EDUCATIONAL DATA
The educational data section of the Common App asks for information related to a student's academic history and educational background. It includes fields for entering the names and locations of high schools and colleges attended, along with dates of enrollment and graduation. Additional details such as GPA, class rank, and standardized test scores can also be provided.
Summary & Analysis of Changes
The changes that occurred in the Educational Data section of the Common App, while minute, demonstrate a declining interest in attending college immediately after high school and a growing trend towards a less traditional education.
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Overtime, Common App began including more options such as “enrichment programs” and other alternative courses that counted for high school credit. This suggests that over the years students began to get their education through less traditional means, such as summer courses, abroad programs, online courses, and more. But as the definition of a high school education became broader, Common App began to ask more specific questions about classes taken for college credit. As high schools across the country dropped AP classes, applicants who wanted to receive college credit either had to take AP tests through their own studying or attend college classes during the summer or alongside their normal course load.
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Additionally, the trends that we see through the changing language and options the Common App offers demonstrate the increase in students choosing to take time off before attending college or during their high school career.The concept of a gap year has grown increasingly popular in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now estimated that between 40,000-60,000 students take a gap year each academic year. Again, this popularity is reflected in the Common App’s evolution. The Educational Data section has always asked the applicant about an interruption in their education. In 2008-2009 the option “did/will take time off” was added under this question to signal a new openness to gaps in education. As proof, in 2017-2018 the specific term “gap year” was introduced in the Common App.
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​ Finally, Common App’s questions regarding “free community programs and resources” used by the student to complete their application helps under-privileged students demonstrate additional motivation to attend college.
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According to the American School Counselor Association, an average public school counselor now has a mean caseload of 471 students. This forces students to turn to resources outside of their schools to assist them with their application process. Those who can afford it use private and for-profit college counseling resources such as Questbridge, The Education Trust, and EOS. The majority of Common App applicants – who reside in the wealthiest 20% of U.S. zip codes – therefore frequently leave the question of whether they have used “free community programs and resources” blank. But for applicants outside of the majority, inputting a community based organization signals to admissions committees that the applicant has gone the extra mile to seek out these resources and put in the effort to make their application the best it can be.
Timeline
2007-2008
The 2007-2008 version of the Educational Data section asked for basic information about the applicant’s secondary school(s). It asked for a list of secondary schools, summer schools, and other programs the applicant had attended since ninth grade. The applicant had to specify if they attended an independent, public, religious, or home school as well. It asked for a counselor’s name and information, basic contact information of the graduating school, and the colleges/universities from which the applicant had taken classes at and received credit. The official transcript from those colleges/universities were requested as well. The section also asked the applicant if they had received a GED, if they had graduated early or were not currently attending school, and if their education had been interrupted to describe their activities since last enrolled.
2008-2009
In the 2008-2009 application, charter schools were included among independent, public, religious, or home schools as an option for the institution type. The section was also renamed “Academics”. Additionally, the question regarding an interruption to the applicant’s education was expanded. The instructions were changed to “If your secondary school education was or will be interrupted, check all that apply and provide details in the Additional Information section”, the main difference being the words “will be” added to the question and how the instructions did not assume that the interruption had occurred since leaving/graduating school. The options below included “did/will graduate late”, “did/will graduate early”, “did/will change secondary schools”, ““did/will take time off”, “did not/will not graduate”, and “did/will receive GED”.
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 application, the question “If you received college counseling or assistance with your application process from a community-based organization (such as Upward Bound, Questbridge, HEOP, etc.), please specify.” was added.
2010-2011
In the 2010-2011 application the section was split into two separate sections entitled “Education” and “Academics”. The Education section consisted of the same basic information, and the Academics section asked the applicant to self-report grades, class rankings, GPA and weight, as well as their current courses with levels (AP, IB, etc.) and credit value. This section also included test scores (SAT, ACT), but the testing component of the Common App will be discussed separately.
When asked to list all secondary schools the applicant had attended, “Enrichment programs hosted on a secondary school campus” was added as an option. The question about an interruption in education was reverted to resemble its original format in which there were no checkboxes and the applicant was simply asked to provide additional details if their education “was or will be interrupted”. The option to specify if the applicant had/would receive a GED was removed as well.
2012-2013
The 2012-2013 asked the applicant to specify under the “Colleges & Universities” question if the course was taught on a college campus, a high school campus (excluding AP/IB), taught online, if college credit was awarded, if a transcript was available, and if the applicant was a degree candidate.
2017-2018
In the 2017-2018 application the term “gap year” was introduced as an option under the educational interruption question.
2020-2021
The application always asks for the student to provide a “CEEB/ACT” code for their school, a unique identification number assigned to high schools and colleges by the College Board. In the 2020-2021 application the “ACT” was removed, and the application only asked for the CEEB code. The “Academics” section was also renamed “Grades”. The Colleges and Universities question was simplified this year, and the applicant only had to list the college name, location, dates of the course, degree earned, and if the course was dual enrollment, a summer program, or if credit was awarded directly by the college. The application no longer asked for an official transcript from the institution either.
Sources
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Chatterji, Roby, Neil Campbell, and Abby Quirk. “Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps for All Students.” Center for American Progress, June 30, 2021. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/closing-advanced-coursework-equity-gaps-students/.
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Claybourn, Cole. “What a Gap Year Is and How It Prepares Students for College .” US News, November 29, 2022. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/what-a-gap-year-is-and-how-it-prepares-students-for-college.
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Common App
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Freeman, Mark, Brian Kim, Preston Magouirk, and Trent Kajikawa. Rep. Growth and Change: Long-Term Trends in Common App Membership. Common App Data Analytics and Research, 2021.
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“Most High Schools Don’t Have Enough College Counselors.” College Financing Group, July 2, 2015. https://www.collegefinancinggroup.com/choosing-a-college/high-schools-lack-enough-college-counselors/.