A Message from the Department of Teaching and Learning

Dear families and students of the class of 2024,

We want to share information about a platform available to all our high school seniors to assist with applications to colleges. The Common App is a free online tool that allows students to apply to many colleges using just one main application. Starting this year, we are using Xello as our High School and Beyond Plan platform, and seniors will need to connect your Common App with Xello.

(If you have older children who have applied through the Common App in the past, this system will be slightly different, but we promise the process is easy to navigate!)

Visit our High School and Beyond Plan webpage to learn more about Xello, see the brief directions below, or jump directly to this link to review more detailed, step-by-step instructions.

If you have questions, please get in touch with your school counselor. We look forward to continuing to support our seniors as they explore their next steps after high school.

How to get started with Xello and Common App:

1. Set up Common App account
2. Complete Common App profile.
3. Assign at least one school you would like to apply to and identify start term and admission plan.
4. Fill out FERPA Release Authorization under the Recommender Tab for one college.

Now, sign into Xello

5. Go to Students tab on your school’s website and choose High School and Beyond Plan
6. Click on Sign in button (if you are on school computer, will automatically log you in).
7. Go to “College Planning” on the left hand side.
8. Click “View College Applications.”
9. Click on the Common App banner at the top of the page – this will sync the two platforms.
10. Next, click on the college application and assign recommenders/counselor.

**If you are applying to schools that are not on Common App, you will need to add colleges on Xello

Need more help? Talk with your counselor or review these more detailed step-by-step instructions.