# College Application Command Center  

> **One‑stop, data‑driven hub** for every college‑application element – schools, essays, recommenders, test scores, scholarships, financial‑aid budgeting, tasks, and research. Includes automated deadline reminders, weighted **Fit‑Score** rankings, visual Kanban / Gantt dashboards, and a live **Overall Progress** meter.  

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## 📊 Dashboard (Full‑Page)  

Create a **Dashboard** page (type: *Page*) and add the following **linked database views** (all set to **Full‑Width**). Pin the page to the top of your workspace for instant access.  

| View | Source DB | View Type | Filters / Sort | What It Shows |
|------|-----------|----------|----------------|---------------|
| **Upcoming Deadlines** | All databases (via a **Master Timeline** view – see below) | Table | `Date` ≤ `now() + 30 days` | All deadlines in the next 30 days, sorted soonest → latest. |
| **Fit‑Score Ranking** | Schools | Table | Sort by **Fit Score** ↓ | Schools ranked by weighted Fit Score, with progress bar. |
| **Essay Gantt** | Essays | Timeline | Group by **School** | Visual workload across all schools; bars stretch from **Start** (today) to **Due Date**. |
| **Recommendations Board** | Recommendations | Board (grouped by **Submitted**) | – | Quick visual of who still needs to submit. |
| **Financial Summary** | Financial Aid Budget | Table (grouped by **Funding Source**) | – | Shows **Estimated Cost**, **Funding Received**, **Net Cost** per source. |
| **Tasks Inbox** | Tasks | Board (grouped by **Status**) | – | Master to‑do list for the entire application cycle. |
| **Overall Progress** | – | Formula (in the Dashboard page) | – | `round((prop("Schools Progress %") + prop("Essays Progress %") + prop("Recommendations Progress %")) / 3)` → displays a circular progress bar (use a Notion “Progress” widget embed if desired). |

> **Tip:** Enable **Reminders** on every *Date* property (3 days before) → Notion will push notifications to your calendar and mobile device.  

---  

## 🏫 Schools & Fit Score  

| School Name | Application Status | GPA | SAT Score | ACT Score | Extracurricular Rating* | Personal Preference* | Fit Score | Early Decision | Deadline | Progress % | Notes |
|-------------|-------------------|-----|-----------|----------|------------------------|----------------------|----------|----------------|----------|------------|-------|
| University of Washington | Applied | 3.9 | 1480 | 34 | 85 | 80 | 87 | ✅ | 2024‑11‑15 | 92% | Public‑state, strong CS program |
| Stanford University | Not Started | 4.0 | 1520 | 35 | 90 | 95 | 92 | ❌ | 2024‑12‑01 | 0% | Reach school, need higher SAT |
| University of Michigan | In Review | 3.8 | 1450 | 33 | 80 | 75 | 78 | ❌ | 2024‑11‑01 | 65% | Strong engineering, need essay draft |
| Boston College | Accepted | 3.9 | 1470 | 34 | 88 | 85 | 85 | ✅ | 2024‑10‑20 | 100% | Early Decision confirmed |
| Howard University | Not Started | 3.7 | 1400 | 32 | 70 | 70 | 70 | ❌ | 2024‑11‑30 | 0% | Need scholarship research |

**Properties**  

| Property | Type | Details |
|----------|------|---------|
| **School Name** | Title | – |
| **Application Status** | Select | Options: *Not Started, Applied, In Review, Accepted, Rejected* |
| **GPA** | Number | Scale 0‑4.0 (set format to **Number**, 2 decimals) |
| **SAT Score** | Number | Scale 400‑1600 |
| **ACT Score** | Number | Scale 1‑36 |
| **Extracurricular Rating** | Number | 0‑100 (subjective rating) |
| **Personal Preference** | Number | 0‑100 (how much you *want* to attend) |
| **Fit Score** | Formula | `round(((prop("GPA")/4)*40) + ((prop("SAT Score")/1600)*30) + ((prop("ACT Score")/36)*30) + (prop("Extracurricular Rating")*0.2) + (prop("Personal Preference")*0.1))` |
| **Early Decision** | Checkbox | – |
| **Deadline** | Date | – |
| **Progress %** | Formula | `round((if(prop("Essays Completed") = 0, 0, prop("Essays Completed") / prop("Total Essays")) * 100) + (if(prop("Recommendations Submitted") = 0, 0, prop("Recommendations Submitted") / prop("Total Recommenders")) * 100) / 2)` |
| **Notes** | Text | – |

> **Rollups** (set up in the **Schools** DB):  
> - **Essays Completed** → Relation to **Essays** → Rollup `Completed` (checkbox) → `sum`  
> - **Total Essays** → Relation to **Essays** → Rollup `Essay Prompt` → `count`  
> - **Recommendations Submitted** → Relation to **Recommendations** → Rollup `Submitted` → `sum`  
> - **Total Recommenders** → Relation to **Recommendations** → Rollup `Recommender Name` → `count`  

---  

## ✍️ Essays Tracker  

| Essay Prompt | School | Draft Status | Word Count | Start Date | Due Date | Completed | Link |
|--------------|--------|--------------|------------|------------|----------|-----------|------|
| Why are you interested in Computer Science? | University of Washington | Draft 2 | 620 | 2024‑09‑15 | 2024‑10‑30 | ❌ | |
| Describe a challenge you overcame. | Stanford University | Not Started | 0 | 2024‑10‑01 | 2024‑11‑15 | ❌ | |
| Explain your leadership experience. | University of Michigan | Final | 750 | 2024‑09‑01 | 2024‑10‑20 | ✅ | https://docs.google.com/... |
| What does community mean to you? | Boston College | Draft 1 | 500 | 2024‑09‑10 | 2024‑10‑10 | ❌ | |
| How will you contribute to campus diversity? | Howard University | Draft 1 | 480 | 2024‑10‑01 | 2024‑11‑05 | ❌ | |

