College Application Platforms

For any rising senior, choosing from the vast array of colleges may prove to be an intimidating task. This is especially true of the various portals available for students to submit their applications through. Incoming seniors should be aware of these four different types of online college application platforms. Let's take a quick tour.

This is the most well-known application, as students have the option to pick from nearly 700 schools. It is also very simple to use: you create your account and fill out general profile information; search for and add colleges to your list on a clear dashboard; and have access to a database listing the different requirements for each school. Going forward, you fill out your applications for the schools of your choosing. The last section is where you complete the supplemental essays that vary for each school. Additionally, you will craft a single essay to send to all schools. Overall, it is a process that is very easy to follow.

This platform allows students to ease into the college application process starting in their early high school years. Instead of dealing with this stressful period in an abrupt fashion, students can take smaller steps to shape their profile. Some available tools include a locker, collaboration space, and application portal. In the locker, students can store documents, records, and other resources that may be later useful in their submissions. Although, one downside is the number of schools available to apply to. Unfortunately, Coalition still pales in comparison to the number of schools available through the Common App. Nonetheless, the Coalition App is distinct because of its feature that allows complete waive of application fees for lower-income families.

This application platform is the most modest compared to the previous two. It is very similar to the Common Application, with the only distinction being that the schools available have to uphold the Statement of Principles of Good Practice. This is why the number of schools available to apply to through this portal is minimal.

This refers to large state schools that cannot be applied to through any of the above platforms. One prominent example is the University of California system, in which all 10 of its undergraduate campuses can be applied to through a distinct portal. In this case, students are required to submit two essays for all 10 campuses, as well as other information relevant to UC requirements. Even though two essays are only needed, each campuses still requires a separate application fee.

These college application platforms don't need to be intimidating once you know your options. At Empowerly, our counselors have plenty of years of experience navigating these different channels. Stay in touch with us if you would like to learn more about our Empowerly program. We would love to get you on board with your best future.