Gather your courses, grades, activities, and recommender details before working through each college application. Pinnacle’s approach is to keep information accurate, complete, and consistent, then check that each application has actually been submitted.

Gather Your Records First

Keep your high school transcript, current schedule, test dates, and score records nearby. Copy course names and grades from those records instead of relying on memory. Confirm family information with a parent or guardian, including spellings and contact details. Draft an activity inventory with dates, responsibilities, and results before choosing entries for the application. Use an undergraduate application plan to leave time for review and corrections.

Gather your transcript, current courses, and school-provided academic information.
Compile test records, activities, and academic honors.
Confirm family details and your recommenders’ names and email addresses.

Separate Shared Answers from College Requirements

My Common Application includes Profile, Family, Education, Testing, Activities and Experiences, Writing, and Courses & Grades where colleges require it. The activity section received its current name in the official 2026-27 update, so older guides may still call it Activities. In My Colleges, check each school’s testing, writing, recommendation, and deadline requirements. Look for a separate Writing Supplement as well as the shared application. The Additional Information response in Writing allows up to 300 words, as explained in the official limit update. Use it for necessary context without repeating your personal essay.

Check Score Policies College by College

Testing lets you report scores yourself, but colleges set their own testing and official score-report requirements. Match each test name, date, and score to the testing agency’s record. Entering a score does not complete an official reporting requirement. Keep a list of unresolved questions and confirm the answers before submitting; one college’s policy may not apply to another.

Describe Your Responsibilities and Involvement

The Common App activity guide allows up to 10 activities and 150 characters for each activity description. That description limit counts characters, not words, and you do not need to fill every activity slot. Jobs, family responsibilities, hobbies, and volunteer work can all provide useful material. Explain what you did, how long you participated, and what you were responsible for. Order entries by your depth of involvement and their significance to you, with descriptions that identify your own contribution. Check hours per week, weeks per year, and participation years against your records. Our activity planning page can help you organize that work.

Check Recommender Assignments

Follow the authorization and invitation instructions under Recommenders and FERPA in My Colleges. When using Common App’s recommendation system, adding a teacher or other recommender also requires assigning that person to the appropriate colleges; see the official assignment instructions. If your high school uses an integrated platform, follow its process and the application’s instructions. Each college determines the number and types of recommendations it accepts, while your school counselor handles school materials such as the School Report and transcript. Discuss requests early, then check assignments and document progress.

Verify Both Content and Submission

Review the application preview for personal details, courses, grades, activities, and the correct essay version. Common App’s submission guidance separates review, payment, and final submission. After paying, you still need to complete the submission step. Check each college’s application and Writing Supplement status on the Dashboard. A completed form or payment is not confirmation of submission. Keep a copy of your application and follow the college’s later instructions to check whether its required materials are complete.

How to Complete the Common App for First-Year Admission