Application portals to use for applying to US & UK colleges
Disclaimer: (1) This post is not a comprehensive overview of all the application portals/systems/platforms (however one chooses to call them). There is a lot of information that school counselors *should* be able to provide to guide students in their college applications. There is also a ton of information that one can simply google for. This post only aims to get students started on their own research process IF they do not have any prior knowledge. (2) The partnership between colleges and the portals are ongoing and fluid, so the information is current as of January 2022. I cannot predict what changes may come in the future.
The past two weeks were unusually busy for me. I had initially thought that with most of the application deadlines for the 2021-2022 cycle having passed, I can finally sit down to write the suspense-novel I have on my bucket list to write (which may never happen). However, I got an unexpected* number of families asking to have a consultation to find out what I can do for their children’s college application. (*Most of my students come to me by word of mouth from happy past students, so I technically do not do any “marketing” consultations to grab clients.)
I learn many things through meeting with these families, most of which are families of 11th graders looking for college application support. One thing that surprises me, which is the subject of this post, is that even the 11th graders themselves have no inkling as to *how* they will apply to college; like, “where do I submit the application?” and “how do I send my transcripts to the colleges?”
I thought I’d give a quick, cursory overview (read: brief mention) of some of the major application portals. If you’re already familiar with the application process, you do not have to read further. This is solely for those students and families who have never had a sibling/child applying to college here in the US or the UK, and somehow, their school counselors haven’t (yet) briefed them on what is coming up next for them with college apps.
OK, I’ll just cut to the chase. Here are the major application portals for US & UK colleges. Please do your own research as to which portal you should be using and what each of them does:
The CommonApp: the most widely used, centralized application system that has partnerships with more than 950+ colleges. It’s likely that most, if not all, of the US schools you are applying to use the CommonApp (exception applies for non-traditional routes such as some art, film, and other professional schools)
The CoalitionApp: a newer application platform than the CommonApp. It used to be called “the Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success.” It currently has about 162 colleges as its partners. According to an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, dated January 27, 2022, it plans to expand its accessibility.
Individual college systems: some big state-college systems like the University of California, California State University, Rutgers, State University of New York and University of Texas have their own application platforms. (Note: Rutgers and U of Texas also use the Coalition App.) Some “stand-alone” colleges that do not use any of the platforms include: MIT, Georgetown and the United States Naval Academy, among a few more.
UCAS: it stands for “Universities and Colleges Admissions Service” and is a system for application to UK universities (colleges). Each student is only allowed 5 schools in the first round of application.
So, that’s it. Good luck with your researching of colleges and with your applications! Feel free to reach out to me if you have questions while doing your research.
P.S. Students need to also be very updated on the SIS (Student Information System) used at their schools. Naviance is one common platform used by many schools; other SIS include SCOIR, Infinite Campus etc. These SIS are often connected to the College Application platforms and schools will send the transcripts and other materials directly for the students.
