The Final Checklist: Ensuring that Your Common App is Submission-Ready

Oct 8
3 min read

Many students rewrite their Common App essays dozens of times, chasing a version that feels flawless. But writing is an art, not a science, and waiting for perfect can keep you stuck forever. Knowing when your personal statement and supplemental essays are ready means accepting that done beats perfect—and running one last spelling and grammar check before reviewing the final PDF. These college application tips will help you finish strong and submit with confidence.

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Preparing Your Common App

Your Common App is almost done! Let's break down how to know you're ready to hit submit.

Importance of Writing Readiness

Writing readiness isn't about perfection—it's about feeling confident in your message. You've poured your heart into these essays, sharing your unique story with admissions officers.

Ask yourself: "Does this sound like me?" If you can read your essays aloud and feel they capture your voice, you're on the right track. Remember, authenticity trumps flowery language every time.

Your essays should reflect growth and self-awareness. If you can point to specific examples that show who you are and what you value, you're ready to move forward.

We tell our students that an admissions officer should be able to read your essay and know immediately that it's you and couldn't be anyone else. The key to this? Using specific examples from your own life to illustrate your journey.

Benefits of "Done" Over "Perfect"

Chasing perfection can be a trap. There's always one more tweak, one more revision. But at some point, you need to step back and say, "This is good enough."

Here's why "done" beats "perfect":

It's good "decisiveness" practice, an important adult skill
It gives you peace of mind, reducing stress as deadlines approach
It allows time for other important application components

Perfectionism can lead to procrastination. By accepting "done," you free yourself to focus on the big picture of your application.

Essential Final Checks

Before you hit submit, a few key checks can make all the difference. Let's make sure your hard work shines through.

Spelling and Grammar Check

A final spelling and grammar check is your safety net. It catches those tiny errors that can slip through after multiple revisions.

Use tools like Grammarly or the built-in spell check on your word processor. But don't rely on them entirely—they can miss context-specific errors.
Read your essays backwards, sentence by sentence. This trick helps you focus on each line individually, catching mistakes your brain might otherwise skip over.
Ask a trusted friend or family member to review your work. Fresh eyes can spot issues you've become blind to after multiple readings.
However, be wary of having "too many cooks in the kitchen" or too many opinions. Ask clearly for the type of feedback you want ("could you check this over for spelling and grammar and see if you think I left anything out?") rather than a general invitiation to read it ("what do you think?").

Formatting Review for PDF

The PDF version of your Common App is what admissions officers will see. Make sure it looks as good as it reads.

Check for these formatting issues:

Did everything copy-paste correctly?
ALWAYS check the Preview tab to see if your paragraph spacing translated properly. The Common App is weird about this!
Did your copy-paste maintain any italics, underlines, or bolded words?
Did the word count change? The Common App measures words slightly differently than Google Docs or other word processors.
Make sure you didn't add any additional spaces in the "Position" box in the Activities section. You'll be able to tell if you did because it will read "Student Volunteer , Soup Kitchen" instead of "Student Volunteer, Soup Kitchen".
Review line by line with a trusted set of eyes next to you. Check to make sure your name, phone number, email, and home address are all spelled correctly. You'd be surprise how many students misspell these!