One Application, Many Schools
The Tool Most Students Use
Most families assume applications will dominate the fall. Students picture applying to college as repeating the same forms again and again. In practice, most applications run through a shared system that sends your information to multiple schools at once.
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Think of it as a single folder that goes to every school on your list. You enter grades, activities, and personal information once, then choose which colleges receive it — and each one reviews the same application.
What the Common App Does for You
Most students apply to somewhere between five and 12 schools. The Common App makes that manageable, but you still have to choose carefully. The tool just handles the repetition.
→ Check out the Common App here.
First, know what you’re looking for…
Use our “Build Your College List” worksheet to define your criteria before you build your list of schools.
Mark your calendar
The Common App opens August 1st every year. Most deadlines fall between November and January, depending on whether a school offers Early Decision, Early Action, or Regular Decision.
Catholic University offers each of these. Early Action and Early Decision I both close November 1st — Early Action is non-binding, while Early Decision I is for students who've identified Catholic University as their first choice. Early Decision II and Regular Decision share a February 1st deadline. There's no application fee and no test scores required.
→ See all deadlines and requirements
Starting in August doesn't mean finishing in August — but it means you're not starting from zero in October when everything else is competing for your attention. An hour in the summer is worth three in the fall.
Discover Your Path
Every application is the beginning of a story. For students like Goodness Odagbodo, that story led to hands-on cancer research, faculty mentorship, and a clear path toward medical school. Applying through the Common App is more than checking a box—it’s opening the door to opportunities that shape your future.
Where Faith and Reason Belong Together
At a Catholic university, education is rooted in the belief that faith and reason are not separate paths, but partners in the search for truth.