Newswise — Georgia State University has introduced the Common Application for prospective undergraduate students, joining about 500 colleges and universities in a program aimed at simplifying the college admissions process.
The standardized Common Application reduces wasteful duplication because students can complete one application and submit it to a number of schools at once rather than completing individual applications for each school.
Georgia State is among about 10 percent of the nation’s colleges and universities who use the Common Application. Tim Renick, vice president for enrollment and student success and vice provost, said the Common Application is used by some of the nation’s most elite academic institutions and applicants have urged Georgia State to offer it.
Students can access the Common Application here: https://commonapp.org/Login.
Universities that have switched to the Common Application have seen as high as a 20 percent increase in applications the first year.
“We decided to move to the Common Application because we have a compelling story to share with more students, nationally and internationally,” said Scott Burke, assistant vice president for undergraduate admissions. “The reach of the Common Application, in conjunction with our marketing efforts, will help us do that.”
Burke noted that Georgia State’s intense strategic focus on student retention and graduation rates has earned the institution a spot as one of just six national universities highlighted as models of national higher education reform in a report by a leading public policy center. The New America Foundation named Georgia State a “Next Generation University” in a report focused on how some key institutions are restructuring operating costs and creating clear, accelerated pathways for students.
The Common Application will replace the university’s current application, which is sourced from CollegeNET. The Common Application is composed of a standard form and essay, as well as a supplemental question that asks applicants why they have chosen to apply to Georgia State. The application went live Aug. 18, with an application deadline of Nov. 15 for early action fall 2015 admission. Transfer applicants will continue to use a separate application.
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