# College Launchpad

## Dashboard / How to use
A single-page hub that lets students and parents monitor every step of the college-admission journey—from applications and essays to test scores, recommendation letters, scholarships, and finances. Designed for high-school juniors and seniors who want a clear, actionable view of deadlines and progress.

**Quick start**
1. Duplicate the template into your workspace.  
2. Open **College Dashboard** and link the sub-databases (Applications, Essays, Recommendations, Tests, Scholarships, Finances).  
3. Fill in your first application entry; the dashboard will auto-populate key metrics.  
4. Set reminders on the **Due Date** columns; Notion will push notifications.  
5. Review the weekly “Admission Pulse” view to stay on track.  
6. Sync deadlines with Google Calendar using Notion API + Zapier for automatic updates.

---

## Applications Tracker
Track each college you’re applying to, see status at a glance, and monitor required materials.

| College | Application Status | Decision | Deadline | Submitted? | Notes |
|---------|-------------------|----------|----------|------------|-------|
| University of Washington | Applied | Pending | 2024-11-15 | ✅ | Sent early decision |
| Boston College | Researching | — | 2024-12-01 | ☐ | Need campus visit |
| UCLA | Waitlisted | — | 2024-11-30 | ✅ | Interview scheduled |
| Emory University | Rejected | — | 2024-11-20 | ✅ | Feedback received |
| Stanford University | Accepted | — | 2024-12-15 | ✅ | Scholarship offer pending |

*Title column: **College** (Text)  
**Application Status** – Select (Applied, Researching, Waitlisted, Accepted, Rejected)  
**Decision** – Select (Pending, Accepted, Rejected)  
**Deadline** – Date  
**Submitted?** – Checkbox  
**Notes** – Text*

> 💡 Tip: Use the **Rollup** property on the Dashboard to show the nearest upcoming deadline across all applications.

---

## Essays & Drafts
Organize prompts, draft versions, word counts, and feedback loops.

| Prompt | Draft Version | Word Count | Feedback Received? | Target Word Count | Status |
|--------|---------------|------------|--------------------|-------------------|--------|
| Why this college? | v2 | 420 | ✅ | 500 | Ready to submit |
| Overcoming adversity | v1 | 350 | ☐ | 400 | In progress |
| Future goals | v3 | 480 | ✅ | 500 | Needs polishing |
| Community impact | v1 | 300 | ☐ | 350 | Drafting |
| Leadership story | v2 | 410 | ✅ | 450 | Ready to submit |

*Title column: **Prompt** (Text)  
**Draft Version** – Select (v1, v2, v3…)  
**Word Count** – Number  
**Feedback Received?** – Checkbox  
**Target Word Count** – Number  
**Status** – Select (Drafting, In progress, Ready to submit, Submitted)*

> ✅ Best practice: Link each essay row to the corresponding **College** in the Applications Tracker using a Relation, then add a Rollup to see “All essays needed for this college”.

---

## Recommendation Letters
Keep track of who’s writing each letter, due dates, and submission status.

| Recommender | Relationship | Letter Status | Due Date | Submitted? | Contact Notes |
|-------------|--------------|---------------|----------|------------|---------------|
| Ms. Patel (AP English) | Teacher | Draft sent | 2024-10-10 | ✅ | Follow-up email sent |
| Coach Rivera (Soccer) | Coach | Pending | 2024-10-20 | ☐ | Provide resume |
| Dr. Kim (Research Mentor) | Mentor | Completed | 2024-10-05 | ✅ | Uploaded to portal |
| Mrs. Gomez (Counselor) | Counselor | Draft review | 2024-10-12 | ☐ | Need signature |
| Mr. Lee (Volunteer Coordinator) | Volunteer | Pending | 2024-10-18 | ☐ | Send template |

*Title column: **Recommender** (Text)  
**Relationship** – Select (Teacher, Coach, Mentor, Counselor, Volunteer, Other)  
**Letter Status** – Select (Pending, Draft sent, Completed, Reviewed)  
**Due Date** – Date  
**Submitted?** – Checkbox  
**Contact Notes** – Text*

> 💡 Tip: Add a **Formula** property `Days Until Due = dateBetween(prop("Due Date"), now(), "days")` to surface urgency on the Dashboard.

---

## Test Scores
Log standardized test dates, scores, and retake plans.

| Test | Date Taken | Score | Percentile | Retake Planned? | Notes |
|------|------------|-------|------------|-----------------|-------|
| SAT | 2024-09-15 | 1450 | 94% | ☐ | Strong Math section |
| ACT | 2024-08-20 | 32 | 88% | ✅ | Schedule retake in Jan |
| AP Calculus AB | 2024-05-10 | 5 | — | ☐ | Submitted to colleges |
| TOEFL | 2024-07-05 | 108 | 96% | ☐ | Required for international apps |
| SAT Subject Math 2 | 2024-06-12 | 750 | 92% | ☐ | Good for engineering schools |

*Title column: **Test** (Text)  
**Date Taken** – Date  
**Score** – Number  
**Percentile** – Text (or Number)  
**Retake Planned?** – Checkbox  
**Notes** – Text*

> ✅ Best practice: Create a **Rollup** on the Dashboard that shows the highest score per test type for quick reference.

