COMMON APPLICATION GUIDE

Create an Account:  Log in at https://www.commonapp.org/ and create your account; your username is your e-mail address and you will create your own password.  Do not use your school email!  Keep this information handy!  

Add Colleges:  Once you are in your account, go to the tab “College Search” to select the colleges to which you are applying.  Type in the name of a college>return>click the plus sign next to the name.  Identifying these schools will place them on your dashboard (the first tab) and provide a quick summary of deadlines, completions and requirements.

Recommendations/Transcript Requests:  Before your counselor or your teachers can release your transcript or letters of recommendation, you must fill out the FERPA waiver to authorize this release to the schools you are applying to via Common App.  Click on the ‘My Colleges Tab’>click on one of your schools>Recommenders and FERPA>Complete Release Authorization.  This authorization only needs to be completed once, and will apply to all recommendations and transcript releases for Common App schools.  

Counselor and Teacher Recommendations- Your counselor and Council Rock teachers will be submitting their recommendations directly through Naviance.  Please see the directions on our website for requesting recommendations from these personnel.

Other Recommenders – If you are requesting a letter from a coach, pastor, Boy Scout troop leader or someone else not directly affiliated with Council Rock School District, invite them to write you a letter on your behalf through the link on this page ‘Invite Other Recommender.’

Begin the actual Common App: Go to the tab on your home page “Common App,” to open up the application.  There are six main sections of this application:  Profile, Family, Education, Testing, Activities and Writing. Any and all questions with red asterisks MUST be answered.  

1.  Profile  This section asks for your personal information, address, contact details, demographics, geography, language, citizenship, and common app fee waiver (if applicable).  
2. Family  List the contact information, education levels and occupations of your parents/guardians and your siblings.
3.  Education

1. Current School- Council Rock High School North, 62 Swamp Road, Newtown, PA 18940

CEEB Code:  392985.  

Counselor Information:  

Joe Demaio, jdemaio@crsd.org, 215-944-1326

Stephen Hrabyk, stephen.hrabyk@crsd.org, 215-944-1323

Abby Rogers, arogers@crsd.org, 215-944-1320

Bryan McKeever, bryan.mckeever@crsd.org, 215-944-1324

Lori Katz, lori.katz@crsd.org, 215-944-1322

Maureen Auerbach, maureen.auerbach@crsd.org, 215-944-1319

Cristina Rabayda, crabayda@crsd.org, 215-944-1327

2. Other Secondary Schools- List other high schools you may have attended.
3. Colleges and Universities- List any coursework you may have taken at the college level.
4. Grades- Graduating Class Size (approx.)=414, Class Rank Reporting-Select ‘None’. Cumulative GPA-released to you August prior to senior year, GPA Scale=4.0, GPA Weighting= Weighted.
5. Current Year Courses-List the titles of each of the classes you are taking in 12th grade, Scheduling system=Semester.
6. Honors- List any academic honors you may have received.  Include school honor roll; distinguished honor roll; National Honor Society (and other subject-related honor societies such as Spanish, Math, Rho Kappa, etc.); National Merit Commended/Semifinalist; National Latin/French/Math exam; AP Scholar/Scholar with Honors/Scholar with Distinction.  You have five slots given to you in this area.
7. Community-Based Organizations- List any organizations that have provided you with free assistance on your application.
8. Future Plans- Indicate your future plans if known.

4.  Testing  List any SAT, ACT, AP Exams and/or TOEFL tests that you wish to report. You may    be required to send an official report from SAT or ACT to verify these scores.
5.   Activities  List your activities in priority order—most important to you goes first; next most     important second; etc.  You have ten slots given to you in this section.  
6.  Writing The word limit for your essay is between 250-650 words.  Review the prompts below and compose a thoughtful essay answering one of the prompts.  Edit and proofread several times!  You can type your essay directly into the box, or copy and paste from another document.

A.  Writing Prompts 

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

B.  Additional Information This section gives you a chance to describe how COVID-19 has affected your academic, extracurricular or personal circumstances during the last couple of years.                                                                                                                                               C.  Visit the “Writing Supplement” section under each entry in “My Colleges” to access any additional essay questions for each school.  In general, these writing supplement questions are released on August 1st of each year.

VII. Courses and Grades- Some colleges require that you self-report your courses and grades. Make sure you have a copy of your unofficial transcript in order to complete this section.  

Review and Submit: After all of the sections on the ‘Common App’ tab and any additional writing supplements in the specific college under the ‘My Colleges’ tab have been completed, you will be ready to review and submit your application. Click on the ‘My Colleges’ tab>Review and Submit for the specific college.  In this section, you will be able to review a PDF of your application, pay with a major credit card or electronic check.  Finally, you must check off the affirmation regarding your application and sign electronically before submitting your application.  This must be done for each college to which you are applying.