Now that you understand the big picture of the Common App (we highly recommend reading the first article in this series if you haven't already!), it's time to drill into the nitty gritty details.
You may wonder how to answer questions such as “What is your class size?” and “What is your student’s class rank?” while filling out the Common App.
Homeschoolers quickly discover many of the features and terms in the Common App are geared for students who have attended traditional schools. Even so, their goal of “access and equity” extends to homeschooled students as well!
Remember that you are the expert of your teen and their education.
In the Common App itself, your student can “invite” you to register for a separate Counselor’s Account to submit a form on their behalf. You will represent the high school (your homeschool) and put your student’s education into context. Confidently assume this role when questions about academic environment, school standards, and your student’s academic ability come up.
Whenever you see “Counselor”, that means you!
The Layout of the Common App
After signing into your account, you will be led to the Dashboard.
From the Dashboard you can navigate between different tabs of the application. In this article, you can dive into the details of each section of the application so that you can fill it out with confidence and ease.
Here's a quick guide to the sections we cover in this article. You can click or scroll to see all the sections: