What You Should Know About the New Common College Application

Farmington Public Schools students working on their post-secondary plans can use an online tool that makes applying to multiple colleges and universities a little easier. 

The 2013-2014 version of The Common Application, or "Common App", went online Aug. 1, with a single application that is accepted by more than 500 schools. We've gathered a few bits of information about the new and improved site:

1. Not all Michigan schools participate. 

In fact, only a few are, including University of Michigan, Albion College, Calvin College and Alma College. 

2. Don't sweat the essay. 

In a HuffPost Live interview broadcast Aug. 1, Huffington Post columnist Lisa Belkin said that while the "write whatever you want" option for the application essay has been eliminated, the remaining options aren't as scary as they may seem. "As far as I can tell, they've turned out to be pretty much a version of write whatever you want," she said. 

3. Low income students can get a fee waiver.

Also in the HuffPost Live segment, education policy analyst Rachel Fishman said that waiver will carry through, so students who qualify won't need to apply for the waiver at each school. 

4. Users are experiencing some problems with the site.  

Students on social media reported that the site was down on its Aug. 1 launch day, and other issues have popped up since. To keep up with what's happening, follow Common Application on Facebook and @commonapp on Twitter. The site advises reporting any problems with the site through the online Help Center.