Triton College to be Among First Community Colleges in the Nation to Join Common App Platform

RIVER GROVE, Ill. — As part of a groundbreaking partnership with the Illinois Community College Board, Triton College is among the first community colleges in the country to join the Common App, a platform that allows students to submit applications to more than 1,100 higher education institutions at once.

Used by more than three million applicants, teachers, and counselors each year, the Common App streamlines the college application process, providing resources and guidance to make college more accessible for students around the world. Until now, however, none of the platform’s members were community colleges that primarily confer associate degrees.

This means rising high school seniors applying for college or university admission in fall 2026 will be able to select Triton College as an option on the Common App.

Dr. Jodi Koslow Martin, Triton College’s Vice President of Enrollment Management & Student Affairs, shared her excitement about this first-of-its-kind partnership, noting that it reflects Triton’s innovative nature.

“The seven schools that are doing this, we’re really charting the course here,” said Koslow Martin. “Community colleges haven’t done this before, so I think it reflects our willingness to try something new and our dedication to serving the high school population, which we see as really important.”

Koslow Martin added that she hopes Triton College will be able to cast a wider net across its district communities and become more visible to prospective college students as an affordable path to the career of their choice.

“We find that students in their late teens aren’t necessarily feeling rushed to figure out what they want to do,” she said. “So oftentimes, there’s an interest in exploring, working, and earning money. In coming to Triton, you have nearly 130 options to explore, without the financial detriment that might come from immediately attending a four-year institution.”

Triton College, along with Lincoln Land Community College and Oakton College, will join the platform in the upcoming 2025–26 application season. These three institutions follow fellow Illinois community colleges—Black Hawk College, Carl Sandburg College, Rend Lake College, and Sauk Valley Community College—which were added to the Common App in the 2024–25 application season.

“Illinois community colleges have long served as accessible and affordable entry points into higher education,” said Illinois Community College Board Executive Director Brian Durham. “By joining Common App, these colleges are strengthening their commitment to access, opening new doors for students, and making the pathway to higher education even more seamless and attainable.”

This new partnership is part of Common App’s Next Chapter initiative, which aims to increase access for low- and middle-income students by expanding the opportunities available for learners applying to higher education.

“To close the gap in low- and middle-income students applying, we need to expand the types of institutions students can connect with,” said Jenny Rickard, President & CEO of Common App. “Community colleges are critical to helping students—especially those from low- and middle-income communities—pursue their postsecondary dreams. We are excited both to help our members expand their reach and to provide our applicants even more opportunities to explore.”

College applicants can still apply to Triton College directly at triton.edu, but for those submitting applications through Common App, Triton will soon be just a click away.

###

Media Contacts:
Melissa Ramirez Cooper | melissacooper@triton.edu | 708-456-0300, Ext. 3496
Hunter Oberst | hunteroberst@triton.edu | 708-456-0300, Ext. 3820

ABOUT TRITON COLLEGE
Triton College is an institution of higher education dedicated to student success. Triton offers more than 120 degree and certificate programs designed for students to realize their career aspirations and effectively compete in a global economy. The college campus spans 110 acres in River Grove, Illinois, holds classes at satellite locations and offers online learning opportunities. Triton’s exemplary faculty and staff work to provide high-quality, convenient and affordable educational opportunities to more than 10,000 students each year. Triton College is a member of The Community Colleges of Illinois and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Learn more at triton.edu.