You have an important role to play in your student’s journey to college whether or not you’ve been to college yourself.Â. Students who come from highly educated, affluent families have different circumstances and experiences compared to students whose parents did not attend or graduate college. The cost of college can be daunting. Then we noticed that the Common Application asks if parents are divorce, and what the divorce date was. The Common Application will not ask applicants about their sexual orientation or gender identity. If your child is someone who requires structure and guidance, offer to help. Work on your Common Application during less congested hours. Be sure to check out some of CollegeVine’s blog posts on other aspects of the Common App: Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Does this mean they will already have this information, so she doesn't need to comment? We'll send you information to help you throughout the college admissions process. While the premise of the Common App is simple, it generates a lot of questions. For the Common App, you'll need to reflect on what you have learned from your activities and how they have helped you develop. We know you might have a lot of questions. For example, if one or both of your parents are immigrants, have low-paying jobs, or don’t speak English as their first language (or at all), colleges want to know, because it indicates that you have faced greater obstacles than some other applicants. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we see from families about applying to college. So why exactly do colleges want to know about the rest of your family’s education? Common Application Answers. Info Box Common App alerts Pease click here for more information about the announcement that Common App is removing the discipline question starting in the 2021-22 application year. You’ll also be asked whether these relatives are living or deceased. However, you have an army of advocates who want your child to go to college and are ready to advise you. You still need to have a strong profile comparable to other admitted students for top-tier schools. I printed out the common application for college and one of the questions asks the applicant where his siblings went to school. See how your profile ranks among thousands of other students using CollegeVine. If you have started working on the Common Application, you may be wondering about the Family section, which asks several questions about your parents and siblings, including if and where they attended college. For Household, you’ll need to enter who you live with and the marital status of your parents. We support a centralized or "common" online application system for more than 800 colleges and universities worldwide that enables more than 1 million students - a third of whom are first generation - to apply to college. Think in broad or general terms when selected form the list of occupations, since a parent’s specific job may not be available as a choice. His father got married to a woman who has three kids older than my son and the first one behaved in a delinquent fashion and didn't go on to college. These parents are also more likely to understand the importance of application boosters like extracurricular activities and summer programs, and may be more able — and willing — to pay for them. The Common App will no longer ask college applicants to share whether they got in trouble in high school as part of its standard application process. First-generation college students often enjoy a slight boost in their application because of the difficulties they may have faced in applying to college. If you have some holes in your application due to family circumstances, this section may even help explain them. Therefore, colleges may grant more leniency to students who come from families with less educated backgrounds when evaluating grades, test scores, and extracurricular involvement. You may add siblings, half siblings, or step siblings only. It isn't part of a financial aid section, just the general applications. If you need to enter more than five siblings, please use the Additional Information section, located in the Writing section. No other college application system matches the diversity of institutions accessible through Common App, which is why more than 1 million students, counselors, advisors, and teachers rely on us every year. Family responsibilities come in many forms and can be permanent or temporary. Please click here for information on the wildfires impacting California, Oregon, and Washington State. The family organiser can use their own device to approve or decline the request. This may include contact information, high school coursework, honors and awards, list of extracurricular activities, application essays, and test scores (fun fact: the Common App superscores your ACT® test results). However, the Common App actually has several other sections designed to collect more directed information about the applicant. As with your parents, this information is gathered for demographic purposes. Most of these advocates – school counselors, community mentors, advisors, and college admission and financial aid officers – will offer their advice freely and generously, so don’t be afraid to reach out and use their expertise.Â. It is important to understand the applicants’ backgrounds in order to evaluate their applications fairly and contextually. With nearly 900 member colleges and only one application, Common App is comprised of a rich and diverse membership – colleges that are public, private, large, small, secular, and religious. The prompt allows students to write about just about anything they find extremely important in their lives. Help students understand how to apply for financial aid and scholarships, Understand the difference between different types of financial assistance, Learn about application fees and fee waivers, Provide tips for finding scholarship opportunities. Congratulations! Admissions officers are going to be particularly interested in seeing how you have been involved in leadership positions and that you have dedicated a significant amount of time and energy to your activities. Please click here for information on the wildfires impacting California, Oregon, and Washington State. Not only is the Common App a major time saver, you can use your account to collect all the materials required to apply to college. No other college application system matches the diversity of institutions accessible through Common App, which is why more than 1 million students, counselors, advisors, and teachers rely on us every year. Colleges are looking to gain insight into your background and circumstances. Regardless of whether or not you’ve been to college yourself, you have an important role to play in your child’s journey to college. Many colleges collect this information for demographic purposes even if you are an adult or an emancipated minor. College is about defying expectations, breaking the mold, and finding yourself. If you record your parents as divorced or widowed, you will also have the option of including stepparents’ information, but are not required to do so. Why should I consider using the Common App? Additionally, some schools weigh legacy status more heavily than others. We've got answers. Info Box Common App alerts Please click here