How to use the college application tracker printable
- Type your schools, one per line, up to 30. The names shown are examples.
- List the steps you need to finish for each school, up to 8. The five shown are examples.
- Choose whether to print the fee and notes columns.
- Check the preview, then press Download PDF or Print, and fill in the deadlines and fees by hand.
How the tracker is laid out
The page is a landscape table. Each school gets a row with its name, a blank deadline cell, an optional fee cell, one small box for every step you listed, and an optional notes cell. With eight schools and five steps, the page has eight rows and 40 boxes to tick. A list of more than 12 schools continues on a second page.
Many students find it helpful to put the school with the earliest deadline at the top, then sort the rest by date. You can reorder the list in the box at any time and the preview follows. Tick a box in pencil as you finish each step, and write the date you sent it in the notes column so you can answer questions later.
The step names become column headings, and long ones shrink to fit the column. The default steps are Application, Essay, Recommendations, Transcript and Test scores. Replace them with whatever each school actually asks for, such as a portfolio, an interview or a financial form.
Why deadlines and fees are left blank
Deadlines, fees and requirements change from year to year and differ by school and by type of application. This page does not look any of them up or guess at them, so you write each one in from the school's own site. Check them again before you submit.
Keeping everything on one page makes it easy to see which school needs attention next. For the money side of the choice, try the College Cost Calculator and the College Savings Calculator. The Assignment Tracker and the Exam Study Planner help with the schoolwork that goes with it.
Assumptions and limits
- The page prints on US Letter paper in landscape orientation.
- Deadlines, fees and requirements are not filled in. You enter them from each school's own information.
- School names and steps are examples you can replace.
- Your list stays in this browser only if you tick the remember box.
Frequently asked questions
What should a college application tracker include?
At minimum the school, the deadline and each step to finish. This page adds a fee column, a notes column and a box for every step you list.
How many schools can I track?
Up to 30. Twelve rows fit on one page, and a longer list continues onto more pages with the same columns.
Does this page tell me the deadlines?
No. Deadlines and fees differ by school and change each year, so you fill them in from each school's own site.
Can I change the steps?
Yes. Type up to 8 steps, one per line, and each becomes a column with a box for every school.