<p>My D is starting her college applications and I am thinking a spreadsheet may be handy to help her get organized. I would appreciate your input on what info to track or examples of spreadsheets or tools used for this purpose.</p>
<p>You know what? We're a pretty techie family.... but in this case, I went the traditional paper file route (yes, hard copies of essays/resume were saved on the computer for editing purposes). I bought a file box, colored folders & a sharpie. One folder for each school he was thinking of applying to. We included the PR stuff from the school, a copy of the application, the essay he was using.... and, after the app was filled out, a complete photocopy of the app & essays, and check. One folder for resume, one for test scores (College Board, ACTs, etc). I filed them in order of his interest level.... His ED school in front, and the rest in order of declining interest.....</p>
<p>Thank you nymom2sons. We have the file box/folders ready and now you have given us a good idea on how to start labeling/organizing the folders.<br>
We have two Costco filing boxes with college info organized by state. My D is in the process of eliminating state folders. Later, she will be eliminating schools from each of the states she would consider attending there.
I was not sure how to start the filing for the college applications and you gave us a good way to start. Thanks again.</p>
<p>glad I could help..... once we knew he had his ED decision (acceptance), we weeded through the rest of the stuff, and tossed it. That box then became my GW box.... with folders labeled for everything.... registration, enrollment, financial, insurance, receipts, etc. It was a great feeling to purge & turn it into something positive.</p>
<p>we did the same thing, the spread sheet gave me a headache</p>
<p>we also created a generic fill-in check list- due dates, done dates, etc, to put on cover of folder with hard copies of everyhing</p>
<p>we also are printing out the list from the colleges website with what they are looking for so there are no doubts</p>
<p>I am also creating, funness, a financlal aid folder for each school- some have forms, some do not, but this way my side of the thing is organized</p>
<p>And a big folder for FAFSA...</p>
<p>Most aps are online now, but you need to print stuff out to proof, etc, and those can be kept in the folder</p>
<p>ANd with seperate folders for each school the student keep it neat</p>
<p>have fun, and good luck....</p>
<p>My son #2 and I are in a bit of a...ahem...disagreement about this...</p>
<p>For son #1 we did hard copies of everything and shuffled those around. </p>
<p>Second time around, I started with a spreadsheet (on my computer), mostly trying to capture critical dates and scholarship info.</p>
<p>But, evidently, son #2 felt he had lost control. And I felt he wasn't showing proper, shall we say, enthusiasm for the process.</p>
<p>So, now, the whole thing is lying in his room in a big pile. </p>
<p>We'll see how that works out! Let's just hope there's truth to the saying, "important papers surface."</p>
<p>Physical files are the way to go, but I had to keep a spreadsheet to keep track of important dates and tasks. I took a look at the spreadsheet I kept while helping manage the application process, and, for what it is worth, I maintained these columns:
Priority, Category (Reach, target, safety) Code (for SAT reporting), School, SAT reported, SAT II reported, App Type (Common or not), App Fee, ED Date, Regular Date, Honors App Date, Fin Aid Date, Teacher Recs (by name).</p>
<p>The two toughest tasks were getting the essays written, and allocating scarce teacher recs to the schools. The best part was the Common App - a little bit of sanity in the escalating one-upmanship of colleges that are asking for more and more essays and recs.</p>
<p>one thing that is REALLLY important is to write down those passowrds, and pin #s, and login names,,,each place has different requirements- some what #s added, some 6-12 letters long, and passwords as well will most liekl e different</p>
<p>so on a big bulletin board-</p>
<p>ss#
pin #s
collegeboard login
etc</p>
<p>I know people that could not remember if they added a 9 to this or that password, got locked out for too many tries, and than had to request new ones etc</p>
<p>not a huge deal, but a pain in the )($# when you want to work on something</p>
<p>I bought a big academic year calendar for all due dates, scholarship weekends, interviews, local college visits (those evening programs as well as the ones at school), high school holidays, mom and dad's travel schedules, sports practices and games, Model UN, etc.</p>
<p>My d had the plastic envelopes with the twisty string closure thingy. One, in a different color, for each school. Used a Sharpie to write the school name, various deadlines, SAT school codes, passwords, etc... on the outside. Also, made a sheet of labels with the address for each school and a sheet of labels with her return address which she kept in each file as well. (She used white labels on white letter sized envelopes for mailings, and it was easier to make the labels all at once.)</p>
<p>She also created a similar file for each teacher who would write her recommendations. Stored resumes, printed recommendation forms from school or commonapp websites and a page of labels with the school addresses and the teachers' return addresses in each file. When it came time, she provided each teacher with the forms, big white envelopes with appropriate labels, postage...and a plate of homemade cookies. :-)</p>
<p>For managing all the dates, we kept a big desktop blotter type calendar in a central location.</p>
<p>We also used both hardcopy hanging files and an electronic checklist. The column headings for our checklist were: Schools, Regular Application Deadline, Essay Required?, Academic Scholarship Deadline, Scores Sent?, Academic Recommendations (# & Sent), School Report Required?, Mid-Year Report Required?. There were a couple of extras for D because she was also auditioning to music schools/conservatories which require additional applications and teacher recs, etc. For some schools, D used the common app and for others, she opted for the school app -- this checklist worked well. I had columns after each of the above and put smiley faces in when the task was complete...</p>
<p>Good luck -- hope this helps.</p>
<p>weenie- yes, we had the Pile or should I say Piles, too, until I finally broke down and set up some files; we have a pretty small house and there really wasn't enough space in her room for all the college stuff</p>
<p>I showed d the new filing system, and from this day forward the filing is up to her, the nagging is up to me...we have an in basket next to the 3 file boxes, and every day when the mail comes, her college things go in there and wait there for her to file them..I figure if she files it, not me, maybe she will actually read whatever it is</p>
<p>I'm trying to get catalogs for all the possible colleges..she is somewhat indecisive about where she wants to apply, majors , etc..which is pretty typical, I guess; but I find having the catalogs around will be helpful. They go in each college folder right in the filing box. I'm going to try to get her to go through some and just check each class that looks interesting, and see if we can start figuring anything out</p>
<p>the catalog that gets the most checks will be the top choice school!
