The Coalition Application is a free college application platform used by 160+ member schools, designed to increase college access for underrepresented students, with unique features like a digital locker where students can store materials starting in 9th grade.
What is Coalition Application?
The Coalition Application is an online college application platform created in 2015 by the Coalition for College Access. It allows students to apply to over 160 member colleges—including all Ivy League schools—through a single application. Unlike the Common App, which focuses on streamlining the application process, the Coalition was specifically designed to improve college access for first-generation and low-income students. As of 2024-2025, the platform is powered by Scoir, integrating college planning and application tools. Homeschoolers can use it to apply to prestigious institutions while taking advantage of its unique features.
Key Takeaways
- Accepted by 160+ colleges including all Ivy League schools and Stanford
- No limit on number of applications (Common App limits you to 20)
- Digital Locker lets students collect materials starting in 9th grade
- Accepts multimedia files like videos and presentations—useful for portfolios
Coalition vs Common App
Unique Features for Homeschoolers
The Coalition Application offers several advantages that particularly benefit homeschooled students. The Digital Locker allows you to start collecting and organizing materials as early as 9th grade—transcripts, awards, writing samples, project documentation. This long-term storage helps homeschoolers who often lack traditional school records. The collaboration space lets you invite mentors, tutors, or co-op teachers to review materials and submit recommendations directly. Perhaps most valuable: the platform accepts multimedia uploads including videos, audio files, and presentations. Homeschoolers with impressive projects, performances, or portfolios can showcase work that wouldn't fit in a text-based application.
Homeschool-Specific Requirements
When applying through the Coalition as a homeschooler, you'll identify as homeschooled in the Education section and enter your homeschool supervisor (often a parent) as the counselor. You'll need to submit transcripts organized chronologically with course descriptions and grading explanations. Most colleges want academic recommendations from non-parent adults—community college professors, co-op teachers, or tutors work well. Even test-optional schools often expect SAT/ACT scores from homeschooled applicants since they provide external validation. Check each college's specific homeschool requirements; many have dedicated pages explaining exactly what documentation they need.
Key Deadlines for 2026 Enrollment
The Bottom Line
The Coalition Application provides homeschoolers a solid path to selective colleges, with features specifically useful for non-traditional students. The Digital Locker, multimedia support, and no application limits address challenges homeschoolers often face. That said, with only 160+ member schools compared to Common App's 1,000+, you may need both platforms depending on your target schools. Colleges don't prefer one application over the other, so choose based on which schools you're applying to and which features serve your needs. Start building your Locker materials early and secure non-parent recommendations well before deadlines.
