How to Choose Between Common App and Coalition for College?

As Early Decision and Early Action deadlines begin to loom, high school seniors around the country are busy writing application essays, compiling lists of extracurriculars, and requesting letters of recommendation. Unlike back in the day when your application was a simple envelope sealed with spit and sent by snail mail, in today’s world, you can apply to multiple colleges at once and have your application information organized and stored at your fingertips. There are two primary platforms that facilitate this expedited process: the Common App and the Coalition for College. If you are pushing to meet an ED deadline or are just getting prepared and you don’t yet know which platform to use and why, read on!

The Common App 

The Common App is the tried-and-true college admissions management site that is accepted by over 900 colleges and universities, both foreign and domestic. Because it’s been around for so long, this is the software that many teachers and counselors are used to. If you are unsure of whether your school of choice accepts the Common App, you can search for it on their site (although the odds are in your favor that they will). For the most part, the Common App is going to be your go-to method for applying to college. 

Coalition for College 

The application platform Coalition for College, founded in 2015, is the new kid on the block: accepted by 137 schools for the 2021-22 admission cycle. This disruptor is focused on providing support for lower-income, under-resourced, and first-generation students. Colleges who accept this application must demonstrate institutional commitments to these students in the form of generous financial aid packages and support toward graduation. Many schools who now accept Coalition already accepted the Common App, so it’s important to know that your choice will not have any bearing on your admission decisions. You should choose what is best for you based on your college goals. Another important note is that there are some schools who accept the Coalition App, but not the Common App, such as University of Texas, Rutgers, University of New Mexico, and the University of Washington.  

Do Any Schools Not Accept Common App or Coalition?

The answer is yes! There are several well-known universities (mainly public schools) that provide their own online application services and platforms:

• Brigham Young University

• California State University (all campuses)

• Georgetown

• Loyola University Chicago

• MIT

• United States Military Academy (West Point)

• United States Naval Academy

• University of California (all campuses, incl. UCLA and Berkeley) 

Be sure to visit the websites of your colleges on your list, as well as check for them on the Coalition and Common App sites, in order to determine which type of application they will accept.

The Takeaway 

• Use Common App if you’re applying anywhere that doesn’t take Coalition.

• Use Coalition if all your target schools use the Coalition.

• Use either, depending on your preference, if all of your target schools accept both.

We hope that his post has helped you identify which college application platform to use, as well as clarified some key features. These are general recommendations and guidelines; if you have more specific questions, feel free to reach out to our team. We’d love the opportunity to help you or your student wherever they are in the college admissions process.