DEFINITION of COLLEGE APPLICATION:
Whether a student applies Early Action I or II, Restricted Early Action, Early Decision I or II, Rolling Admission or Regular Decision, each of these plans requires completing a college application form.

There are two major types of applications:

The Common Application
In 1975, fifteen colleges who wanted to provide a standardized application for undergraduate applicants created The Common Application. Today, nearly 400 private and public colleges and universities make use of The Common Application, which is available online or as hard copy. In addition to the standard application form, many colleges also require students to complete college-specific supplemental forms.

A College’s Own Application
Many public universities (such as University of California, University of Michigan and University of North Carolina) and some private colleges (such as Georgetown University and Columbia University) have their own applications that students must use.

adMISSION POSSIBLE® TIP! One of the most important goals in your completing each application is to let a college know that you have carefully thought through your college list and that their college is a very serious choice. This should be the message to every college to which you apply, even those you think of as back-up schools. You never know when a back-up school will become a top choice.

FAQ #1: I have heard about a new application that’s supposed to be like The Common Application. Should I use it?

ANSWER: The Universal College Application (UCA) is a relatively new (as of 2007) application available to students, both online or as hard copy. About 80 colleges in the United States accept the UCA, which like The Common Application offers college-specific supplements. Should you use it depends on whether the colleges to which you want to apply use the application. You might also want to consider whether it’s worth adding a third type of application form to your application line up.