April 21, 2025
The Common App, the college application platform used by more than 1,000 colleges, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. With this milestone, The Common App will reveal a new design when it opens for the Class of 2026 on August 1. According to The Common App, there’s been a significant redesign of the form to make it more welcoming and supportive. These changes include new navigation features, with a left-side menu to help students understand what they have completed and how much work they still need to do.
Because of the upcoming changes, we encourage rising seniors to wait. It is tempting to start filling in The Common App early; however, the information entered for individual colleges will be lost in late July. And with changes in the main application design, it is best to wait until August 1 to start entering information into the application. At Class 101-Dayton, our seniors will celebrate Senior Week, August 4-8, 2025, by coming together to begin The Common App with our college planners standing by to answer any questions.
In February, The Common App announced that the essay prompts for the 2025-2026 application season will remain the same as in previous years. There are seven prompts. At Class 101-Dayton, we turn our focus from the prompts and toward the student, encouraging students to share their unique voice. For that reason, we only look at prompt #7 as students begin their essays.
Common App Personal Statement Prompt #7
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
Students can spend too much time debating if prompt #2 or #5 is more compelling or worrying about keeping the first draft to 650 words. Prompts and word counts can stifle writing. A first draft should be messy; rewriting is an essential part of crafting the personal statement. So is listening to feedback from readers who want to help you: family, teachers, friends, or mentors.
Yes, there’s more. Many colleges ask “why major?” or “why this college?” questions. Students should start notes this summer to help them craft specific and personal answers.
There are two additional, optional supplementary questions on The College App. The existing prompt on “community disruptions” that was launched during the pandemic is changing to ask about “challenges and circumstances.” This answer will be 250 words maximum. In the 2025-2026 application, answers to the existing “Additional Information” question will be reduced from 650 words to 300 words maximum.
Although the application is still unique to each school, The Common App platform offers a single place to complete and submit applications. The Common App also integrates with the counseling platforms of many high schools, including SchooLinks, Naviance, Parchment, and Scoir (new integration in 2025-2026). These tools help students request transcripts and letters of recommendation to be sent from their high school. The Common App also integrates with Slideroom, the online portal used by many colleges to collect art portfolios from applicants.
There is more to do before jumping into The Common App. Summer is a great time for rising seniors to visit colleges, research majors, draft essays, and polish the resume. These important tasks create the best foundation for a successful application season.
April 21, 2025
During our Summer Power-Up, students pave their path to college with dedicated support, guidance, and tools from our Class 101-Dayton team. This opportunity encourages students to make the most of their summer. As with all Class 101 programs, we adapt this to the needs and goals of each individual student. Class of 2026: The Power-Up […]
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March 17, 2025
Free Seminar – Open to the Public – Seats are Limited As high school seniors graduate and enroll in college, we know there are many details to discuss–from roommates and housing to academic placement and advising to 529 funds, healthcare power of attorney, and insurance questions. Join us on Sunday, April 13 from 1 to […]
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February 26, 2025
Class 101-Dayton assisted the Class of 2025 in applying to more than 170 colleges and universities in 33 states and the District of Columbia as well as institutions in Japan, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. A number of factors help our students define their college lists: location and geography, the student’s college fit preferences, family […]
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