A Complete Guide on How To Fill Out the Coalition Application
The Coalition Application Is A Comprehensive Tool For College Admissions Success…
Navigating the Coalition Application can be daunting due to its extensive features. However, students who invest time in mastering this accessibility-focused platform can streamline their college application process effectively.
With many colleges accepting the Coalition Application, it significantly reduces the time spent on submitting multiple applications, allowing more time for essay revisions and campus visits. To help you get a grasp of this complex tool, we’ve outlined the essentials of the Coalition Application below. Read on to learn more!
What You’ll Find In This Article
- What is the Coalition Application?
- Differences Between the Coalition and Common Application
- Steps to Complete the Coalition Application
- 4 Tips and Tricks for the Coalition Application
- The Importance of Your Coalition Application
What Is The Coalition Application?
The Coalition Application is an online portal that allows you to fill out one central application for multiple schools. It was developed by a coalition of schools aiming to support students who face disadvantages in the college admissions process.
A primary focus of the Coalition Application is on making college accessible and affordable. The over 150 member colleges support student success through extensive financial aid. The application system itself includes a fee waiver, simplifying the financial aspects of applying for college.
Differences Between the Coalition and Common Application
While the Coalition Application shares features with the Common Application, such as sections for extracurricular activities and essays, it also has unique elements. This makes the Coalition Application more complex than the Common Application, but not necessarily better or worse.
Additionally, the Coalition Application allows students to list “family commitments,” catering to those who may have family responsibilities that limit their participation in school-based extracurricular activities.
Steps to Complete the Coalition Application
Completing the Coalition Application involves several steps and requires access to various documents, such as transcripts and records of extracurricular activities. Start early to avoid burnout and address any issues that arise.
The application process can take several days. Follow these steps to complete it:
- Fill out your basic biographical information in your profile.
- Request official documents through the application.
- Add your extracurricular activities to your profile.
- With a complete profile, work on school-specific application parts.
- Attach your school-specific essays.
- Review your information, school-specific answers, and essays before submission.
Start by completing your profile, which includes basic information and can be done as soon as you create an account on the Coalition website. After that, request official transcripts and letters of recommendation through the web-based application.
Ensure you do this step early to give your busy counselors and teachers ample time to fulfill your requests.
Next, tackle the school-specific parts of your application. Answer questions one by one, and upload your essay to the Virtual Locker, assigning it to the appropriate college essay prompt.
4 Tips and Tricks for the Coalition Application
The Coalition Application can be overwhelming, but here are some tips to simplify the process:
DON’T IGNORE THE COMMON APP
While it’s tempting to focus heavily on the Coalition Application, don’t neglect the Common Application, which is widely accepted and crucial for your admissions success.
There are certain parts of both the Coalition and Common applications that can be helpful to complete at either the same time or back-to-back. If you fill out your basic information, grade history, and extracurricular activities for both applications in the same session, you can save yourself a large amount of time. If you’re filling out parts of your applications with your college counselor, doing this essential step by yourself can also help you maximize your time with that counselor.
FINISH YOUR PROFILE FIRST
The Coalition Application requires a 100% completed profile before you can proceed with college-specific questions. Complete your profile early to focus on other parts of the application.
After you’ve finished your profile, you can move on to the specific questions for each of the colleges you’re applying to.
Remember, you don’t need to wait for applications to open before you start filling out the profile section of the Coalition application. The earlier you complete your profile, the more time you’ll have to focus on the college-specific portions of your application.
CRAFT A STORY FROM THE BEGINNING
Your college application should tell your story. Reflect on your background, growth, goals, and what drives your academic interests. Highlight significant achievements and unique circumstances to give admissions officials a clear picture of who you are. If you’re struggling to find ideas for your story, you can start to ask yourself questions like:
- What parts of your background have affected your education the most?
- How have you grown throughout four years of high school? What do you have left to learn?
- What are your goals for the future? How do you plan to get there?
- What drives your academic interests?
- How do you plan on changing the world around you? How have you already done this?
Try your best to focus on writing answers you can highlight through the work you’ve already done, both inside and outside of the classroom. If you’ve overcome hardships or unique circumstances, look for the story in those facts. When your college application tells a story, it’s easier for college admission officials to get a clear picture of who you are and what you’d bring to their campus.
The Importance of Your Coalition Application
Completing the Coalition Application requires careful attention to detail over several days or weeks. This thoughtful approach allows you to perfect your application and present your story effectively.
It can be challenging to catch your own mistakes or improve your work. If you need assistance with your college essays, check out Admit AI, which provides automatic feedback to help write essays that will get you accepted. We’re here to help you achieve your college dreams…
No Matter What Story Your Application Tells!