---

## Scholarships Database
Searchable list of scholarships with eligibility, amount, deadline, and application status.

| Scholarship Name | Amount | Eligibility | Deadline | Applied? | Link |
|------------------|--------|-------------|----------|----------|------|
| Gates Millennium Scholars | $5,000 | U.S. citizen, GPA ≥ 3.3 | 2024-11-01 | ☐ | https://www.gatesfoundation.org |
| National Merit Scholarship | $2,500 | PSAT ≥ 2200 | 2024-10-15 | ✅ | https://www.nationalmerit.org |
| STEM Women Leaders Grant | $3,000 | Female, STEM major | 2024-12-01 | ☐ | https://www.stemwomen.org |
| Community Service Award | $1,500 | ≥ 100 hrs volunteer | 2024-11-20 | ✅ | https://www.serviceaward.org |
| First-Generation College Fund | $4,000 | First-gen, low-income | 2024-12-15 | ☐ | https://www.firstgenfund.org |

*Title column: **Scholarship Name** (Text)  
**Amount** – Number (currency)  
**Eligibility** – Text  
**Deadline** – Date  
**Applied?** – Checkbox  
**Link** – URL*

> 💡 Tip: Use a **Relation** to link each scholarship to the **College** you plan to apply to, then a **Rollup** to see “Total potential aid per college”.

---

## Finances & Scholarships
Manage your financial aid and scholarship applications with a budgeting dashboard.

| Scholarship Name | Amount | Eligibility | Deadline | Applied? | Link |
|------------------|--------|-------------|----------|----------|------|
| Gates Millennium Scholars | $5,000 | U.S. citizen, GPA ≥ 3.3 | 2024-11-01 | ☐ | https://www.gatesfoundation.org |
| National Merit Scholarship | $2,500 | PSAT ≥ 2200 | 2024-10-15 | ✅ | https://www.nationalmerit.org |
| STEM Women Leaders Grant | $3,000 | Female, STEM major | 2024-12-01 | ☐ | https://www.stemwomen.org |
| Community Service Award | $1,500 | ≥ 100 hrs volunteer | 2024-11-20 | ✅ | https://www.serviceaward.org |
| First-Generation College Fund | $4,000 | First-gen, low-income | 2024-12-15 | ☐ | https://www.firstgenfund.org |

*Title column: **Scholarship Name** (Text)  
**Amount** – Number (currency)  
**Eligibility** – Text  
**Deadline** – Date  
**Applied?** – Checkbox  
**Link** – URL*

> 💡 Tip: Use a **Rollup** to calculate total potential aid and display it on the Dashboard.

---

## How to set up in Notion
1. **Duplicate** this page into your workspace (click “Duplicate” at the top-right).  
2. For each table, type `/database` → **Table – Full page**, then **Paste** the markdown rows. Notion will auto-create the columns.  
3. **Set property types** exactly as indicated after each table (Title, Select, Date, Checkbox, Number, Text, URL, Formula).  
4. Create **Relations**:  
   - In **Applications Tracker**, add a Relation to **Essays & Drafts** (link Prompt → College).  
   - In **Essays & Drafts**, add a Relation to **Scholarships Database** (link Scholarship Name → College).  
   - In **Recommendation Letters**, add a Relation to **Applications Tracker** (link Recommender → College).  
   - In **Finances & Scholarships**, add a Relation to **Applications Tracker** (link Scholarship Name → College).  
5. Add **Rollup** properties on the **College Dashboard** sub-page to surface: nearest deadline, total scholarships per college, highest test scores, and essay completion status.  
6. Set **Views** for each database:  
   - **Applications Tracker** – Table (All), Calendar (Deadlines), Kanban (Status).  
   - **Essays & Drafts** – Table (All), Board (Status).  
   - **Recommendation Letters** – Table (All), Calendar (Due Dates).  
   - **Test Scores** – Table (All), Gallery (Score Highlights).  
   - **Scholarships Database** – Table (All), Calendar (Deadlines), Gallery (Amount).  
   - **Finances & Scholarships** – Table (All), Gallery (Total Aid).  
7. (Optional) Click **Share → Publish** and enable **“Allow duplicate as template”** to sell or share publicly.  
8. Create a **5-minute onboarding video** and a **one-page FAQ** for new users.  
9. Launch a **Discord community** for user support and collaboration.  

You’re now ready to launch your college-application journey with a single, powerful Notion workspace. Good luck!