This year, all Winthrop University first-year and transfer applicants are able to submit their applications through the Common Application, a website for college applicants to apply to multiple schools with the use of one central application.
Vice President of Access and Enrollment Management Eduardo Prieto explained what went into the decision to partner with the Common Application.
“It’s prudent for us, for a number of reasons to try to attract students from other markets, namely out of state and so going through the common app has exposed us to a broader audience…there’s a lot of states, especially along the East coast and Northeast, [where] the common app is very well recognized.”
Access and opportunity for all applying students was an important factor when making the decision to partner with the Common Application.
“We really focus a lot on access to the university [and] access to our application, and Common App is a way for students, not just across the country but around the world, to learn about Winthrop…and see it as a viable option,” Director of Admissions Amanda James said.
At this time the application on Winthrop’s website is free until Nov. 1, but all applicants using the Common App must pay a $50 fee.
“A big reason we do this is because it is consistent across the board. Many schools are offering this. We also, especially during COVID realize that [with] a lot of students, they have either lost their jobs [or] parents have lost their jobs and so being able to allow them to apply to Winthrop without a fee, really just opens up the pool of applicants and makes them comfortable and confident in applying to Winthrop,” James said.
With plans for the Common App to increase access and opportunity, this could also affect the amount of students enrolled in upcoming semesters.
“We hope that we get additional applicants through this. Typically if you have more applicants, your chances are a little a bit better at enrolling more students,” Prieto said.
While Winthrop expects for the Common App to increase the amount of applicants, Prieto shared his thoughts on how he believed students applying to Winthrop this year can benefit from the Common App.
“[For] the students, it streamlines the process for them…let’s say they’re interested in two to three different schools who use the Common App, now they can just fill out one application and it’ll serve their needs for each of the schools.”
“I think it would [be easier] if I could [have made] one application and sent it out to multiple schools, [It] definitely would have been a whole lot easier,” freshman integrated marketing and communications major Emma Crouch said.
“This year especially, I think what we’ve noticed, and we’re still in September, is that a lot of students are just overloaded with [virtual learning]. They’re bogged down with Zoom meetings…a lot of times, what we’re seeing is that students want to be able to come to one place, be able to fill out one form and then apply to as many schools as possible and that’s what Common App allows them to
do,” James said.
With Winthrop’s new partnership with the Common Application, soon-to-be incoming freshman and transfer students have the ability to apply to Winthrop on a more uniform and accessible platform.
Photo by Emma Crouch
