The Common App, UC and CSU Applications Are Open!
Your Next Steps

If you are applying to college for Fall 2027, application season has officially started. The Common App, the University of California (UC) application and Cal State Apply (CSU) are all open now. You can begin working on all three, although the submission rules and deadlines are different.

You do not need to finish everything in August but you do want to use this time well. Start entering your information, confirm your college list, work on essays and PIQs, figure out recommendation letters, and put your deadlines on a calendar before senior year gets busy.

There is also an important change this year. Cal State Apply opened on August 1, two months earlier than in previous years, and the CSU is expanding its Direct Admission Program for Fall 2027 applicants.

For an easy way to keep track of everything, I have also added a College Planning Calendar on the Mission: Accepted! homepage. It includes major college application milestones and deadlines, financial aid dates, decision dates, and SAT and ACT test dates.

The 2026-27 Common App launched on August 1. If you are applying to colleges that use the Common App, you can start completing the sections shared by your colleges, including your personal information, education, activities, honors and testing information. You can also begin your personal statement and any college-specific supplemental essays that are already available.

Check each college individually. Colleges set their own deadlines and requirements, and some college-specific sections may become available later.

Already Have a Common App Account? Do Not Start Over

If you created a Common App account before August 1, use the same account. When you sign in after August 1, Common App rolls much of your information into the new application cycle. Your main Common Application responses and college list generally carry over.

You should still review everything carefully. Common App says that college-specific responses, writing supplements, your FERPA authorization, and counselor and teacher recommender invitations do not roll over. If you invited a teacher or counselor before the annual rollover, you will need to invite them again.

Recommendation letters are one part of Common App that you may not be able to finish in August. Many teachers are still on summer break. Once school starts, some teachers may be writing recommendations for many seniors at the same time, and a thoughtful letter takes time.

If your earliest application deadline is in October or early November, do not wait until October to ask. First, check whether your colleges actually require teacher recommendations. Requirements vary by college. Some colleges require one or two teacher letters, some make them optional, and others do not accept them.

Then think about which teachers know you well. A strong recommendation usually comes from someone who can write specifically about how you participate in class, approach difficult work, interact with others, and grow as a learner.

Ask the teacher before sending the electronic request. Once teachers are back at school, ask whether they would be comfortable writing you a strong college recommendation and give them plenty of time before your first deadline.

How to Request a Recommendation Through the Common App

After the teacher agrees, invite them through the Common App:

1.  Go to My Colleges

2.  Select one of your colleges

3.  Open Recommenders and FERPA

4.  Complete the FERPA section if you have not already done so

5.  Add the teacher to your recommender list

6.  Assign that teacher to the college

Assigning the teacher to a college generates Common App's invitation email. You can then assign that recommender to the other colleges where you want the recommendation submitted.

Your high school may use a different process. If your school uses a Common App integration such as Naviance, Scoir, SchooLinks, Xello or MaiaLearning, counselor and teacher recommendations may be handled through that system instead. If you are unsure, ask your counselor: “Do I request teacher recommendations through Common App or through our school’s college application system?” You can also give your teacher whatever information your school normally recommends, such as an activities list, résumé or questionnaire. Make sure they know your earliest application deadline, and remember to thank them afterward.

The Fall 2027 UC application opened August 1. You can already enter your personal information, academic history, activities and awards, select campuses and majors, and work on your four Personal Insight Question responses.

The Fall 2027 submission period is October 1 through November 30, 2026, giving you plenty of time. Have your transcript or academic record in front of you when entering courses and grades. Accuracy matters, and there is no reason to rely on memory.

Give Yourself Time for the PIQs

First-year applicants answer four of the eight UC Personal Insight Questions. You do not need final PIQs in August. Draft them now and give yourself time to revise. Try to use the four responses to show different parts of who you are. Four answers centered on essentially the same activity or accomplishment give the UC less information about you. If you want help getting started, use my UC PIQ At-Home Workshop.

Before deciding which campuses to apply to, also see my article UC Acceptance Rates 2026: What Fall 2027 Applicants Need to Know. The latest numbers vary dramatically by campus and residency, so your campus choices matter. One other difference from Common App: the UC generally does not ask you to submit teacher recommendation letters with your application.

Want More Help Navigating the UC?

If the UC is a major part of your college list, I go much deeper in my book, The California College Playbook. It is designed to help you understand California college admissions and make informed choices about campuses, majors, applications and your overall college strategy.

Your goal should be progress and organization, not submitting your applications as fast as possible (unless the college uses rolling admissions).

Finalize or narrow your college list

You can still make changes, but you should have a good idea of the colleges you are seriously considering. Make sure to have a balanced list based on personal, academic, and financial fit, which includes likely, target and a few reach schools. For each one, check:

• admission selectivity (admit rates, impaction)

• your intended major

• cost and financial aid

• application requirements

• early and regular deadlines

Get your academic records together

Have your transcript or school academic record available before entering courses and grades into the UC or CSU applications. Do not rely on memory.

Start the essays

Begin your Common App personal essay and identify which colleges require supplemental essays. If you are applying to the UC, start your PIQs. You do not need polished final drafts in August. Starting now gives you time to revise before school becomes much busier.

Figure out letters of recommendation

Check which colleges require recommendations and decide which teachers you would like to ask. If your teachers are still on summer break, wait until they return, then ask early enough to give them several weeks to write.

Check your majors before choosing campuses

Your major can affect admission. Nursing, computer science, engineering, business and other high-demand programs may be significantly more competitive than the university overall. Research this before you pay application fees and put in the time and effort to apply.

Sign up for the SAT or ACT

Testing policies vary widely by college. If you plan to take or retake the SAT or ACT, choose a test date that leaves enough time before your application deadlines. The UC remains test-free for admission, while Common App colleges set their own testing policies. You can find upcoming SAT and ACT test dates and registration deadlines in my College Planning Calendar at the bottomo of this page.

Put Everything on the Calendar

College applications involve far more than a single November deadline. You may need to track:

• SAT and ACT dates

• Early Action / Decision deadlines

• scholarship deadlines

• financial aid dates

• portfolio or audition deadlines

• the UC filing period

• the CSU priority deadline

• admission decision dates

• enrollment deadlines

The biggest advantage of having these applications open in August is time. The Common App gives you time to work through essays, supplements and recommendations. The UC gives you time to enter your academic record carefully, research campuses and majors, and revise your PIQs before November 30.

The CSU's new early opening gives you a head start before the remaining academic sections and submission become available October 1. Use that time wisely. You do not need to have your applications finished in August. Aim to enter senior year knowing what you need to do, who you need to ask, and when everything is due. That will make the next few months much easier.