board and Educational Testing Service; applicants from locales like Boston, San Francisco, Houston, Toronto and Seoul rely on its web system and member policies. Administrators at schools such as University of Virginia, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University and Cornell University integrate Common Application data with enrollment systems from vendors such as Ellucian, Banner, Slate (software) and Hobson's.

Early cooperative admission efforts trace to consortia including Ivy League initiatives and regional coalitions such as the Association of American Universities; the Common Application emerged amid policy debates involving leaders from Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University and Yale University and technical contributions influenced by teams with ties to MIT Media Lab and firms in Silicon Valley. Expansion phases involved partnerships with organizations like National Association for College Admission Counseling, grants from foundations such as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and regulatory interactions with bodies including state higher education boards in California, New York and Texas. Major software redesigns involved vendor collaborations referencing standards from IMS Global and practices adopted by campuses like Dartmouth College, Georgetown University, Vanderbilt University and Emory University.

Typical elements accepted by member campuses such as Barnard College, Smith College, Mills College (now part of Northeastern University), Haverford College and Bates College include personal information, family data, school reports, counselor recommendations, teacher evaluations, and a core essay; additional materials mirror requirements from programs at Juilliard School, Rhode Island School of Design, US Naval Academy, West Point and United States Military Academy Preparatory School. Standardized test reporting interfaces interact with providers like College Board (SAT), ACT, Inc., and credential services used by Common Application member offices to receive transcripts electronically from vendors such as Parchment and Scribbles.

Membership covers selective universities such as California Institute of Technology, Rice University, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Notre Dame and liberal arts colleges like Grinnell College, Oberlin College, Kenyon College and Bryn Mawr College; each institution sets policies on fees, waivers and interviews influenced by organizations including National Association for College Admission Counseling and state higher education agencies in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Policy debates have involved leaders at Princeton University, Harvard University, Stanford University and state university systems such as California State University and University of California regarding application caps, fee waivers, and priority deadlines.

Critiques arose from stakeholders at institutions including Harvard University, Yale University, Stanford University, MIT and Columbia University over issues such as application inflation, demonstrated in analyses by researchers at National Bureau of Economic Research and coverage in outlets like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal; concerns about equity involved advocates from NAACP, ACLU, The Education Trust and think tanks like Brookings Institution. Data privacy and security incidents prompted scrutiny from regulators in California under the California Consumer Privacy Act and discussions with law firms and cybersecurity firms advising campuses including University of Texas at Austin and University of Florida.

Category:College admissions