<p>I'm curious how everyone tracks the application process for several schools. When I applied for college, I rather stupidly applied to just one. Thankfully I got in, but that was leaving a lot to chance.</p>
<p>So now I'm trying to keep track of all the requirements, fees, and deadlines for 10-12 schools and it's kind of a nightmare (not to mention keeping the kid on track too).</p>
<p>What are some good tools you use?</p>
<p>I created a chart with a Word document. What everyone needs to keep track of will differ from kid to kid, so what I used for D1, was different for D2.</p>
<p>Try adding on what is required if your kid is a recruited athlete! You have to keep track of coaches, official visits, etc. It is exhausting.</p>
<p>^^^ or is auditioning for programs/scholarships!</p>
<p>Seriously, the good news is that it gets easier with each successive child.</p>
<p>I found an excel spreadsheet worked the best. That way you can sort the information at any given time for what you are looking for.</p>
<p>In combination with the spreadsheet, it might help to have the calendar in Outlook or Gmail or whatever send you e-mail reminders of important dates, like “Application due for _____ tomorrow.”</p>
<p>Unlike kids, we parents actually read our e-mail.</p>
<p>I use excel. I have in there everything from log ins and password - some require symbols, some caps, some you use your email other times they assign you one, etc. I also have due dates, when they release answers, when the app was sent, and a little check mark when we see all documentation has been received.</p>
<p>Obviously put on there whatever you all feel you need to keep track of - but I can assure you the portal information should be the first column!</p>
<p>Google Docs on Google Drive is good. You hit create and then use spreadsheet. What is particularly helpful is that you can share it with your student/child and it is parked in a cloud so it is easy to access. It also saves automatically all entries.</p>
<p>It’s not that bad. The two most important things are application deadlines and financial aid deadlines. You can simplify things to make life easier. For example, you should send SAT scores and transcripts to all college at the same time. In my experience, the thing I worried a little bit was my kids’ procastination in essay writing and pushing the send button. But this did not go past Dec 31. The thing that took me a lot of time was sending tax info and IDOC for CSS profile.</p>
<p>I also built a spreadsheet for each of the kids. I like excel because you can sort the data. What was interesting to me was that each kid eliminated colleges once I turned over the spreadsheet. I think visualizing colleges in a spreadsheet formula helped them see colleges that could be eliminated.</p>
<p>D2 applied to colleges 2 years ago. She was able to use Naviance to track most things. She could see if her transcripts, LORs were submitted. The Naviance also showed how ranked to previous applicants.</p>
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<p>Our HS didn’t offer Naviance until well after my kids graduated, which was too bad.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the tips. Wish we had Naviance. After doing some more research, I turned up [College</a> Planning | College Organizer | College Application Wizard](<a href=“http://collegeappwizard.com%5DCollege”>http://collegeappwizard.com) and [College</a> App Tracker - Control the college application process](<a href=“http://collegeapptracker.launchrock.com%5DCollege”>http://collegeapptracker.launchrock.com), though they appear to offer the same thing as a good old spreadsheet and calendar.</p>
<p>Now to solve the procrastination problem!</p>
<p>keep really organized. Create a spreadsheet with deadlines for each school. Get really familiar with each school’s web page and don’t be shy about e-mailing and calling the Office of Admissions of the schools to which you are applying. Best of luck!</p>
<p>I used Excel for both kids. For the most recent ones, one thing I had was a tab in the spreadsheet that listed every single deadline except the financial aid ones (they got their own tab because there were so many and so many requirements to document for each one). But I listed out all tasks starting fall of senior year, who owned (me or kid), and what the status was. Every essay, college app, scholarship deadline, etc. If there were essays, had a date for a draft and a final version, too.</p>
<p>Also had a spreadsheet tracking actual status and result of applications, and another tracking the results of the calculators for each school.</p>
<p>Two words: Excel spreadsheet. It was the only thing that kept me sane.</p>
<p>Totally agree with everyone about the spreadsheets. I used Excel and put down all the info. required (due dates, applic. fee amount, rec #, log-in password and ID’s, mailing address etc.). Also had columns to input the dates the required items were sent out. It was much easier to have the information on one sheet of paper.</p>
<p>You’d have to ask my kids how they tracked their applications …</p>
<p>and they would also say they used Excel</p>
<p>Excel is really good, and like itsv said, uploading it into Google Drive so you can share it with your kiddo is a wonderful option. I’m now on my third, and learned to get a big nice looking file box (this one is from Target, recyled cardboard) with a file for each school to keep all the propaganda and stuff in. I also went on to a site that lists each school’s supplemental essay questions and printed out each and put it in the file. Now that the procrastination-must-end point for essays has been reached, I took all the stuff out for each school, made a separate pile for each on the dining room table, and put the essay questions right on top, along with a easy-to-digest book that has advice about writing good college essays.
I also wish we had Naviance - they have it at the high school I work at, and it makes it so much easier for our kids.
Oh, and I also put any college visits/important deadlines into Google Calendar and share with him, so it’s in his calendar. And we tack important postcards to the bulletin board in kitchen. I’ve learned the multi-pronged approach is best, lol, but I try to make it so he has the ability to notice it before I have to verbally remind or nag, which we both hate. Sometimes it works, lol.</p>
<p>The other thing that helped was having a child get foot surgery and be home and bored at the end of the summer for a few weeks. She couldn’t run and hide, had nothing else to do, and I’m a cracker jack nagger. Almost every app got turned in then, which was a blessing at this house as once school started and homework, ec’s, and the social life kicked in there has not been as much interest or time. There is one more on the list to get done that needs 3 essays. We’ll see if she gets to it or not.</p>