Even though Common App isn’t updated for this application season until August 1, it's a great idea to get started on the Common App now. All the general info you add now will be “rolled over” into he 2019-20 Common App. You can even add the colleges you plan to apply to now. Just hold off on school-specific essays and information for now — this information won’t be up-to-date and anything you add to specific schools won’t roll over. http://www.commonapp.org/how-apply

If you don't yet have an account, create one today. A few minutes of your time will allow you to enter your basic info, and add the colleges that have risen to the top of the College List we've prepared. Not that you can't add more -- this is just the preliminary step and colleges may be added and taken off as you get the hang of the site and as you refine your plans over the coming months.

Although over 600 schools use the Common App, you may find a few schools on your list that do not. MIT, for example, has it's own unique application at https://my.mit.edu/uaweb/login.htm

But wait, there's more! Most schools that accept the Common App also accept the Coalition App http://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org