Happy (Early) August 1st — AKA Common App Day!

The 2026-27 Common App is officially live tomorrow! Unlike last year's big visual overhaul, this cycle is relatively quiet in terms of changes, which is actually good news. It means if you've been doing any prep work over the summer, you're in great shape and nothing has shifted under your feet.!

A fun headline worth knowing: Georgetown University is FINALLY accepting the Common App for the very first time this cycle. If Georgetown is on your list, you'll find it in the dropdown today alongside 1,000+ other schools, though their supplemental essays are still required regardless.

If you already have an account, your username and password, college list, and answers to your Common Application questions have rolled over. Just note that college-specific question responses, recommender invitations, and your FERPA release authorization do NOT carry over, so hold off on those until you're fully set up in the new cycle.

While the Activities Section and Personal Statement are the most important and time-consuming pieces of the application, here are some tips on the first three sections to get you started:

Profile:

• If your family is applying for need-based aid (filing the FAFSA), you'll need to list your social security number, and this might be your first time ever needing to know it!

• Feel free to answer questions about your race/ethnicity honestly, knowing that colleges are unable to view these answers. It's also perfectly fine to leave them blank.

• If you speak or are proficient in languages other than English, make sure to list all of them; you can specify your proficiency level for each.

• Make sure you're using your legal name, exactly as it appears on your transcript. If you have a chosen name or nickname, there's a space for that too.

Family:

• Sit down with your parent(s) to fill this section out together. You'll need accurate details about their current occupation as well as their complete educational history. List ALL colleges attended, including transfers or schools where they didn't complete a degree, plus all graduate institutions and degrees received.

• If you have stepparents or other guardians, provide as much detail as possible. Better to over-explain your situation than leave anything out.

• Don't forget to list ALL siblings: younger ones and those already in college.

Education:

• Self-report your GPA as accurately as possible. If you're unsure whether it's weighted or unweighted, ask your school counselor. Same goes for class rank, or whether your school ranks at all.

• List ALL classes you'll be taking senior year, including electives. If your schedule isn't fully finalized, put in your best estimate and update it if anything changes.

• If you're taking dual enrollment courses (college classes offered outside your high school, including at a community college) don't forget to list those under "Colleges Attended."

  
  

My number one overall tip: double-check the accuracy of every single detail. I once had a student realize after submitting that his birthday was entered incorrectly. Have at least one parent or guardian review everything before you hit submit. A second pair of eyes is always worth it.

Good luck this application season!