Get started with Common App

userXello Admin Xello productXello 6-12 Time4 minutes

Applying for college is a long and difficult process for students, teachers, and counselors. To make college applications easier, Xello has teamed up with Common App.

Common App is a program that simplifies the college application process. It saves time and effort by consolidating the tasks and documents into one workflow. Nearly 900 post-secondary institutions use Common App around the world. For those colleges, students only need to create one common application to send to any of them.

While students will continue to complete the majority of their college application tasks directly in Common App, requesting counselor and teacher recommendations will now be done in Xello. With the Xello and Common App integration, counselor and teacher recommenders will no longer log in to Common App to review student requests and complete forms. Student requests will be housed in the College Planning section of your Xello account.

Educator account, college planning page. cursor hovering over Common App tile
Common App in an educator account

noteNote: Contact your Xello Success Manager to enable the Common App integration in Xello. Schools must opt-in with Xello (by end of June) prior to Common App’s annual launch of their application season.

Once integration is complete, follow these steps and share the resources to get your educators set up, support your students as they begin sending requests, and guide your recommenders to complete their requests.

  1. Add an educator account for teachers that are likely to be recommenders. Deactivate an educator account for those who are no longer working at your school. Newly added educators will receive an email and must register their accounts.
  2. Introduce students to the Common App and Xello integration with the Student Common App guide new tab.
  3. Help counselors and teacher recommenders set up their Common App profiles in Xello:

Additional resources

  • pdfPDF
    PDFCommon App guide

    Use this guide to learn how students use Common App in Xello. And learn how you use it as a counselor or teacher, including how to set up a profile, complete student requests, update their status, and more.

  • pdfPDF
    PDFStudent guide for Common App and Xello

    Share this guide with your students. Help them learn how to use Common App and Xello together.

  • pdfPDF
    PDFCommon App teacher recommender guide

    This guide will help recommenders set up a Common App profile, review and action student requests, submit and unsubmit teacher evaluations.

  • live webinarWalkthrough
    WalkthroughCommon App integration walkthrough

    This walkthrough covers how students link their Common App account to Xello to request documents, how educators create a Common App profile, and manage and track student requests.

  • pdfPDF
    PDFCommon App annual tasks

    A guide to help admin and counselors with wind-down tasks before the end of the Common App school year and start-up tasks before the next.

  • pdfXello Academy
    Xello AcademyXello + Common App for Counselors

    If you're a counselor at a school that uses Common App, then you'd benefit from this course. You'll understand your role in the process, as well as steps for teacher recommenders and students.

  • live webinarRecorded webinar
    Recorded WebinarXello and Common App 101

    Xello and Common App have partnered to deliver an integrated college application management experience. In this session, learn how you and your students will manage Common App applications through Xello.

  • pdfShort video
    Short videoPaying for college - student-facing video

    Help students learn how to navigate their financial aid options. From applying for FAFSA to learning about scholarships, grants, work-study, and loans.

  • short videoShort Video
    Short VideoRequesting your documents for Common App

    A student-facing short video that walks through how to request documents for Common App in Xello.

  • pdfShort Video
    Short VideoXello's Common App integration for counselors

    A short video to walk counselors through how to integrate and begin completing tasks for Common App in Xello.

  • pdfShort Video
    Short VideoCommon App teacher recommender through Xello

    A quick overview of how teachers complete teacher evaluations for students applying to Common App colleges.