The Common App and US college applications
The Common App is an online application accepted by more than a thousand colleges, most of them in the United States. It holds your details, activities and main essay in one place, and each college adds its own questions.
When it opens
The Common App resets each year on 1 August. The 2026-27 application opened on 1 August 2026 for students starting college in 2027. You can create an account earlier and carry most information over.
What goes in
The shared sections ask for personal and family details, education history, test scores if you choose to report them, an activities list of up to ten entries and the personal essay. Teachers and your counsellor submit recommendations and a school report through the same system.
The essay
The 2026-27 Common App has seven prompts, unchanged from recent years, and the essay must be between 250 and 650 words. The final prompt lets you write on any topic. The prompts are broad by design. Readers are trying to learn something about you that the rest of the application does not show, so a specific, small story usually works better than a summary of achievements.
Supplements
Many colleges add their own questions: "Why this college?", short answers about community or intellectual interests, or a list of books. These are often the place where applicants lose marks through generic answers. Read the college's course catalogue and pages for the department you are interested in, and write about real features.
Deadlines and decision plans
| Plan | Typical deadline | Binding? |
|---|---|---|
| Early Decision (ED) | 1 or 15 November | Yes, you must attend if admitted |
| Early Action (EA) | 1 or 15 November | No |
| Restrictive Early Action (REA) | 1 November | No, but limits other early applications |
| Early Decision II | Early to mid January | Yes |
| Regular Decision | 1 or 15 January | No |
These are common dates, not universal ones. Each college sets its own. ED is binding: if you are admitted you must withdraw other applications. International students who need financial aid should think carefully before applying ED, because you commit before you can compare aid offers.
Tests
Some colleges require the SAT or ACT, others are test-optional, and a few do not consider scores at all. Policies have changed several times in recent years and differ by college, so check each one. Non-native speakers usually need an English test as well. See SAT and ACT and English language tests.
Financial aid for international students
US federal aid is not available to most international students. Aid comes from colleges themselves. A small number of colleges meet full demonstrated need for international students. Many offer merit scholarships, and many offer little or nothing. Look for each college's net price calculator and its stated policy for international applicants, and check whether applying for aid affects your chance of admission there.
After admission
Admitted students who accept a place pay a deposit, then receive a Form I-20 from the college. The I-20 is used to apply for an F-1 student visa at a US embassy or consulate.
Related: personal statements and essays and applying abroad step by step.