Common App vs Kira Talent

Common App helps students explore colleges, submit applications, and navigate the admissions process. It serves first-year and transfer applicants and lets students explore more than 1,100 Common App colleges. Its first-year guidance covers gathering materials, setting up an account, adding colleges, engaging supporters, reviewing requirements, planning essays, and submitting an application. Accounts can roll over from year to year, and answers in My Common Application can be saved across years. Students who complete a profile may receive non-binding direct admission offers from participating colleges before submitting an application; applying through the program to colleges offering those admissions is free. Otherwise, each college decides whether to charge an application fee and the amount, and many colleges do not charge one. Qualifying students may be eligible for a Common App fee waiver, subject to participating colleges’ policies. The nonprofit membership organization describes its focus as access, equity, and integrity in college admission. Common App is available on web, Android, and iOS. It lists integrations with CRM and SIS providers, school counseling platforms, and embedded services including SlideRoom and UStrive.

Kira Talent is an admissions assessment and interview platform for higher education programs. Applicants can complete timed video or written assessments on demand, or take part in structured live interviews. Reviewers assess submitted responses when convenient, applying custom competency criteria and rubrics. Live sessions can be one-on-one, panel, Multiple Mini Interview, group station, or forum formats. Admissions teams can manage applicant communications, collect documents, and run review and decision workflows. SimCheck screens timed written responses and uploaded documents, and includes AI writing detection capabilities. Kira lists integrations with Zap Solutions AMP, Enrollment Rx, Full Fabric, Liaison CAS, Salesforce, and Slate. Its API can automate invitations, return completion status and scores through webhooks, share review links, and support reporting. The platform serves academic programs including dentistry, graduate management, health professions, law, medicine, and undergraduate education. Applicants can use Windows or macOS computers and Android or iOS devices, though a laptop or desktop is recommended. Kira states SOC 2 Type II compliance and WCAG 2.1 Level AA alignment, with some known accessibility exceptions being addressed. Pricing is on request.