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. 

Essay Prompts

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.

Supplemental Essays 

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. 

Why The Common App?

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.

Get Ready Class of 2026 

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. 

Good Luck!