Common App Online:
Agenda
This presenta,on looks at the processing life cycle of a student’s
applica,on – from registra,on to submission.
The CAO
2011-‐12 Common Applica,on Registra,on
Objec5ves
• Learn about func,onality
and flow within the CAO
• Go through the applica,on
process from an applicants
perspec,ve
Naviga,on Submission
Login Screen
Login Screen
h=p://www.commonapp.org
Students register by clicking
Crea5ng a New Account
Inline help menus address commonly asked ques,ons. Registra,on
instruc,ons reinforce that accounts are
valid for the current admission cycle only.
Crea5ng a New Account
Students can give colleges permission to contact them. This elec,on can be changed at any ,me by going to Account seMngs.
Crea5ng a New Account
Students can give colleges permission to contact them. This elec,on can be changed at any ,me by going to Account seMngs.
Instruc5ons
Students are taken to the main Instruc,ons page upon comple,ng the registra,on process. A brief video offers an overview of the
Naviga5on Menu
The naviga,on menu appears on
the leP side of the screen.
Students can move through the
applica,on by clicking through
each of the sec,ons.
GeFng to the Search Engine
By clicking on Search for Colleges on the leP-‐hand naviga,on menu, the student is brought to the Simple Search page.
The Search Engine
On either the Simple Search or the
Advanced Search, entering in search criteria and clicking on the
The Search Engine
On either the Simple Search or the
Advanced Search, entering in search criteria and clicking on the
buSon… brings the user to the Search Results screen.
The Search Results Screen
From here, schools can be mapped…
The Search Results Screen
From here, schools can be mapped…
Comparing Schools
Clicking on the buSon from the search results screen allows students to compare up to three different ins,tu,ons.
Clicking on the categories at the top (e.g. Admissions) will display different sets of relevant data.
Adding a College
To add a school, check the box next to its name and click on Add to get to the My Colleges screen.
Adding a College
The QuickAdd feature allows you to bypass the search screen if you know the school name.
Adding a College
The QuickAdd feature allows you to bypass the search screen if you know the school name.
Clicking on a school op,on that appears in this list will ac,vate the QuickAdd
My Colleges
To view school informa,on…
My Colleges
To view school
informa,on… click on the school’s name – the info at the boSom refreshes.
The Common Applica5on
APer searching for and adding colleges, the user moves on to the Common Applica,on itself, beginning with the Future Plans sec,on with
Data Suppression
Some colleges may elect not to receive certain informa,on, even if students include that informa,on as part of their applica,on.
“Suppressible” items include:
-‐SSN -‐Self-‐Reported Tes,ng -‐Religious Preference -‐Discipline Informa,on
Required Ques5ons
Throughout the Common Applica,on, applicants will come across required ques,ons which will be marked in bold and gold.
Error Messages
When students decline to answer required ques,ons, a
system message is
displayed at the top of the page leMng the user know which ques,ons have not been answered successfully.
These ques,ons are also highlighted in the form itself.
Dynamic Ques5ons
While naviga,ng the Common Applica,on, take note of ques,ons with dynamically-‐displayed content. When an applicant selects one answer…
Ci,zenship Status (Demographics):
Dynamic Ques5ons
While naviga,ng the Common Applica,on, take note of ques,ons with
dynamically-‐displayed content. When an applicant selects one answer… new ques,ons pursuant to that answer will appear dynamically.
Ci,zenship Status (Demographics):
CEEB Codes
The CEEB code look-‐up feature populates school informa,on to the Common Applica,on automa,cally.
CEEB Codes
The CEEB code look-‐up feature populates school informa,on to the Common Applica,on automa,cally.
CEEB Codes
The CEEB code look-‐up feature populates school informa,on to the Common Applica,on automa,cally.
Prin5ng and PDFs
Students can check their progress at any ,me by clicking
Preview at the top of the page. This will bring up a PDF copy of the applica,on.
Signature
On the final sec,on of the
Common Applica,on, students affirm that they have previewed their applica,on and then select schools for submission before clicking on Submit.
Signature
APer a successful submission the student is brought back to their My Colleges page and can view status informa,on about other areas of their Common Applica,on.
Errors in Submission
If there are s,ll some unanswered required ques,ons, they are displayed as
clickable links that, when clicked, take the student directly to the unanswered ques,on.
Unanswered, required
Supplements
Working down the leP-‐hand naviga,on menu, students will arrive at the Supplements sec,on.
Working down the leP-‐hand naviga,on menu, students will arrive at the Supplements sec,on.
Addi5onal Supplements
Key points
• Arts and Athle,c Supplements are only required condi,onally if the applicant opts to submit either supplement
• These supplements will be appended to the end of submiSed Common Applica,ons
• The Early Decision Agreement is required of applicants who select an ED term for schools that have opted to receive the Common App Online’s ED Agreement
• Applicants may submit their Common Applica,ons once they’ve signed and submiSed the ED Agreement
Payments
Unless a school requires payment before
submission, students will be prevented from paying at the beginning.
Students elec,ng to pay by Credit Card or eCheck are taken to the website for our payment vendor where they must:
1) Agree to the terms and condi,ons 2) Fill out payer informa,on
3) Enter Payment Method &Informa,on
4) Click Submit
Payment Confirma5on
APer clicking on Submit the student will receive a processing message...
Students who pay by Credit Card or eCheck can print a receipt.
Payments – Mail Check
The Mail Check op,on records a student’s intent to mail a check to the college.
Payments – Fee Waivers
Students may also request a Fee Waiver on the Payment Page.
All members agree to accept
both the NACAC and College Board Fee Waivers. Online counselors can submit the NACAC Fee Waiver online. Some members use an
“Other” Fee Waiver op,on. Students must contact these ins,tu,ons for eligibility
Payments
Color coded icons
make it easier for applicants to see the status of their
payments.
Payment submission is NOT ,ed to
Common App
submission and is a dis,nctly separate submission process.
Three Dis5nct Submissions
The Applica,on, Payment, and Supplement submissions are three dis,nct processes. Students should refer to the My Colleges page to confirm that allrequired items have been submiSed
School Forms: Naviance View
Naviance Schools using eDocs are flagged in the CAO system. When
students from these schools arrive in the School Forms sec,on, they are instructed to consult with their counselor.
Complete FERPA waiver.
Give the username and
password you created for your Common Application Account
NOT your Naviance log-in
After completing the FERPA waiver you should
follow the SRHS procedures for ordering transcripts
and recommendation letters for each school. The
detailed directions can be found on srhsfalcons.com
under the Counseling Center. Go to the Senior link
and then scroll down to the bottom to view attached
directions.
Ques5ons?
Contact the Support Center. Open 24/7 to assist you!
www.commonapp.org
Applicant Support Center
School Forms Support Center
