Common App
Common App: A shared college application with discovery, tracking, recommendations, and mobile submission. Ranked #23 of 28 in Admissions Software by our editors (6.9/10); pricing: Free plan · pricing on request; best for applicants using a shared college application.
At a glance
- Editor score6.9 / 10
- PricingFree plan · pricing on request
- Best forApplicants using a shared college application
- Free planYes
- Applicant communicationsYes
- Founded1975 · Arlington, Virginia, United States
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Free access for students, counselors, and families
- Combines first-year and transfer applications with deadline tracking
- Supports recommendations, transcripts, and mobile submission
Where it doesn't
- College membership pricing requires contacting the membership team
- Does not provide verified institutional review workflows
- Lacks integrations and enrollment management
Our verdict on Common App
Common App brings college discovery, application completion, requirement tracking, and submission into one platform for first-year and transfer applicants. It also serves counselors, recommenders, families, and participating colleges. Applicants can request recommendations, collect school forms and transcripts, monitor progress, receive direct-admission offers and notifications, and manage application tasks through web, iOS, and Android access. Its shared application model suits students applying to multiple participating colleges.
Applicant access is free for students, counselors, and families. The college membership plan is for participating colleges and universities, with pricing handled through the membership team. The product’s platform coverage is broad for the application journey: it includes discovery, first-year and transfer applications, deadline and requirement tracking, counselor workflows, recommendation submissions, document collection, and mobile application submission. Colleges evaluating membership should consider whether this applicant-facing and counselor-facing scope matches their admissions process.
Common App is a strong fit for applicants who want one place to organize applications across participating institutions, and for counselors managing student progress, recommendations, transcripts, and school forms. Its direct-admission offers and notifications add another communication path for participating colleges. It is less suitable for institutions seeking verified internal review workflows, integrations, or enrollment management capabilities. Those needs call for a more institution-focused admissions system rather than a platform centered on shared applications and applicant coordination.
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Common App pricing
All 2 Common App plans and prices →
Common App fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Applicant communications | Yes |
| Review workflow | Not verified |
| Decision workflow | Yes |
| Enrollment workflow | Not verified |
| Document collection | Yes |
| SIS integration | Not verified |
| Application limit | Not verified |
| Deployment | Cloud, Mobile |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android |
| Pricing | Free plan · pricing on request (source) |
| Website | commonapp.org |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to Common App
- SlateA broad admissions platform for institutions managing complex application-to-enrollment workflows.9.4
- WebAdMITA broad admissions workspace for institutions needing structured review and enrollment workflows.9.2
- EmbarkA mature admissions suite for complex evaluation, review, decision, and enrollment workflows.8.9
See all Common App alternatives →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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