Learn About the Cappex Application

Cappex has long been a player in the college admissions industry with its extensive and free databases of scholarship information and admissions data. In 2017, the company expanded its role further with the introduction of the free Cappex Application.   Distinguishing Features of the Cappex Application With the broad popularity of the Common Application and the growing acceptance of the Coalition Application, its easy to wonder why students really need another application option. Its a reasonable question, but for some schools the Cappex Application may be an applicants best option. The application has several notable features: Applying with the Cappex Application is free. All colleges and universities who accept the Cappex Application have agreed to waive all application fees. Fees tend to range from $30 to $80 per college, so the cost can be significant when applying to numerous schools. With  the Cappex Application, the expense of applying to college doesnt need to be a barrier to admission.Over 135 colleges accept the Cappex Application. That number is comparable to the 130 schools who accept the Coalition Application, and it far exceeds the mere 23 schools that currently accept the Universal Application. The Common Application trumps all the options with over 700 participating schools, but the perks of the Cappex Application can make it the better option at those schools that accept it.  No repetitive data entry. Whether youre searching for schools, finding scholarships, or applying to college, youll enter your data at Cappex only once. In fact, thousands of high school students have Cappex account s long before they start their applications, and their profile information will automatically fill in the appropriate fields in the Cappex Application. Overview of the Cappex Application The Cappex Application is highly customizable for the colleges that use it. Some of the participating schools have holistic admissions and require applicants to submit an application essay, letters of recommendation, and information about extracurricular activities. While many colleges will not require all of these elements, the Cappex Application includes the following fields: Personal Information (required by all schools)Family/Household InformationAcademic InformationSAT/ACT Scores (note that many of the schools that accept the Cappex Application have test-optional admissions)Extracurricular ActivitiesHonors and AwardsEmployment and Internship InformationDisciplinary HistoryEssay and Short AnswersLetters of RecommendationTranscriptsIntended MajorsOther (colleges can include any questions that dont fit into the categories above) The admissions standards of colleges that accept the Cappex Application vary widely, and some schools will require little more than your personal information and your academic record. Others will want to get to know much more about you. The application interface is very clear about which components each of your intended colleges requires. The Cappex Application Essay Many of the colleges and universities that accept the Cappex Application require an essay. Unlike the Common Application with its seven essay options, Cappex has a single essay prompt: Tell us a story about yourself that is key to understanding who you are.This could be a moment you changed, grew, or made a difference. Since many students who use the Cappex Application will also be using the Common Application for some schools, its useful to recognize that the Cappex essay prompt overlaps with many of the Common Application prompts. Common Application essay option #1, for example, asks applicants to share something about themselves that is central to who they are. Option #5 asks students to write about a moment of personal growth. And many of the Common Application options will explore moments of change, personal growth, and making a difference. The essay is often the most daunting piece of an application, but it is quite possible you can use the same essay for both the Common Application and the Cappex Application. Longer essays may need a little paring down, for the length limit on the Cappex Application is 600 words, 50 words fewer than the Common Application length limit. What Colleges Accept the Cappex Application? In just its first year, the Cappex Application has gained 125 members. That number will almost certainly grow in the future. You wont yet find any of the Ivy League schools using the Cappex Application, but the member schools include many highly regarded colleges such as the College of Wooster, Eckerd College, Juniata College, Millikin University, the University of Tampa, and Whittier College. The complete list is below. State Colleges Alabama Faulkner University Arkansas University of the Ozarks California Columbia College Hollywood, Holy Names University, Hope International University, John Paul the Great Catholic University, Notre Dame de Namur University, San Francisco Art Institute, Westmont College, Whittier College Delaware Goldey-Beacon College, Wesley College Florida Adventist University of Health Sciences, Eckerd College, Florida Institute of Technology, Florida Southern College, Saint Leo University, The University of Tampa, Webber International University Georgia Brenau University Hawaii Chaminade University of Honolulu Idaho Northwest Nazarene University Illinois Columbia College Chicago, Elmhust College, Eureka College, Greenville University, Illinois College, MacMurray College, Millikin University, Olivet Nazarene University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Tribeca Flashpoint College, University of Illinois at Springfield, University of St. Francis Indiana Bethel College, Indiana Tech, Oakland City University, University of Evansville Iowa Briar Cliff University, Cornell College, Drake University, Grand View University, Morningside College, Wartburg College, William Penn University Kentucky Georgetown College, Spalding University Louisiana Centenary College of Louisiana, University of New Orleans Maryland St. Marys College of Maryland, University of Baltimore Massachusetts Bay Path University, Becker College, Elms College, Fisher College, Gordon College, Wentworth Institute of Technology Michigan Aquinas College, Madonna University Minnesota Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Saint Marys University of Minnesota, Southwest Minnesota State University Missouri Columbia College, Fontbonne University, Park University, Southwest Baptist University Montana Rocky Mountain College, University of Providence Nebraska Nebraska Christian College New Hampshire Plymouth State University New Jersey Georgian Court University New York Daemen College, Manhattanville College, Villa Maria College North Carolina Lees-McRae College, Queens University of Charlotte, William Peace University, Wingate University Ohio Antioch College, Bluffton University, Cleveland Institute of Art, College of Wooster, Defiance College, Ohio Wesleyan University Oklahoma Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma Wesleyan University Pennsylvania Gannon University, Immaculata University, Juniata College, Kings College, La Roche College, Mount Aloysius College, Saint Francis University, Thiel College, University of Pittsburgh (Johnstown, Greensburg, and Titusville campuses), University of Valley Forge South Carolina Columbia College South Carolina, Newberry College, Southern Wesleyan University South Dakota Black Hills State University Tennessee Lincoln Memorial University, Maryville College, OMore College of Design, Southern Adventist University Texas Houston Baptist University, Southwestern Assemblies of God University, Texas Wesleyan University, University of St. Thomas Vermont Goddard College, Green Mountain College, Sterling College Virginia Emory Henry College, Roanoke College West Virginia Concord University Wisconsin Alverno College, Carroll University, Edgewood College, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Northland College International John Cabot University (Italy), University of Wolverhampton (United Kingdom) Colleges that Accept the Cappex Application Ready to Begin Your Application? Its never too soon to set up your Cappex account or begin your application. If youre interested in applying to any of the schools above and you dont want to pay any application fees, visit Cappex where youll find the Free Cappex Application.