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Hi Adaanists, welcome back to our step-by-step journey through exactly how to fill out the Common App so you can apply to U.S. colleges with zero confusion.
Go read Part 1 (Profile & Family) first if you haven't already; it will make this section seem like a logical progression.
The sections where you provide colleges with your academic background and evidence of your accomplishments are called Education & Testing.
1. Education
Gif by eb_ppstudio on Giphy
Click Education in the left sidebar and you’ll see several sub-sections:
Current or Most Recent Secondary/High School
Other Secondary/High Schools
Colleges & Universities
Grades
Current or Most Recent Year Courses
Honors
Community-Based Organizations
Future Plans
Let’s go through them one by one.
Current or Most Recent Secondary/High School
Here, you’ll fill in your school name, location, and dates attended.
You’ll also be asked if there were any changes to your schooling timeline:
Did/will you graduate early or late?
Did/will you take time off or a gap year?
No change in progression
If you select “Gap Year”, there’s a text box asking you to explain. Keep it short but clear:
State when the gap year happened/will happen.
Say what you did or plan to do (e.g., work, internships, volunteering, skill development).
Mention what you did not do if it’s important (e.g., you didn’t stop learning entirely).
Example:
“Taking a gap year from August 2024 to July 2025 to complete a research internship in environmental science, improve coding skills through online courses, and volunteer with a local youth education program. Did not enroll in another degree-granting program.”
Other Secondary/High Schools
Only fill this out if you’ve attended more than one high school. List each school with dates attended.
Colleges & Universities
This is for dual enrollment or any courses you’ve taken at a college while in high school. If none, skip.
Grades
Here’s where you’ll enter:
Class rank (or “School does not rank” if that’s the case)
Ranking system (e.g., 1 out of 300 students)
GPA and scale (e.g., 4.0 scale, 5.0 scale, 100-point scale)
GPA weighting (weighted/unweighted)
If your school doesn’t use GPA, check “School does not use GPA” and move on.
Current or Most Recent Year Courses
List every course you’re taking in your final/current school year. For each:
Subject (choose from dropdown - or “Other/Elective” if it doesn’t fit)
Course Name (exact title from your transcript, e.g., “HSC Bangla”)
Course Level (e.g., Advanced, Honors, AP, IB)
Schedule (Full Year, First Semester, etc.)
Make sure spelling and capitalization match your school records.
Honors Section
In the Common App, the Honors section is where you highlight your academic and extracurricular achievements that make you stand out. You can list up to 5 honors you’ve earned during high school. These can be awards, recognitions, or high placements in competitions - both academic and non-academic - as long as they show achievement, leadership, or skill.
For each honor, you’ll fill in:
Title – Be specific, include the award name, position, and context if possible.
Grade Level – The school year you earned it.
Level(s) of Recognition – School, State/Regional, National, or International.
Example Entries:
Honor 1
Title: Finalist (Top 5) in Malaysian Public Policy Competition: policy proposal on AI in job recruitment
Grade Level: 12
Level(s) of Recognition: National
Honor 2
Title: 1st Place, Best Speaker, International Debating Forum
Grade Level: 11
Level(s) of Recognition: State/Regional, National
Why this is strong:
The first honor demonstrates both accomplishment and subject expertise by providing a clear explanation of the competition, placement, and topic ("policy proposal on AI in job recruitment").
Prestige and competitiveness - Being named a "Top 5" or "Best Speaker" is a selective distinction that indicates you performed better than many others.
High recognition levels – State, regional, and national awards demonstrate your accomplishments outside of the classroom.
A variety of strengths – Together, they demonstrate your versatility. One focuses on AI and analytical policy work, while the other focuses on communication and debate.
Community-Based Organizations
If you received free help with your application (college counseling, prep programs), select how many organizations and list them. If none, select “0” and move on.
Future Plans
Colleges want a quick snapshot of your goals:
Which best describes you? (e.g., First-year student starting in 2025 or 2026)
Highest degree you intend to earn (You can put “Undecided” if you’re not sure.)
Career interest (Choose from the dropdown — pick something close to your interests, like “Engineer” or “Entrepreneur”).
2. Testing
This section is straightforward - you’re just logging your test history. You’ll see sub-sections like:
Tests Taken - Select all test types you’ve taken or plan to take.
SAT Tests - Enter your scores, dates, and whether you plan to retake.
Duolingo English Test - If taken, enter your score and date.
Senior Secondary Leaving Examinations - List your high school graduating exams or national exams (e.g., HSC), including the board name, date, and results if available.
Only include real, official scores, not practice test results.
Bottom line: Education & Testing are fact-based sections. Accuracy matters more than creativity here. Double-check every date, title, and score against your school records before submitting - mistakes here can cause delays later.