and learning how to read a college catalog can be a good survival skill</p>
<p>I like the spreadsheet ideas, and will try that....also the process of elimination route seems like a good idea</p>
<p>we also have a big calendar in a central place...recently I did get her to enter all the info/dates on it, which was much better than me doing it</p>
<p>I'm starting some classes in a few weeks, so I told her she needs to take ownership of this process. At least I want her to think that, but I won't be able to stay out of it, most likely....that will be a balancing act</p>
<p>I've never made labels before, but I did figure out how to print addresses right on the envelope!</p>
<p>Hope we can all keep our sanity and enjoy this "last" year with our kids! She's a hard worker, and very bright...but also quite social...and very busy.</p>
<p>This is basically how it works in the UK. There is one common application form which you fill in online. Then UCAS, the admin people, send it off to your chosen colleges and they get back to you to ask for interviews/visits/examples of class work etc if necessary. One nominal fee and the whole process takes about half an hour. You can track your application online as often as you like. You can only apply to a maximum of 6 places though. In August there is a process called "clearing" which matches students without places (having either been rejected from all their choices, not made the right grades for their choices or having changed their minds) to colleges with vacancies. It's not an exact science though. In my experience people who apply through clearing often drop out and re-apply to somewhere they really want to go. I think they panic and accept the first clearing place they are offered (I probably would too) but if they wait they might get a more suitbale place.</p>
<p>Fortunately, we don't often use our dining room table, so we were able to keep the piles off the floor. </p>
<p>First time around, we used hanging files, alphabetical, to sort college info as it came. Bought a second box to keep schools S1 developed an interest in. (Schools came and went between the two.) </p>
<p>S & H are very techie, and did all the financial stuff on computer spread sheets, but I was secretary for the due dates and the nagging, and I prefer hard copy, so I had a spiral notebook with a running to-do list, and multi-colored pens. Once the application process actually started, the school folders were arranged around the table, along with the notebook and the typewriter.</p>
<p>A list of dates and other school-specific info (like which teachers were asked for the ref letter) were also kept inside the cover (we wrote right on the cover) of the hanging file for each school as a cross-check - and dated when it was done. </p>
<p>Now, six years later, D is using the Common Application for most schools. I'm hoping the paper piles will be a bit lower this time around. And we won't need the typewriter so much, since she can fill forms out on the computer!</p>
<p>My S had a spreadsheet with all the deadlines and quirky requirements of each college. He also jotted down notes about each place after his visit which he used as jogs when writing Why College X essays. </p>
<p>However, before the Mail Out of his hard copy Supplements (All mailed on the day before the final postmark deadlines..Hello Last Post Office Opened in town in the pitch dark of December's short days!) and for those colleges where he did their app, the DR table became the place for the 8 piles. They became like little Totem piles as he finished each essay demanded and completed all the Labels for the envelopes. We used to walk by the 8 piles in wonderment. Which one would walk a pathway to a door that opened wide? Which one would be a disappointment and a lost dream? Plus how can one be "in love" with several colleges at once and not feel a bit crazy?</p>
<p>I bought a big hard sided file box and made a file for each final choice school.Everything and I mean every bit of correspondence from each school went in their file folder. I made a seperate file for financial aid.On the outside of the box I taped a paper with the passwords,codes,etc for each colleges websites they needed to access their online apps,info etc.To visually jog my S into action I put that speadsheet others kept on the computer on a big sheet of oaktag and left it in a pretty prominent spot.It was ugly but helped him keep on task..especially with me haping on him and pointing to categories with deadlines.Like a little kid, I gave him big red checkmarks when he completed a task!</p>
<p>My kids each had a whiteboard in their room with their own handwritten spreadsheets. I tracked the financial stuff on an Excel spreadsheet.</p>
<p>"one thing that is REALLLY important is to write down those passowrds, and pin #s, and login names,,,each place has different requirements- some what #s added, some 6-12 letters long, and passwords as well will most liekl e different"</p>
<p>That's really important - especially when your child needs those log-in IDs to access their online decisions!</p>