There are approximately 2500 four-year colleges in the United States. Of those, approximately 950 (plus 50 international colleges) use the Common Application as part of their application process. Of those 1000, fewer than 70 require you to self-report all the classes you have taken (or are taking) from grade 9 all the way through grade 12, and all grades you have received to date. All other colleges simply receive your transcript directly from your school. Even those that require self-reporting of classes and grades will require verification in the form of an official transcript if you are accepted.

Of the 70 colleges that require self-reporting, most of them are colleges you have never heard of, but a handful of them are among the most competitive colleges in America. For example:

· Amherst College

· Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)

· Loyola Marymount University

· Morehouse College

· Pitzer College

· Purdue University

· Stanford University

· University of Oregon

· University of Southern California (USC)

· University of Wisconsin

If you are applying to any of these colleges, you will need to add information about all the classes you have taken all the way through high school, including your grades as available. It is not a difficult process, but it must be done—and correctly. Altogether, it will take between 30 and 60 minutes to complete the report on the Common Application.