Universal College Application

The Universal College Application (also known as the Universal College App) is a college admission application that allows students to apply to any of the participating colleges.

Overview

Started in 2007, the Universal College Application is accepted at a number of higher education institutions in the United States, in addition to a participating school's own application, if applicable. The Universal College Application is intended for use by all higher education institutions, from large public universities to small liberal arts colleges.

Currently, the Universal College Application has 78 members, and students can fill out one copy of the application and submit it to any number of member institutions. This can save time and work for students who would otherwise have to fill out different applications for different colleges.

Many large public universities do not require essays and teacher recommendations, which keeps them from using the Common Application. Common Application member schools must require these materials in their applications. In contrast, the Universal College Application only demands that the schools it serves be accredited and uphold the National Association for College Admission Counseling's "Statement of Principles of Good Practice".

Application

Forms

The Universal College App consists of five main data entry pages, which students must complete in order to submit their application online. The Universal College App also contains a page where students choose the college or colleges to which they want to apply.

In addition to the Universal College App, which can be submitted online or by mail, students may be required to submit, among other things, their college admission test scores (SAT or ACT), a School Report, an Instructor Recommendation, and a Midyear Report by mail.

Fees

The application fees are the same as any other application accepted by a participating college. The application fees are paid directly to the selected colleges according to their requirement. There is no extra charge to apply using the Universal College Application.

External links

* [http://www.universalcollegeapp.com Universal College Application]
* [http://www.myspace.com/universalcollegeapp MySpace - Universal College Application]
* [http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/jul2007/bs20070711_702344.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_b-schools BusinessWeek - A New Standard for Online Applications?]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/26/AR2007062601883.html?hpid=topnews The Washington Post - Application Service To Rival Fairfax Firm]
* [http://greentreegazette.com/SpecialSeries/load.aspx?art=289 The Greentree Gazette - Universal College Application: just another, or something better?]
* [http://collegehunt.blogspot.com/2007/06/potential-competitor-to-common.html AdmissionsAdvice.Com: New Online Application May Rival Common Application]
* [http://media.www.browndailyherald.com/media/storage/paper472/news/2007/09/26/CampusWatch/Common.App.Now.Has.Rival.In.Universal.App-2992535.shtml The Brown University Daily Herald - Common App now has rival in Universal App]
* [http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/21209 Yale University Daily News - Common App. faces new online rival]