College Applications

• Personal Information - Basic identifying and contact information, including legal name, birthdate, address, email, citizenship and Social Security Number (if you have one).
• Official Transcript - A record of your high school courses and grades sent directly to the college by Fairview.
• Demonstrated Interest - All colleges need to know about your interest in their campus. Connect with them through emails, college fairs, rep visits, admissions offices, and school visits. See the Demonstrated Interest Checklist for more information. 

• Additional Personal Information - More applicant information, including family, demographics (optional),  educational, self-reported test scores, and activity lists.
• SAT or ACT - Standardized tests widely used by American college admissions to assess applicant readiness in reading, math and/or writing. 
• Teacher Recommendation Letter - A teacher's appraisal of your academic performance and intellectual  promise in a subject area. It can convey the teacher's classroom  experience with you, in particular your motivation, work habits or  contribution to the class environment.
• Counselor Recommendation Letter - Your counselor's broader description of you and the role you played in  the school community. It can explain your transcript and special  circumstances, highlight your school participation, and elaborate on  your personal characteristics.
• Personal Essay - An opportunity for you to convey who you are beyond your grades or test  scores. It demonstrates that you can write clearly, express yourself effectively, and allows you to describe your aspirations, values or passions. Colleges that require this essay expect about 500 words  (equivalent of about one page, single-spaced).
• Supplemental Essay(s) - Answers to college-specific prompt(s) which can allow you to provide more information about yourself, such as why you chose to apply to a college or department.
• Interview - A conversation with a college admissions officer or alumni. It gives the  college a chance to get to know you better, and gives you an  opportunity to ask informed questions about the school.

The Common Application, also known as the "Common App," is an electronic application system for undergraduate admissions to over 1000 member colleges and universities. It is designed to combine questions from many college applications into one universal document that can be sent to any member college.

Depending on the college and/or major, the student may be required to  answer supplemental questions. While each school has a different list of requirements, the Common App provides a general form requiring common information for all schools. 

Tip:  If you are applying to only ONE Common App member college, check if the school has its own application as this would be less time-consuming. DO NOT send both applications or you may delay your application process. 

Common App, FERPA, and Syncing to Naviance Instructions

Common App Home Page

Common application instructions for Fairview students

Some colleges provide their own college-specific application system, allowing them to control and customize questions, forms and final data collection.

These may be offered instead of OR as an alternative to services provided by the Common Application.

If the college name does NOT appear on the Common App Member Colleges, then it likely provides a college-specific format. To verify which application types a college accepts, search the college's website for freshman or undergraduate admissions instructions.

The list of colleges that only accept their own application changes every year. As of April 2022, some schools that EXCLUSIVELY accept their own application include:  

• University of California (UCLA, UC Berkeley, etc) 
• California State Universities (Cal Poly, etc.) 
• Front Range Community College 
• Georgetown University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tip:  If you are applying to only ONE Common App member college, check if the  school has its own application as this would be less time-consuming than  the Common App. DO NOT send both applications or you may delay your  application process. 

Click here to see sample University of California and Cal State applications for Fairview students