Whether you’re using the Common App or the Coalition App, this checklist will help you stay organized, meet deadlines, and put your best foot forward—no matter the schools you apply to. Use it as a guide to track your progress and make sure nothing slips through the cracks.

General Tips for College Applications

Start Early. Give yourself at least 3–4 months before deadlines to avoid rushing. Early planning helps you keep track of deadlines, essays, and recommendation requests.

Research Each School’s Requirements. Not all colleges require the same documents (some need supplemental essays, portfolios, or test scores).  Double-check deadlines—Early Action, Early Decision, Regular Decision, and transfer dates vary from school to school.

Stay Organized. Create a checklist to track application status, deadlines, fees, and required materials. Both the Common App and Coalition App allow you to save schools to a dashboard for tracking.

Request Recommendations Early. Teachers and counselors need time to write strong letters. Give them at least 4–6 weeks and provide context about your goals and achievements.

Prepare Your Activities List Thoughtfully. Both platforms ask for extracurriculars, jobs, and leadership roles. Be concise, use strong action verbs, and highlight achievements or impact.

Proofread Everything. Typos and errors make applications look rushed. Ask a teacher, counselor, or trusted adult to review your essays and short answers.

Read your essay out loud. You’ll catch weird wording and clunky sentences better with your ears than your eyes.

Use Professional Email Address. Stick to your name or initials—not casual usernames. Check it regularly, as colleges often send updates this way.

Request Fee Waivers. If application fees are a barrier, request a fee waiver through the Common App, Coalition App, or directly with colleges.

Tips Specific to the Common Application

Familiarize Yourself with Sections. The Common App includes: Profile, Family, Education, Testing, Activities, Writing, and Colleges (for supplements).

Main Essay (Personal Statement). Required for most schools (650 words max). Choose a topic that highlights your personality, growth, and values—not just accomplishments. Talk about what lights you up. Got an obsession with mushrooms? Love editing videos? Fangirl over astrophysics? Let us in on it!

Activities Section. Limit of 10 activities. Prioritize quality over quantity. Use all 150 characters effectively to describe impact, not just duties.

Additional Information Section. Optional but useful for explaining special circumstances (health issues, family responsibilities, interruptions).

Supplemental Essays. Many schools ask additional short essays (e.g., “Why this college?”). Research the school’s programs and campus culture to tailor your response.

Recommenders and FERPA. You must sign the FERPA release, then invite recommenders through the system.

Common App’s School-Specific Questions. These may include intended major, scholarships, or residency. Answer carefully.
 

Tips Specific to the Coalition Application​​​​​​

The Coalition App was designed to support students from underrepresented or low-income backgrounds. Take advantage of its resources (like college planning tools and collaboration features).

Essay Options. Coalition also requires a personal essay (500–650 words). Prompts are similar to Common App but slightly more flexible.

Activities Section. You can list 8 activities (fewer than the Common App). Prioritize your most meaningful commitments and explain your role clearly.

Locker Feature. Unique to Coalition: you can upload documents, writing samples, videos, or projects to showcase your work. Use this if you have creative or academic projects beyond standard transcripts.

Collaboration Space. You can share your drafts with counselors, mentors, or teachers within the platform. Use this to get feedback and strengthen your essays.

College-Specific Questions. Just like the Common App, Coalition schools may have additional requirements or essays.

Final Application Submission Tips

Review Before Submitting. Use the “Preview” function on both apps to check formatting and errors. Once submitted, you can’t edit that college’s application.

Submit Early. Don’t wait until the last hour—servers often slow down on deadline days.

Check for Confirmation. Make sure you receive a confirmation email from the application platform and the college.

Follow Up on Supporting Materials. Ensure transcripts, recommendations, and test scores (if required) are received by the school.

Save Everything. Download and keep copies of your essays and application PDFs for your records.

And finally, take a moment during this process and say: “Whoa. I’m building my future.” That’s pretty cool. Maybe even snap a selfie for future-you.

Want help along the way? 💚

Email us: admissions@bennington.edu to get help.