The Cappex Application

Apply to More Than 135 Colleges and Universities With No Application Fees

The University of Tampa is one of the 125+ schools that accepts the free Cappex Application. Photo Credit: Allen Grove

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Updated on January 27, 2019

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, it's easy to wonder why students really need another application option. It's a reasonable question, but for some schools the Cappex Application may be an applicant's 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 doesn't 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 you're searching for schools, finding scholarships, or applying to college, you'll enter your data at Cappex only once. In fact, thousands of high school students have Cappex accounts 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 Information
Academic Information
SAT/ACT Scores (note that many of the schools that accept the Cappex Application have test-optional admissions)
Extracurricular Activities
Honors and Awards
Employment and Internship Information
Disciplinary History
Essay and Short Answers
Letters of Recommendation
Transcripts
Intended Majors
Other (colleges can include any questions that don't 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, it's 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 won't 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. Mary's 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 Mary's 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, King's 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, O'More 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?

It's never too soon to set up your Cappex account or begin your application. If you're interested in applying to any of the schools above and you don't want to pay any application fees, visit Cappex where you'll find the Free Cappex Application.