Why don’t they just simplify the CA prompts and say “send us any old essay of 650 words or less,” lol.
^^That’s pretty much what they did with the addition of #7!
First time through for me. The common app and the schools that accept it. Is it one of two options for applying, like there is the school’s own application or you can use the common app?
Also, I suppose that typically even if you use the common app, at many schools there are typically additional required applications, essays, etc. when you are applying for honors programs and scholarships?
Yes @LOUKYDAD, most colleges (but not all) require supplemental essays along with the Common App.
You have to go to each school’s website to see what they accept. If you are lucky, they’ll all take the Common App. Or you can look here:
http://www.commonapp.org/search-colleges
None of my D’s top four choices accept the Common App. She may or may not even fill it out!
It’s getting real, eek!
My daughter has already been warned that she is working on essays this summer, since six of her colleges are on the Common App. The others either don’t require essays or have the same essays year after year - ie, “why I want to be an XYZ”.
Anyone know when in general you can start filling out apps and applying? I know the FAFSA will open first part of October, but are there colleges that let you start applying as early as September?
oh no 
too soon!!!
@bearcatfan, I recently saw a student report on an ASU thread that they submitted their application 08/08, and received their acceptance 08/20. There are likely other big public schools with rolling admissions that open that early.
That’s six months away!! 
I highly recommend trying to get your kids to actually write those essays over the summer! My D15 made a half-hearted attempt, and it came back to bite her when she got mono in October of her senior year. I’m going to remind D18 of that!
Does anyone have a kiddo taking the ACT this weekend? My D is, but she’s got a performance Saturday night and rehearsals on Thursday and Friday evening. Not great timing.
FWIW, we are going to set an arbitrary deadline of Nov 1 for my D to submit her apps. Her sport really revs up around that time, and there’s no reason for her to procrastinate. That way if another school pops up on her radar later, it won’t be that big a deal to complete one more app.
“I highly recommend trying to get your kids to actually write those essays over the summer! My D15 made a half-hearted attempt, and it came back to bite her when she got mono in October of her senior year. I’m going to remind D18 of that!”
Yikes! One more reason to get it done early!
@ShrimpBurrito, November 1 is a good deadline because as I recall there are some schools that have that deadline for scholarship or honors college consideration I believe. (There were for D15 at least.)
@suzy100 My daughter is taking ACT with writing this Saturday. She is so excited to spend half of a Saturday at the high school, lol.
We have a list of colleges, so that part is settled. Some majors are self-limiting, such as direct-admit BSN programs within a certain distance from home. Luckily, she has about 10 that might make the list … I doubt we will add more.
This summer we will visit them all. Some are closer to home than others … one is in our town, which she is not thrilled with for a couple different reasons but, hey, it’s an option. I wish we had the time during the school year but it’s not possible right now. We may revisit a couple in the fall, but if her first choice admits her (it’s a state school with rolling admissions that is probably in match/safety territory) she has informed me that she will be DONE. 
My D is taking ACT this Saturday as well @suzy100 she’s been increasing her prep over the past week so I’m cautiously optimistic things will go ok. She already has one under her belt with a pretty good composite, but I’d like to see her raise her math and science scores up a bit so that’s her focus for this one.
I, too, have told my D to expect to spend her summer writing, either college essays, her IB extended essay, or most likely both! I have to admit it’s a little surreal to see those common app prompts come out and realize this is really happening this year! I liken the whole process to being on a roller coaster and it’s a bit like we’ve finished the long climb up the first big hill, we’re in the front car hanging over the top as the back slowly pushes us forward, and it’s that hang time, you can just see where you’re going but it’s a long way down!! AHHHHHHH! :))
@1822mom love it!! Lol
@suzy100 , my S18 is taking ACT this Sat too. He has a summer theatre audition right after, but that should be fine. Could not get him to do much ACT prep though. Wonder when the scores come back? I seem to remember ACT scores come back quicker than SAT.
Scores come back on the 22nd. Fast!
A few of the big state schools open up their apps in July, many more do in August and early September. Our older kids applied to the state flagship honors college sometime in late August and got responses in late September and early October.
Last year Pitt application opened in July.
My D in 2014 applied in August, as soon as school guidance office got back from summer break we sent transcript, and she was accepted by the end of August.
For all those interested the Questbridge College Prep Scholar applications opened today.