Over 900 colleges in the United States use the Common Application. Each year, the Common App works with admission directors at US post-secondary institutions to ensure that each university has access to the information that will help them make admission decisions.
On May 12, the Common App released its decision to include a COVID-19 question for the fall 2021 application, allowing students an optional opportunity to comment on their COVID-19 experience, both academically and personally. This will help put the pandemic in a personal light for each applicant. American colleges hope this statement will help them to understand each student’s individual circumstances. The question can be up to 250 words and will be in the Additional Information section of the Common App.
The question applicants will see on the Common App will be:
Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces.
- Do you wish to share anything on this topic? Y/N
- Please use this space to describe how these events have impacted you.
Direct from the Common App website:
“The question will be accompanied by a more detailed FAQ to help students consider the kinds of impacts they may wish to report, including illness and loss, housing and employment disruptions, and shifting family obligations.
The new language will not replace the current Additional Information question inviting students to discuss circumstances and qualifications not reflected elsewhere in the application. That question, along with its 650 word limit, will remain.”
Additionally, counselors will be allotted room in their Common App counselor forms to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on their school communities. The following optional question will be located within the School Profile section:
Your school may have made adjustments due to community disruptions such as COVID–19 or natural disasters. If you have not already addressed those changes in your uploaded school profile or elsewhere, you can elaborate here. Colleges are especially interested in understanding changes to:
- Grading scales and policies
- Graduation requirements
- Instructional methods
- Schedules and course offerings
- Testing requirements
- Your academic calendar
- Other extenuating circumstances
Your students will have a similar space in their application to share how these events have affected them personally.
The updated Common App will be available online August 1, 2020. If you want to learn more about how to approach these questions, make an appointment with your consultant or writing coach.