for more information about the announcement that Common App is removing the discipline question starting in the 2021-22 application year. The Common Application (informally known as the Common App) is an undergraduate college admission application that applicants may use to apply to any of more than 800 member colleges and universities in 49 states and the District of Columbia, as well as in Canada, China, Japan, and many European countries. College application guide for first-time students applying to college with Common App. It says: "Please list both parents below, even if one or more is deceased or no longer has legal responsibilities toward you. FAQ About the Race/Ethnicity Section of the Common Application, A Guide to the ‘Demographics’ Page of the Common Application. The first topic choice in the Common Application asks about your background or identity, so if you have a meaningful story to share, this is an excellent place to do so. First, with its many moving but interconnected parts, applying to college is complex. Discover schools, understand your chances, and get expert admissions guidance — for free. These percentages nearly match my experience as a counselor, with the exception of Prompt 2 (very few of my clients write about failure) and Prompt 4 (more than 10 percent of my clients write about solving problems). Furthermore, students whose parents did attend college are likely to have a better understanding of the admissions process, which in turn gives their children better insight into what admissions committees are expecting from them and their applications. Common Application Mistakes to Avoid 1. That doesn’t mean, necessarily, that you shouldn’t answer them but understanding the ramifications if you do are important. There are four sections that you’ll need to fill out on the Family section of the Common Application: Household, Parent 1, Parent 2, and Siblings. Please click here for information on the wildfires impacting California, Oregon, and Washington State. Second, every student advances towards college at his or her own pace. After-school and Sunday afternoons are the Common Application equivalent of rush hour. "Member feedback shows there are strong and differing opinions regarding both keeping the question 'common,' and for leaving the decision on whether and how to ask the question up to individual members," the Common App's statement said. Otherwise, why do they ask? She dreams of having a dog. Here are a few tips for families to help their students along the journey to college. Below are a few easy-to-use resources that we've put together to help families support their students through the college application process. Think carefully about leaving out your parents’ information. Understanding Application Fees & Fee Waivers, Applying for scholarships with Scholar Snapp. These sections ask you to list information such as the education levels and occupation levels of your parents, siblings, and stepparents. Start by downloading the resources below. Earlier this year, the Common Application organization broke down 800,000 unique applications from last year. If that it is the case, select “I have limited information about this parent” under the first question in each parent section, “Parent 1 type” or “Parent 2 type.”. You may want to make your story the subject of your essay. We will ask for your parents occupation, employment status, and education level. This information also offers greater insight into students’ applications. It is worth noting that development cases don’t refer to applicants who simply come from affluent families. With Ask to Buy, when kids want to buy or download a new item, they send a request to the family organiser. Calculate your chances at your dream schools and learn what areas you need to improve right now — it only takes 3 minutes and it's 100% free. I am a Navy brat who was born in Japan, but I am not Japanese. The Common Application asks some other demographic information about your parents, but only requires you to include their marital status relative to each other and with whom you make your permanent home. The activities section is one of the most important parts of your application, particularly if you are applying to very selective colleges. Because first-generation college students often have fewer resources available to them during the application process, as well as throughout their high school experiences, admissions committees evaluate their applications differently. Consequently, I asked Scott Anderson, the director of outreach at The Common Application, Inc., to field some of the issues that students often encounter. Family: This section is where you’ll answer questions about your household, your parents, and your siblings. Please click here for information on the wildfires impacting California, Oregon, and Washington State. Our Why College Matters page can help explain the value of a college education – and so can an array of other advocates like school counselors, teachers, principals, advisors, coaches, community mentors, and college admission and financial aid officers. Info Box Common App alerts Pease click here for more information about the announcement that Common App is removing the discipline question starting in the 2021-22 application year. Many colleges collect this information in the Family section for demographic purposes. This is because colleges want to reward family loyalty, as well as encourage donations, which parents and grandparents are more likely to give if their children and grandchildren continue to attend their alma mater. Since they are looking for a diverse freshman class, they want to know the percentage of their students whose parents attended college, as well as the general background of the incoming class. How should I discuss college with my child? Keep in mind that if you are a legacy at a particular school, your admission is not guaranteed. However, your legacy status is really only likely to make a difference if you are a child, grandchild, or sibling of an alum, with your parents’ alumni status offering the greatest impact on your application. The Profile section also includes the Common App’s fee waiver request form, which you can learn more about on the CollegeVine blog in our post How to Receive a Common App Fee Waiver. Here is his essay: Charlie's Common Application Essay Avoid Admissions Deadline Traffic Jams. How does Common App work? Common App members, of which there are more than 800 -- including all eight Ivy League institutions -- may still request this information as part of a supplementary process. However, a sibling’s legacy status is less impactful than a parent’s or grandparent’s. How can I help my student understand how to pay for college? It also enables students to stay on top of deadlines and manage school-specific tasks – without leaving our system.Â. Info Box Common App alerts Pease click here for more information about the announcement that Common App is removing the discipline question starting in the 2021-22 application year. The main reason that applications ask this question is to give admission officials a bit more insight into where you’re coming from. