Common App is helping military-connected students find the right fit

Adaiah Rogers spent four years serving in the United States Marine Corps. When she was nearly done with her first year as a reservist, she started looking into colleges and universities. Attracted to Towson University (TU) in the Baltimore area, but wanting more options, she turned to Common App to explore them.

“The platform is super easy,” Rogers says, noting that it allowed her to learn about military-affiliated institutions and provided listed application deadlines in one place. “It allowed me to apply to multiple colleges at the same time. I wanted to ensure that I had a plan A, B, and C.” Her military service enabled her to apply for free.

Common App is a non-profit membership organization. It represents over 1,000 colleges and universities in all 50 states and 20 countries. It helps over a million students apply to college each year, including 4,500 military-affiliated individuals. It provides a wealth of resources designed specifically for military-connected applicants.

Partnering with MilGears

Common App began partnering with MilGears in November 2023 to help military-connected students plan and achieve their future career goals. MilGears is a customized career-building tool for all Department of Defense service branches. It helps military members visualize the steps needed to reach their goals.

“Service members can use the tools to develop a pathway to help them obtain the credentials they need to succeed in their career field of choice,” says Batanya Gipson, who leads military student engagement for Common App. They will also find links to Common App. It guides them through the application process and to schools that match their degree goals.

Unique challenges, exceptional assets

Gipson says this kind of assistance is meaningful to military-connected students, as about 250,000 service members transition from active duty each year. While they can face some unique challenges transitioning to higher education, they also bring exceptional assets to their new collegiate communities.

For example, families who may struggle to navigate their military education benefits, require flexible course delivery, or need access to childcare. Common App not only provides fee waivers for prospective students but also connects them to universities that recognize some of their specific challenges, like TU, which has a dedicated Military and Veterans Center (MVC).

The MVC offers a variety of services, including helping students maximize their GI Bill benefits, connecting them with alumni, providing them with volunteer opportunities, and providing access to mental health support. TU also helps reduce barriers to degree attainment for student parents, including military-connected parents, by providing childcare subsidies, workshops, textbook loans, a dedicated family study room, and more.

“Our center was the first of its kind in the state of Maryland,” Dario DiBattista, the center’s Director, says, noting that it grew out of a recognized need to help students returning from the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq.

While centers like TUs help military-connected students adjust to civilian and academic life, admissions officers take note of the assets they bring. “Veterans are especially welcomed because they have already demonstrated their commitment to public service even before stepping foot into our classrooms,” says Amy Moffatt, Assistant Vice President, Admissions at TU.

TU, which joined Common App in 2021, uses custom questions on its app to ask about students' military and veteran affiliations. “This customization has allowed us to better identify and connect with more active-duty military members, veterans, and family members of servicemen and women,” Moffatt says. This has helped the university enhance its outreach to and support military-affiliated students. It ensures they have the resources and opportunities to pursue higher education earlier in the process.

Common App also takes cues from greater engagement with veterans. It adjusted its applications to remove questions about military discharge and discipline. Gipson says research suggests the question may have deterred veterans from applying.

Finding community

For Rogers, the Military and Veterans Center has been a safe haven. “I don’t think I would have continued college without it,” she says. “I get to come in, be around people who have similar backgrounds and can relate to some of the stories I went through,” she adds. “We’ve made amazing connections and lifelong friends. I’ve received 100 different opportunities just being connected that I may not have had. It’s like my third base. I have home, I have school, and I have this place.” 

Tips for Prospective Applicants

Adaiah Rogers, a junior at Towson University, offers suggestions for active-duty military members and veterans as they embark on the application process.

• Check out Common App's helpful checklist.
• Take your time—the process can feel overwhelming.
• Ask for help.
• Watch YouTube tutorials.
• Do your research—find institutions that offer support beyond financial aid.
• Take advantage of fee waivers—you've earned them.