Coalition App completion

The Coalition for College (formerly the Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success) is an alternative college application platform focused on increasing access to higher education for underrepresented students. It is now powered by Scoir and serves approximately 170 member colleges and universities.

34 steps across 9 sections

1. Create Your Scoir/Coalition Account

  • Go to mycoalition.org (redirects to Scoir)
  • Create an account with your email, legal name, and basic information
  • Students can create accounts as early as 9th grade (a key differentiator)
  • Link your high school if available in the system

2. Build Your Profile

  • Personal Information: Name, address, contact info, citizenship, demographics
  • Family Information: Parents'/guardians' education, occupation, household details
  • Academic Information: Schools attended, GPA, class rank, courses
  • Test Scores: SAT, ACT, AP, IB (self-reported; official scores sent separately)

3. Set Up Your Locker

  • Upload important documents: transcripts, awards, certificates
  • Save essay drafts and writing samples
  • Add multimedia content that showcases your achievements
  • Organize materials by category for easy access later
  • Share items with your counselor or mentor for feedback

4. Build Your College List

  • Use the "Discover" feature to find schools that match your preferences (location, size, majors, cost)
  • Add schools to your "My Colleges" list
  • Review each school's specific requirements and deadlines
  • No limit on the number of schools you can add

5. Complete Activities Section

  • Similar to the Common App, list extracurricular activities with descriptions
  • Use the same strategy: order by importance, lead with leadership, quantify results
  • The Coalition App may allow slightly more detail in some fields

6. Write Your Essay

  • Choose a prompt that best fits your story (or use the open topic)
  • Write 500-650 words in your authentic voice
  • Focus on showing personal growth, character, or intellectual curiosity
  • Draft in a separate document, revise multiple times, then paste into the platform

7. Request Recommendations

  • Invite recommenders through the Scoir platform
  • Your counselor and teachers will receive email invitations with submission instructions
  • Follow the same strategy as Common App: ask junior-year teachers, provide brag sheets

8. Complete School-Specific Supplements

  • Each school may have additional essays, short answers, or portfolio requirements
  • Check "My Colleges" for each school's specific supplement prompts
  • Research each school before writing "Why Us?" supplements

9. Review and Submit

  • Preview your application for each school
  • Pay application fees or submit fee waivers
  • Submit to each school individually
  • Confirm submission via email and check school-specific portals for completeness

Common Mistakes

  • Ignoring the Coalition App entirely
  • Not using the Locker
  • Assuming the same essays work for both platforms
  • Forgetting platform-specific requirements
  • Applying through both platforms to the same school

Pro Tips

  • Use both platforms strategically
  • Start your Locker in 9th or 10th grade
  • Leverage multimedia
  • The Coalition App's mission aligns with access
  • No 20-school limit

Sources

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