Common Application Refresh Starts Today, 7/27, at 5pm Eastern
Application refresh dates. The system refresh begins this afternoon (July 27), which will conclude the 2022-2023 application season. The first-year application will close to applicants and recommenders at 5 pm ET on July 27, 2023. The transfer application will close to applicants and recommenders at 5 pm ET on July 28, 2023.
Account rollover. You can roll over your account on August 1. For more details about how account rollover works, reference the Solutions Center for frequently asked questions and tips in the application guide for first-year and transfer students.
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Common Application Rollover
Each year on August 1, Common App launches a refreshed application, including any new questions and new colleges. Students will need to sign in and refresh their Common App accounts for the new cycle.
For more details about how account rollover works, reference our Solutions Center for frequently asked questions and tips in our application guide for first-year and transfer students.
Application refresh dates. Mark your calendars for our system refresh dates, which will conclude the 2022-2023 application season.
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- The first-year application will close to applicants and recommenders at 5 pm ET on July 27, 2023.
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College Application Essay Coaching – Make The Most of Summer
Having read thousands of college application essays over the course of our careers as counselors, teachers, writing coaches, and admissions officers, the easiest explanation is that we just “know” when we read an effective essay. For a glimpse into our process and to read some of these essays, check out The Complete College Essay Handbook.
In our 1:1 coaching…
- We help students navigate the essay process efficiently and effectively. There’s no reason a student can’t go back to school in August/September with most of their essays completed.
- We help students uncover their unique stories and then guide them on how to get those stories onto the page in a clear, concise, and engaging way. Every student has a story to tell.
- We provide students with writing exercises, manageable deadlines, and encouragement as we guide them from points A to Z. You don’t need to be a “writer” to write winning application essays.
Summer is THE time to write college application essays—reach out to learn more about our essay process!
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Common Application ‘How To’ Videos via AXS Companion
As you open a Common App account and work on the base data, you might find the following videos (created by the CA ‘AXS Companion’) helpful:
Please note this section is NOT required for all colleges: Completing Courses & Grades video
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Summer Executive Function Intensive in NYC
For college students and soon-to-be college students based in NYC!
This intensive, two-day program will be in person in a small-group format and cover general planning, time management, study skills, reducing procrastination, accomplishing long-term assignments, routine building, self-care, and resilience. Please see the flyer below and learn more about Dr. Josephson’s practice here.
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The Most Common Graduation Advice Tends to Backfire
Following your passions can be a bad idea.
Sharing a great read as graduation month comes to a close and high school juniors and sophomores kick the college process into a higher gear.
Identifying potential passions means having the confidence to pursue what you truly enjoy or even what you think you might enjoy—sometimes, you have to just go with your gut! It also helps to explore interests in which you have some natural affinity but keep in mind that skills can be developed, it just takes time. Don’t pick an academic interest based on what you think society expects or, worse, what you think your parents want you to pursue.
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2nd Annual Break Into Law Conference
The Break into Law Conference is a free and virtual conference with a mission to help BIPOC, first-generation, and other marginalized students and professionals break into the legal field.
The conference will take place July 8 – 9, 2023, with a Law School Fair taking place on Saturday for prospective law school students and a Law Firm Career Fair taking place on Sunday for current law school students and recent graduates. Both days will also feature a Resource Fair for vendors.
In addition to the fairs, they will have 13 panels discussing topics ranging from Equity in Law School Admissions featuring Law School Admission Council Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Angela Winfield, Financing Your Legal Education featuring representatives from Penn Carey Law, AccessLex, and UT Austin School of Law, Understanding Federal Clerkships, Corporate Litigation, IP Law, and Sports Law, to practical sessions such as Interviewing and the Job Search led by Dean Lauren Jackson, Assistant Dean of Career Services at Howard University School of Law and Dean Akua Akyea, Associate Dean for Career Services at Cornell Law School.
All students (prospective and current) who attend the conference will also be eligible to enter to win a scholarship to help defray some of their law school costs. The registration link can be found at bit.ly/break-into-law.
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2023-2024 Common Application Essay Prompts
In case you missed it, Common App announced that the 2023-2024 essay prompts will remain the same. Past research shows that overall satisfaction with the prompts remains high among students, counselors, and member colleges.
They hope that by sharing the prompts now, students will have the time they need to reflect on their own personal stories and begin thinking about what they want to share with colleges. Now is a fantastic time to begin brainstorming for the Common App essay (aka the personal statement), especially if you have completed standardized testing or will be applying test optional.
We’ll be posting plenty of essay tips and related content in the coming months, so stay tuned! You can also check out The Complete College Essay Handbook.
If you would like a complimentary copy for your school library or counseling office (or for yourself) please write to us.
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The Two Most Important Letters in College Admissions
Could not agree more with Rick Clark’s recent post about institutional priority. It’s something we talk about a lot with families and that needs to be taken seriously in the college admissions process. Who a college admits is ALL about them and their needs.
If you are a senior, many colleges will release decisions in March. If you are denied from a selective college, my hope is you won’t question your academic ability or lose sleep trying to figure out what was “wrong” with you or what you “could or should have done differently.” IPs mean admission decisions do not translate to “We don’t think you are smart” or “You could not be successful here.”
Read more here!
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