Common App will close down at 5 p.m. ET on July 28 and reopen on August 1.

Timing & logistics

1. Why does the Common App close every year?

Common App performs a system refresh at the same time every year to transition from one admissions cycle to the next. It’s a routine, predictable process. They update deadlines for the 2026-27 academic year as well as college-specific questions.

Some schools change their supplemental essays and short-answer questions from year to year. A few have actually dropped the supplemental essays that were on the site last year. (I’m looking at you, University of Georgia, Tulane, University of Miami.) UVA dropped their supplemental essay last year and saw a 50 percent increase in applications; expect a similar increase for other highly selectives that drop the supplementals.

2. Is 5 p.m. on July 28 in my own time zone?

The closure is Eastern time, so if you’re on the West Coast, that’s 2 p.m. on July 28.

3. What exact time does it come back online on August 1?

Common App doesn’t provide an actual time that it will open on August 1, but it may provide an update the day before. You can follow their X account (@CommonApp) or blog (commonapp.org/blog) to see if they post an exact time.

4. If the site is glitchy on August 1, what should I do?

Don’t worry. It’s just the result of a spike in users logging on. Just wait a few hours or a day and it will run smoothly.

5. Can I still access anything on Common App’s site while it’s down?

The application itself goes fully dark, but Common App’s informational pages (FAQs, help center, college search) usually remain accessible.

What happens to my work

6. Will I lose my personal essay draft during the switch?

No, if you have your personal essay in Common App, it will “rollover,” but it’s always a good idea to have it saved in another place, like a Google doc or Word document.

7. What exactly counts as “My Common Application” vs. “My Colleges,” and why does that distinction matter?

“My Common Application” is the part that carries over from one year to the next, so you won’t lose any of the information you put in about your profile or family information.

It’s fine to work on the reusable section, but hold off on the part that is specific to colleges and that can change from year to year (“My Colleges”).

8. If I’ve already started writing supplemental essays for specific schools, will those be deleted?

Yes, they will be deleted. Again, save your work in a Google doc or Word document. Make sure that any supplemental essays you work on say that they are for the 2026-27 academic year.

9. Will my activities list, demographic info, and family/school information carry over automatically, or do I need to re-enter anything?

Yes — all of that carries over automatically, since it all lives in the “My Common Application” section. That includes:

• Profile/demographic information
• Family information
• Education history (school, courses, grades)
• Testing information
• Activities list
• The personal essay/writing section
• Additional information

10. Do I need to do anything to “migrate” my account, or does it happen automatically when I log in?

No, it will happen automatically, but I suggest that you check over everything to be sure it carried over correctly. There is one manual step. When a returning student logs in on or after August 1, they’re greeted with a “Welcome Back” screen that prompts them to confirm a few details—most importantly, their intended enrollment year (rising seniors select 2027). That confirmation is what triggers the actual rollover of their account into the new cycle.

Recommenders & invitations

11. If I already invited a teacher or counselor to submit a recommendation before August 1, will that invitation still work?

Teacher and counselor invitations will not rollover.

12. Should I wait until after August 1 to request letters of recommendation?

Yes.

13. What happens to recommendations that were already submitted before the refresh?

Already-submitted letters of recommendation would disappear since they belonged to the 2025-2026 academic year. But this is a concern for transfer and gap-year students. Most rising seniors won’t have letters of recommendation uploaded yet.

Before August 1 — what to actually do now

14. What can I safely work on between now and 5 p.m. ET on July 28 without risk of losing it?

You can safely work on anything in the “My Common Application” section. Stay out of the “My Colleges” section till after August 1.

15. Should I wait to add specific colleges to my list until after the refresh?

I think it’s best to wait to add your colleges to Common App until after August 1, but if you’ve already added them, they will migrate to the refreshed app. What doesn’t migrate is any school-specific work you have done, like short-answer questions or supplemental essays.

16. Will the essay prompts change on August 1, or are this year’s prompts already final?

Common App confirmed months ago that the personal essay prompts for 2026-2027 remain the same as they were last year, so if you’ve been drafting an answer to one of the seven prompts, you’re fine.

Deadlines & strategy

17. Does the August 1 opening affect Early Decision/Early Action deadlines?

Those are set by the individual colleges, not by Common App. They will be correct with the rollover.

18. If the site is unstable on August 1, does that push back any deadlines?

That’s highly unlikely.

19. Realistically, how soon after August 1 should a student aim to submit their first application?

August 1 is an opening, not a deadline. I aim to get students to submit in September or October IF their application is in the best shape it can be. However, if you’re applying to a school that offers rolling decisions, then getting the app in to that school in August means hearing back as early as September.

20. What’s the bottom line?

Your Common App isn’t a thing to be rushed. Aim to get each college’s application submitted well before the absolute deadline, but work carefully to be sure you’re presenting your best representation of you.