Member toolkit

Common App membership enables higher education institutions to expand their reach, support access, and gain insight into their admissions processes.

Whether you've recently joined Common App, or you are a returning member, we want to help you get the most out of your membership. Our member toolkit contains tips and best practices for promoting your institution’s presence on Common App, including press release templates, social media toolkits, and guidelines for building your Explore Colleges profile. See how we can help you deliver an excellent experience for applicants and optimize your recruitment efforts through Common App.

We want to make it as easy as possible for institutions to connect with future students and engage them early on in their college search.

What you’ll find:

• Press release templates
• About Common App boilerplate language
• Media talking points

Social media can be an effective tool to reach prospective students and help them learn more about your campus environment and what your unique student experience has to offer. Our collection of sample posts can be used on multiple platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Take advantage of the wide variety of opportunities to connect with Common App and partners to further promote your membership and engage in ongoing thought-leadership dialogues. Our platform is here to help amplify your message.

How to engage:

• Promote your membership on social media by tagging @CommonApp 
• Use our sample social media language to let your followers know your institution uses Common App
• Participate in Twitter chats with Common App and like-minded organization over topics such as transfer students, the community college experience, and more

Your institution may have dedicated communications and events tailored directly to the counseling community. These opportunities can be leveraged to highlight the tools and resources counselors can take advantage of as they help students work through the Common App. 

What you can leverage:

• The Counselors & Recommenders section of the website, where counselors can sign up for the Common App newsletter and create a practice account
• Common App’s YouTube channel, containing a library of training resources designed to help applicants and recommenders at all stages of the process
• The Common App blog, containing the latest application updates, guest blog content, news, and more.

Throughout the year, we celebrate and lift up students through the Reach Higher Initiative, designed to inspire post-secondary success and provide tools to help students get to and through college. 

We know that applying to college is just one step in the process. With programs such as College Signing Day and Beating the Odds, we hope to educate students about and prepare them to help them make the most out of their college experience. 

Ways to get involved:

• Host a College Signing Day event on your campus and encourage current students and alumni to get involved
• Convene a Beating the Odds Summit with speakers and workshops to help educate students about financial aid, summer melt, and strategies for succeeding after students arrive on campus
• Participate in a Twitter chat, such as #SigningDayChat, designed to help keep students motivated throughout the college application process and beyond

The Explore Colleges Profile is a great way for you to showcase your institution’s unique attributes to potential applicants. We’ve included some best practices and tips to show how you can demonstrate what potential future students can expect from your campus experience.

Best practices for building your Explore College Profile:

• Include information about the application requirements and processes, student life, and campus visits
• Use your most vibrant campus images to inspire students to learn more about what your institution has to offer
• Embed social media feeds to allow students to see the latest news and events on campus
• Provide information about what students can expect after submitting their application

Throughout the year, Common App hits the road to talk with counselors about enhancements to the application, as well as our organizational priorities and goals. These trips are especially impactful when our members join us on the road to talk with the counseling community about how a Common App membership impacts their enrollment and outreach goals. If you are interested in co-presenting with Common App at a local or national conference, please contact your Member Services representative.