When should I start filling the Common app?

Hi there, the common application for rising seniors opens on August 1. So check back on August 1, and if it isn't there then I suggest contacting your guidance counselor or school admissions office.

Hi @lzuniga! As others have mentioned, the Common App updates the supplemental essays for schools starting on August 1st. You can check out the supplemental essay prompts from last year here on CollegeVine by going to the "Essay Help & Review" section on the menu. Last years prompts should give you a good idea of what to expect but you might want to hold off on writing anything in case they change. However, the prompts don't always change so if you're really itching to get started you could start writing your essay or planning them out if you're willing to risk it.

You should already be able to add general information to the common app: the schools you want to apply to, demographics, ECs, etc. I'd check again to see if that's an option for you now. I also think this article I found might be helpful for you too! https://blog.collegevine.com/when-should-you-start-on-college-applications/

Let me know if you have questions on anything I wrote or if you have follow-up questions.

Supplemental essays change every year and are updated on August 1, so you should be able to fill anything out that isn't college-specific (like if you were to add a college to your dashboard, anything you fill out in that section would be college-specific and you should wait on filling that out). You can definitely start on anything that is on the basic Common App profile!

As a rising junior I have already filled out all info I currently can. I just can’t apply and fill in info I don’t have. Also I can’t write a prompt cuz I don’t know what prompt I’ll use. So you can fill it out whenever just make sure to double check everything is filled out and is up to date when you submit it.