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. An email sent by the Common Application to its members Tuesday noted that they were split on the issue. She lives in Brooklyn, New York and works as a freelance writer specializing in education. You can also visit the paying for college section of our site for links to even more resources. It can be particularly confusing to families who are encountering college for the first time. Learn about application fees, fee waivers, navigating financial aid, and how to find scholarships. For example, if a child wants to buy an app, the family approver can see the app … Use this resource to empower your student as they take this important step and reach higher. Many students who apply to these schools have top GPAs and test scores, so extracurricular activities are one of the best ways to differentiate yourself from the rest of the applicant pool and make yourself stand out as an exceptional candidate. Going in, many students already know that the Common App will ask them to list the standard components of a college application: grades, test scores, extracurricular activities, and personal statements. However, a legacy status may be a deciding factor in the case of a borderline candidate. Some schools, particularly private, top-tier colleges, give students with these statuses an extra edge. How Do You Calculate it? extracurricular activities and summer programs, Reporting Honors and Awards in the Common App, How to Fill Out the Common App Activities Section. If you sense that your child is reluctant to talk about college, try to discover why. Why should my student use the Common App? My son is applying to national universities around the top 20 level. The scales are tipped even more in the applicant’s favor if both of her parents attended a certain college. The Common Application asks some other demographic information about your parents, but only requires you to include their marital status relative to each other and with whom you make your permanent home. Charlie chose this option because his atypical family situation was a defining part of his identity. My son self-identified as white on the app, but I want to be sure to give accurate information. If you cannot find the occupation or category, select “Other.” If a parent is retired, choose the occupation she had while working, and choose “retired” under the employment status heading. The Common Application (Common App) is a non-profit membership organization representing nearly 900 diverse institutions of higher education.We connect applicants and those who support them to a wide array of public and private colleges and universities across all 50 U.S. states, and 20 countries. If you have a particularly compelling story about your parents’ education, you may want to expand on it in your essay, if it relates to the topic you have chosen or in the additional information section. Next, the application will ask you information about each parent, including name, country of birth, occupation, and education level. Info Box Common App alerts Pease click here for more information about the announcement that Common App is removing the discipline question starting in the 2021-22 application year. (Note: The Advisor role does not allow users to complete and submit forms.) Knowing where a student’s family members attended college can also be used to determine whether or not she is a legacy or development case. The Common Application asks some information about your siblings in addition to your parents. Please click here for information on the wildfires impacting California, Oregon, and Washington State. As with your parents’ education, colleges want to know your parents’ occupations for demographic purposes. Here's how you can help your student plan ahead. There are few cases in which their information will hurt your application, and in many cases, it may help it. Examples might include engaging in the following several hours every week: Caring for your children; Supervising a younger sibling Common App is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to access, equity and integrity in the college admission process. This also provides some insight into your background and circumstances. However, most colleges won’t report ranges of donations or exact figures that influence admissions decisions. The Profile section asks you to provide some basic information about yourself and the institution where you work. Colleges request a large amount of information from applicants, and we simplify the process by collecting much of that information in one place. Whether your child will be the first person in your family to go to college or your child comes from a long line of college graduates, there are two truths about the application process that cause apprehension for families. If your child has a proven record of following through with responsibilities and obligations, that trend will likely continue throughout the preparation and application process. If you have an older sibling you attended a college to which you’re applying, this may also provide a hook in the admissions process, giving you a slight boost. Start your search today by exploring all the colleges that accept Common App. How involved should I be in my child’s college preparation and application process? A legacy student is technically any relative of an alum. It might be that your child believes that college is not for them, or they aren’t aware of the many opportunities it might offer. A development case refers to the child or grandchild of a major donor to the college. These resources will help teach students about fee waivers, financial aid, and the different scholarship options they have. I'm filling out the common application and I'm currently on the family section. The software grinds … Here's what you need to know as a parent or guardian to help them get over the finish line. Being a legacy or development case also offers you a hook in the admissions process. Why Does the Common Application Ask Where my Parents Went to College? You can create more than one application. For starters, colleges are using this information for demographic purposes. Join thousands of students and parents getting exclusive high school, test prep, and college admissions information. The information is not generally mandatory unless it is needed to assess eligibility for an educational opportunity program (such as financial aid). Development cases have an even stronger edge in the admissions process. Read more to learn about the 5 most important things to do. You are not required to fill out any of this information if you don’t have it or don’t wish to do so. No matter where you come from, or how much money your family has, I want you to know that you can succeed in college, and get your degree, and then go on and build an incredible life for yourself. In other words, when they evaluate your grades, your writing, and, especially, your SAT or ACT scores, it’s helpful to know about the intellectual climate in which you (presumably) live. And, if you need additional help with Common App, please contact our solutions center team for 24/7 application support. College vs. University: What’s the Difference? For many parents and guardians, particularly those who have not been to college, it's difficult to know where to start. (For this question, you have the option of listing a guardian, that you are the ward of the court or state, or other if you do not live with either or both parents.) 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