Common App vs. Coalition App—which one should I use?

When applying to private colleges in the US, most colleges offer their application on either the common app, coalition app, or both! So, which one should you use? 


The basics: 

  1. The Common Application (https://www.commonapp.org/) partners with over 900 institutions that students can apply to. Applicants begin by creating a profile with all their basic information and write the infamous college app essay, a 650-word personal statement in which students address one of seven different prompts to choose from. Depending on the colleges students choose to apply to, there may be additional supplemental essays or responses for each additional college application. 

  2. The Coalition Application (https://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/) partners with over 150 insitutitions that students can apply to. The Coalition Application has a focus on helping students apply for strong financial aid packages and has application fee waivers built into the platform. The Coalition Application also has applicants complete a profile, as well as craft a 500 to 650-word personal statement that addresses one of five different prompts. 



Main differences between each platform: 

  1. The Common Applications allows applicants to write about 10 different extracurricular activities while the Coalition Application limits it to 8. However, the Coalition Applications offers more space to describe each activity. 

  2. The Common Application does not allow students to directly upload media or additional information (pdfs, graphics, etc), unless the college creates their own section in the application or requests for students to submit through third-party platforms. On the other hand, the Coalition Application allows students to upload media through their “locker” feature. 

  3. The Common Application limits students to 20 colleges, while the Coalition Application does not have a limit. 

  4. The Coalition Application allows applicants to add additional users to their accounts to check their work, such as teachers, counselors, etc. The Common Application does not have this feature. 



Note: colleges do not have a preference for whether you apply through the common app or coalition app. 



Good luck with your application process—and make sure to start early! 

Rebecca WuRebecca Wucollege, college advice, college applications, common student questions