What Is the Common App School Report and Why Does It Matter?
By Admissions Narrative · · MIT Alumni Admissions Interviewer
Key Takeaways
The School Report is a required form completed by your school counselor for every application
It includes your official transcript, school profile, GPA information, and your counselor's recommendation letter
Counselors also answer specific questions about your class rank, disciplinary history, and academic standing
A strong counselor report can contextualize your record; a weak or generic one is a missed opportunity
Your counselor submits the School Report through the Common App — you do not control its content
The Common App School Report is a required form completed by your school counselor that accompanies your application to every school. It includes your official high school transcript, school profile, GPA calculation, class rank (if applicable), disciplinary history attestation, and your counselor's personal recommendation letter. Building a strong relationship with your counselor before senior year directly determines the quality of this report.
The School Report is a required component of the Common App that many students neglect to think about — yet it provides context and advocacy that no other application component can. Here is what it contains and why it matters.
What the School Report Contains
Official transcript: Your complete academic record from high school, submitted officially by your school. School profile: A document from your school explaining its grading scale, available courses, academic programs, and student population context. This helps admissions officers interpret your grades and course choices accurately. GPA information: Your cumulative GPA as calculated by your school, and information about your school's grading scale and weighting system. Class rank (if applicable): Many schools no longer report class rank, but those that do include it here. Counselor evaluation: A standardized evaluation form where the counselor rates you on specific dimensions and provides a written recommendation letter. Disciplinary/academic history questions: The counselor must answer whether you have any disciplinary record, academic integrity violations, or criminal history disclosed to the school.
Why Your Counselor Relationship Matters
The counselor recommendation is part of the School Report and is the only perspective in your application from someone who knows your full school context — your grade trends in context, any extenuating circumstances in your record, and how you compare to other students from your school. A counselor who knows you well can write a strong, personalized letter that contextualizes your record and advocates for your admission. A counselor who barely knows your name will write a generic form letter that says nothing meaningful.
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You can see that your counselor has been invited and that the report has been submitted through your Common App status dashboard — but you cannot see the actual content of the report if you have waived your FERPA rights (which is recommended). The School Report is submitted directly by the counselor to the colleges.