College Application & Scholarship Tracker Spreadsheet

This college application tracker spreadsheet keeps every college, deadline, requirement, essay, recommender, scholarship and cost estimate in one place, and does the counting for you. Add your colleges and their deadlines, and the Dashboard shows what you have submitted, what is due in the next 14 days, how much scholarship money you have been awarded and the gap still to cover. It works in Google Sheets and in Microsoft Excel, and it is an instant digital download: nothing is shipped.

You get: one ZIP file with a PDF that holds your Google Sheets link (open it, then File, then Make a copy) and the same template as an Excel file (.xlsx), with seven sheets plus a guide: the Dashboard, Colleges, Requirements, Essays, Scholarships, Recommenders and Costs. Nothing is dated, so it works for any application season.

Works in Google Sheets (on a computer is easiest; the Sheets app on a phone or tablet is fine for quick updates) and in Microsoft Excel 2016 or newer. You type only in the cream cells; counts, reminders and charts update on their own.

Who it's for

• High school seniors applying to several colleges at once, with different plans, deadlines, essays and letters for each one.
• Parents helping with applications who want to see what is done and what is due.
• Transfer students and anyone keeping a scholarship tracker next to their college list.

The Dashboard

Eight figures sit at the top: colleges on your list, applications submitted out of your active colleges, acceptances, decisions pending, the share of requirements done, scholarships awarded, the funding gap for one year (the cost to cover you type, minus the scholarships awarded) and the deadlines coming up in the next 14 days. Below them, a list shows the next ten deadlines for colleges and scholarships you are still researching or applying to, oldest first, with passed deadlines kept on the list until you update the status. Tables and charts show your applications and scholarships by status. The last block compares the net cost of your colleges, lowest first, using your own estimates. An optional as-of date lets you see everything as of any day; leave it blank to use today.

Colleges

Up to 60 colleges: name, location, the plan you chose (ED, ED II, EA, REA, RD, Rolling or Priority), deadline, status, date submitted, application fee, fee waiver and notes. Eight statuses follow the whole season: Researching, Applying, Submitted, Deferred, Waitlisted, Accepted, Denied and Withdrawn. Each row shows how many of that college's requirements are done, such as 4 of 6, and the Check column reminds you when a deadline is close or has passed.

Requirements

Up to 400 rows, one per item each college needs: application form, personal essay, supplemental essays, recommendation letters, transcript, test scores, counselor report, mid-year report, fee or waiver, financial aid forms, portfolio or audition, interview or other. Leave the due date blank and the item uses the college's deadline while that college is still Researching or Applying; after you submit, type a date for later items such as a mid-year report or aid forms. Items marked Not needed are left out of the counts.

Essays

Up to 150 prompts, each with its word limit, your current word count, status and due date. Words left updates as you type your count, turns negative when you are over the limit, and the Check column says by how many words. Mark an essay Shared when you reuse it.

Scholarships

Up to 100 outside scholarships: name, provider, amount, deadline, status, date applied and the amount you were awarded. Awarded amounts feed the Dashboard total and the funding gap. A college's own grants go on the Costs sheet instead, so nothing is counted twice.

Recommenders and Costs

The Recommenders sheet holds up to 40 people who write your letters: role, what they are writing for, when you asked, when the letter is needed, status and whether you sent a thank-you note. The Costs sheet holds up to 60 rows of your one-year estimates per college: tuition and fees, housing and meals, books, travel and other, and the aid the college offered. Total and net cost fill in for you; loans and work-study are not included.

Questions

Do I need Excel? No. A free Google account is enough: open the link in the PDF and click Make a copy. The .xlsx file is included for anyone who prefers Excel.

Does it know each college's deadlines or rules? No. You type your own deadlines and choose the plan labels yourself, so always check dates and requirements with each college or scholarship provider.

Can I print it? Yes. Every sheet is set up to print in landscape on US Letter. The Dashboard prints on two pages; each list prints its first rows with the column headers repeated on every page, and the note above each list explains how to print more rows.

Can I use it on my phone? Yes, in the Google Sheets app. Quick updates are easy there; the Dashboard is clearer on a big screen.

Is the net cost comparison a ranking? No. It sorts the numbers you typed, from lowest to highest, so you can see them side by side. It does not rate colleges or recommend one.

Plan the weeks ahead

If you like to plan your week on an iPad, the 2027 Digital Planner, Modern Neutral has room for deadlines, interview days and to-do lists. When a part-time job or internship search starts, the Job Application Tracker keeps applications and interviews the same way. See every Planfolk spreadsheet.

Download, license and returns

This is an instant digital download: nothing is shipped. Finding your files after checkout is covered in how downloads work. To open this one, use the Google Sheets link in the PDF (File, then Make a copy) or open the .xlsx file in Excel 2016 or newer. On an iPhone or iPad, tap the ZIP in the Files app to unzip it first.

• For personal use only. Please do not share, resell or redistribute the files.
• Digital downloads can't be returned, but if anything isn't working, contact us and we'll help.

This spreadsheet is an organization tool, not admissions or financial aid advice. The figures are only as complete as the rows you fill in.