How to Fill Out the Common App (What Harvard Actually Tells Applicants)

Common App season is here. Let's talk about the part nobody explains.

Every fall families stare at the Common App like it's a locked door. Here's what most people don't know: the schools themselves will tell you exactly how they want it filled out. Harvard has a full application tips page on their own admissions site walking through the Profile section, testing, activities, and the supplement, section by section. Most families never find it because they're too busy googling generic instructions instead of going to the source.

The Profile section trips up more students than anything else

None of the demographic questions are required. None. Students skip half the application because they think they have to answer everything, then panic when they hit a wall two hours in. Fill your name in exactly as it appears on your transcripts and test scores. Mismatched names delay processing more than people realize.

Check the school's own site first

If a school accepts the Common App, check their own admissions site before you touch a single field. Most competitive schools publish their own walkthrough. It takes ten minutes and it will save you from guessing your way through one of the most important forms of the year.

Questions about your own application? Book a free consultation with Sefia Tutors and we'll walk you through it.