What Is Common App?
The Common Application (commonapp.org) is a single online platform that allows students to apply to multiple colleges using one shared application. You fill in your academic history, activities, essay, and demographics once — then add each school as a "college" and pay that school's individual application fee.
Some schools require additional essays or information through Common App's supplemental section. Some also require you to complete a separate university portal (like STARS or SPARK) in addition to Common App — this is extra work, but required.
Common App opens August 1, 2026. You cannot start your application before that date. Use June and July to prepare all your content offline (essays in Word, activities list in a spreadsheet) so you can enter everything quickly once August arrives.
Common App Sections — The Core Application
SECTION 01
Profile
Basic biographical info, contact details, citizenship, demographics. Takes 10–15 minutes. Complete this first.
SECTION 02
Family
Parents' education and employment. Helps schools understand first-gen status and family background.
SECTION 03
Education
School info, GPA, class rank (if available), AP courses, honors. List all AP courses — this section matters a lot.
SECTION 04
Test Scores
Self-report SAT scores. Official scores must be sent directly from College Board. Do both.
SECTION 05
Activities (10 max)
List up to 10 extracurriculars ranked by importance. 150 characters per description. Draft these offline first — character limits are tight. Tennis should be #1.
SECTION 06
Writing (Personal Essay)
650-word personal statement. Choose one of 7 prompts. The most important part of your application. Start drafting in June.
SECTION 07
Recommenders
Invite teacher recommenders and school counselor through the platform. Do this by August — they need time.
SECTION 08
School-Specific Supplements
Each university has its own supplemental questions in Common App. Complete these for each school added to your list.
Activities List — How to Do It Right
The activities section allows up to 10 entries. Each entry has: activity type, position/leadership title, organization name, description (150 characters), hours per week, weeks per year, and whether you plan to continue in college.
Her suggested activity order
- #1 — Tennis (Varsity): "State qualifier; county, district, regional team champion. 4-year varsity player, 20+ hrs/wk during season." — This is her single most distinctive activity.
- #2 — AP Research / AP Seminar (if listed as activity): Capstone program shows independent research. Or put Engineering Club #2 if more relevant to major.
- #3 — National Honor Society: Note any leadership role (officer, etc.).
- #4 — Engineering Club
- #5 — Science Honor Society
- #6 — Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society)
- #7–10: Community service hours, any jobs, summer programs, independent projects, or other involvement
List activities in order of importance to you, not chronological order. Admissions readers spend about 10–15 minutes per application — your most impressive activities should be at the top where they're seen first.
School-by-School Requirements
University of Florida (UF)
EA Deadline: Nov 1, 2026
Common App — Required. Add UF to your school list. Complete all required fields. REQUIRED
Personal Essay — 650 words. One of the 7 Common App prompts.
UF Supplemental Essay — Short essay ~250 words through Common App supplements. Why UF + why your major. Be specific.
STARS Portal — Create account at admissions.ufl.edu. Self-report transcript (GPA, AP courses, grades) and test scores. Separate from Common App. REQUIRED
Official Transcripts — Request from East Lake HS counselor to be sent directly to UF.
Official SAT Scores — Send from College Board to UF (school code: 5812).
2 Teacher Recommendations + Counselor Report — Invited through Common App. Aim for science/STEM teachers.
Florida State University (FSU)
EA Deadline: Oct 15, 2026 (FL residents)
Common App — Strongly preferred. Add FSU to your school list. STRONGLY PREFERRED
Personal Essay — 650 words (same as UF).
FSU Supplemental — FSU-specific prompts in Common App. Research current prompts at admissions.fsu.edu.
STARS Portal — Same STARS system as UF. Self-report transcript and scores. REQUIRED
Resume Upload — FSU strongly prefers a one-page academic/activity resume uploaded with your application. Prepare this in advance. STRONGLY PREFERRED
Official Transcripts + SAT Scores — Sent from school and College Board. FSU code: 5219.
University of Central Florida (UCF)
EA Deadline: Oct 15, 2026
Common App — Recommended. Add UCF to your list. RECOMMENDED
Personal Essay — 650 words (same essay works).
UCF Optional Essays (3 × 250 words) — Why UCF; why this major; one extracurricular. Write ALL THREE. Write all — not truly optional for strong applicants
SPARK Portal — Create account at admissions.ucf.edu. Self-report grades and test scores. Separate from Common App. REQUIRED
Burnett Honors College Application — Separate application at honors.ucf.edu if she wants to apply to Honors College.
Official Transcripts + SAT Scores — UCF code: 5233.
University of South Florida (USF)
Rolling admissions — apply early fall 2026
Common App — Accepted. Add USF to your list. ACCEPTED
Personal Essay — 650 words (same essay).
Judy Genshaft Honors College Application — Separate application at usf.edu/honors. Her profile is an excellent fit. Apply here too.
Merit Scholarship Deadline — Jan 15, 2027. Apply to USF before this date to receive merit scholarship consideration.
Official Transcripts + SAT Scores — USF code: 5828.
Key Dates at a Glance
- August 1, 2026 — Common App opens. Create account immediately.
- August (asap) — Invite teacher recommenders through Common App. Give them the full summer to write.
- September 30 — All FSU and UCF materials should be essentially done. Final review week.
- October 1, 2026 — FFAA scholarship opens. Apply immediately.
- October 15, 2026 — FSU Early Action deadline + UCF Early Action deadline. Submit both
- November 1, 2026 — UF Early Action deadline. Submit
- November–December — Submit USF (rolling). Apply to Honors College.
- January 15, 2027 — USF scholarship consideration deadline.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Waiting until August to start writing essays — start now in June
- Forgetting to complete STARS (UF/FSU) and SPARK (UCF) — these are separate from Common App and required
- Not sending official SAT scores from College Board — self-reporting in Common App is not enough
- Asking teachers for recommendations too late — ask by August 15 at the latest
- Submitting without proofreading — one grammar error stands out, multiple are disqualifying in impression
- Skipping UCF's "optional" essays — they are expected from strong applicants
- Not uploading a resume to FSU — it's "preferred" but treated as nearly required
- Forgetting to verify Bright Futures service hours before submitting — you need 100 documented hours