Should i put religion on common app

Evolving the Application is an initiative designed to eliminate barriers that underrepresented students may face when completing our application. In this webinar series, we'll explore mission-critical work Common App is undertaking to evolve the college application process to improve access and give a voice to these students.

Join us as we embark on this journey to evolve the college application and increase college access for those students who need it most. Specifically, staff will focus on the changes that will be made to the citizenship, family, sex, gender expression, and religious preference questions beginning in the application cycle.

Download slides from this presentation. View our infographic on school discipline. Participants will hear from other members who have taken different approaches to the school discipline question, including : 1 two members who do not consider student responses to the question at all; and 2 another who developed its own narrowly tailored discipline question.

In this session we share data on the impact citizenship and family questions have on undocumented students applying to college. My daughter, for example, wrote her essay about the lack of religion in her life. Do you have a preference over what customs and holidays you might observe? Do you like celebrating Christmas, Easter, and will you continue to do so?

If you think that you prefer some aspects of your religion over other religions, than you can indicate your religion, or if you plan to not be connected to religion at all, then you can say none. The best answer is the one that fits you and what you plan to do. All Rights Reserved. A student's answers to these questions influence, shape, and sometimes drive how an admissions officer evaluates their application.

Fortunately, The Common Application , the most widely accepted application, has become the de facto leader in ensuring equality and forward-thinking when it comes to what data is captured for colleges. Last week, Common App announced some changes to the application.

As always , these changes will take effect starting August 1, These changes may appear like minutia or unimportant, but there is more than meets the eye. Here are the changes, why they are being made, and how this impacts the admissions process:. Sara Harberson is the founder of Application Nation, which provides personalized advice to college applicants and their families, and Admissions Revolution, a free, on demand video membership that demystifies college admissions.

College Applications. Application Nation. Admissions Revolution. Privacy Policy. Don't get me wrong, these pieces of the application matter a whole lot to college admissions officers. It will also change the language once used, from "sex" to "legal sex.

For example, in the past, a transgender student would be forced to identify themselves using the traditional sex terms and had to list their preferred first name as a "nickname," thus undercutting their own identity.

Admissions officers were often confused unless an explanation was provided somewhere else in the application. This change should help reduce that confusion. In general, college campuses are incredibly welcoming to all types of students.

The change for the coming year reflects that openness that is characteristic of higher education. In recent years, this used to be an optional question.