Skip to main content
Go to District

College and Career Resources

College Representative Visits

Online Career Tests

College Selection and Application Resources

Financial Aid Websites

SHRHS Common Application Cheat Sheet

The Common App

Your future starts here. Apply to college for the first time or transfer to complete your degree. Navigate your entire college application journey with Common App. Follow the steps below as curated by our Guidance Department. 

Also, please use this College Recommendation Letter Information Form to help you and your LOR provider with helpful information as they prepare your LOR.

Finally, if using Naviance you may need this School Profile Letter.

    • If this is your first visit to the Common App website, click “Apply Now” then “Create an Account,” if not simply Login.
       
    • Enter your personal email address and password.
      (HINT: Use an appropriate email address for all college communications, such as firstname.lastname and check it regularly.  Do not use your SHRSD email as it will be deleted after you graduate)

       
    • Remember this email address as you will need it in Step 4.
  • In your Common App, complete the questions using the following information:
     

    I.  Education Section:
     

    • SHRHS School Code: 310675
    • Class of 2024 Graduation Date: June 2024
    • Enter your counselor’s name, email address, and phone number:
      • Student last names Adas through Martinez-Barragan
        Dana Keck
        dana.keck@shrsd.org
        609-397-2060 x1344

         
      • Student last names Martinez-Castro through Zalescik
        Bay Pedersen
        bay.pedersen@shrsd.org
        609-397-2060 x1246

         
    • A Community Based Organization provides FREE assistance to students in their application process: For almost all of you, your answer is ZERO.
       

    II.  Colleges and Universities Section:

    • If you have taken a course at RVCC or Mercer or paid for the dual-credit with Seton Hall, you should list it here. (Be aware that some colleges/universities may ask for an official transcript from showing that you completed this course BEFORE they review your application.)
       

    III.  Grades Section

    • Report “NONE” for Class Rank reporting
    • Graduating Class Size: 70
    • Cumulative GPA: We report your weighted gpa. Your GPA is available on Naviance and unofficial transcript.
    • GPA Scale = 4.0 GPA
    • Weighting = Weighted
    • Enter all of your current year courses, including PE. Other than a few electives the courses are typically full year.
    • Enter any academic honors you have received. NHS and National Merit Scholar both count!
    • List your career interest (options are limited – you can choose “OTHER”), and the highest degree you intend to earn.
    • Use the College Search tab to find colleges and add at least one college to your list. If you cannot find a college in the list, it is probably not a Common App member school!
  • FERPA is the Family Educational Rights to Privacy Act, a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. You only need to sign the FERPA Release Authorization ONCE, even if you are applying to multiple Common App colleges. 
     

    • Click on the My Colleges tab, then click the college name to view their list of requirements.
    • Click on Recommenders and FERPA, then on Release Authorization
    • Complete these steps to sign the FERPA release:
      • Indicate that you understand the statement, click continue
      • Check the authorization box for SHRHS to send your records
      • We cannot tell you what to do with waiving your rights, but we can tell you that it does not look good if you do not waive them: To do so, click “I waive my right to review all recommendations and supporting documents submitted by me or on my behalf.”
      • Check the box that you understand the waiver pertains to all Common App colleges to which you apply.
      • Sign, date, submit.

    * NOTE THAT YOU CANNOT CHANGE YOUR FERPA STATEMENT LATER, SO CLICK THE APPROPRIATE BOX!

    • Click on the "Colleges" tab at the top of the page
    • Under the "Apply to College" tab (third column from the right), click on "Colleges I’m Applying To"
    • Click on the big button in the top right corner that says “Match Accounts”
    • Enter the same email address that you used to create your Common Application
    • Click "Match Accounts"
    • When you are redirected back to Naviance you will see the schools that you loaded into the Common App
    • Click on "Colleges", then click on "College Home" in the top left corner. Scroll down and click on "Letters of Recommendation" under the "Apply to College" section
    • Select "Add Request"
    • Use the "Select a Teacher" drop down and then click on the name of the teacher from whom you will be requesting a letter of recommendation.
      • If you want the letter from that teacher to go to all of the colleges on your list select “all colleges”.
      • If it is a supplemental letter that will only be sent to a few colleges click on “select colleges” and click on the colleges you would like to receive a letter from that teacher
    • In the “Include a Personal Note" box, write a polite note, thanking the teacher for agreeing to write the letter and providing them with any relevant information that they may need to complete your letter.
    • Click "Submit Request"
    • Hand write a quick thank you note AFTER you know that the Letter of Recommendation has been submitted to you or counselor.
    • Right now schedule send yourself an email to remind yourself to write thank you notes.
    • Open Gmail and click on compose. In the to line enter all of your email addresses (including the one you are using to write the note).
    • In the subject line write “Thank yous”
    • In the body of the email type a one line reminder to yourself to write and deliver thank you notes to the teachers for your Letter of Recommendation
    • Click the downward facing arrow next to Send and select a date that corresponds with your first application deadline.