**Properties**  

| Property | Type | Details |
|----------|------|---------|
| **Essay Prompt** | Title | – |
| **School** | Relation → *Schools* | Enables rollup into Fit Score |
| **Draft Status** | Select | Options: *Not Started, Draft 1, Draft 2, Final* |
| **Word Count** | Number | – |
| **Start Date** | Date | Auto‑filled with today when you create the row (`now()`) |
| **Due Date** | Date | Must be **≤** school deadline – 7 days (use formula for default) |
| **Completed** | Checkbox | – |
| **Link** | URL | Final version location |

**Formulas & Automation**  

- **Default Due Date** (set on creation): `dateAdd(prop("School").deadline, -7, "days")` (use a *Formula* column “Auto Due” → copy → paste into **Due Date**).  
- **Progress Bar** (optional column): `repeat("█", floor(prop("Word Count") / 100)) + repeat("░", 10 - floor(prop("Word Count") / 100))`  

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## 📧 Recommendations  

| Recommender Name | Relationship | Contact Email | Request Sent | Sent Date | Reminder | Submitted | Submission Method | Notes |
|------------------|--------------|---------------|--------------|-----------|----------|-----------|-------------------|-------|
| Ms. Laura Chen | Teacher | laura.chen@highschool.edu | ✅ | 2024‑08‑01 | 2024‑08‑28 | ✅ | Online portal | Strong science endorsement |
| Coach Mike Rivera | Coach | mike.rivera@sports.org | ✅ | 2024‑08‑05 | 2024‑08‑12 | ❌ | Email attachment | Needs deadline reminder |
| Dr. Anita Patel | Mentor | anita.patel@university.edu | ❌ | – | 2024‑09‑01 | ❌ | Direct upload | Will write for STEM schools |
| Mrs. Gomez | Counselor | gomez.guidance@highschool.edu | ✅ | 2024‑07‑20 | 2024‑07‑27 | ✅ | School portal | Covers overall profile |
| Mr. Lee | Supervisor | lee.service@nonprofit.org | ✅ | 2024‑08‑10 | 2024‑08‑17 | ✅ | PDF upload | Highlights volunteer work |

**Properties**  

| Property | Type | Details |
|----------|------|---------|
| **Recommender Name** | Title | – |
| **Relationship** | Select | Teacher, Coach, Mentor, Counselor, Supervisor |
| **Contact Email** | Email | – |
| **Request Sent** | Checkbox | – |
| **Sent Date** | Date | Auto‑filled when **Request Sent** is checked (`if(prop("Request Sent"), now(), null)`) |
| **Reminder** | Date | `dateAdd(prop("Sent Date"), 7, "days")` – set a Notion reminder 3 days before this date. |
| **Submitted** | Checkbox | – |
| **Submission Method** | Select | Online portal, Email attachment, Direct upload, School portal, PDF upload |
| **Notes** | Text | – |

**Rollups (in Schools)**  

- **Recommendations Submitted** → Relation to **Recommendations** → Rollup `Submitted` → `sum`  
- **Total Recommenders** → Relation to **Recommendations** → Rollup `Recommender Name` → `count`  

---  

## 📈 Test Scores & Scholarships  

| Item Type | Name | Score/Amount | Date | Deadline | Eligibility | Awarded |
|-----------|------|--------------|------|----------|-------------|---------|
| Test | SAT Math | 750 | 2024‑09‑10 | – | – | ✅ |
| Test | SAT Evidence | 730 | 2024‑09‑10 | – | – | ✅ |
| Test | ACT Composite | 34 | 2024‑09‑12 | – | – | ✅ |
| Scholarship | Gates Millennium | $5,000 | 2024‑08‑01 | 2024‑11‑01 | GPA ≥ 3.8, leadership | ❌ |
| Scholarship | State STEM Grant | $2,500 | 2024‑07‑15 | 2024‑10‑15 | STEM major, SAT ≥ 720 | ✅ |
| Scholarship | Community Service Award | $1,200 | 2024‑06‑20 | 2024‑09‑30 | ≥ 100 hrs service | ❌ |

**Properties**  

| Property | Type | Details |
|----------|------|---------|
| **Item Type** | Select | Test, Scholarship |
| **Name** | Title | – |
| **Score/Amount** | Number | Set format to **Number** (for tests) or **$** (for scholarships) |
| **Date** | Date | Test date or award announcement |
| **Deadline** | Date | Scholarship application deadline |
| **Eligibility** | Text | Brief criteria |
| **Awarded** | Checkbox | – |

**Key Rollups (in Schools)**  

- **Highest SAT** → Relation to **Test Scores** (filter `Item Type = Test` & `Name contains "SAT"`) → Rollup `Score/Amount` → `max` → used in Fit Score formula.  
- **Highest ACT** → Same pattern for ACT.  
- **Scholarship Funding** → Relation to **Scholarships** (filter `Awarded = ✅`) → Rollup `Score/Amount` → `sum` → feeds **Financial Aid Budget**.  

---  

## 💰 Financial Aid Budget  

| Category | Estimated Cost | Actual Cost | Funding Source | Funding Received (Rollup) | Net Cost | Status | Notes |
|----------|----------------|------------|----------------|---------------------------|----------|--------|-------|
| Tuition (Year 1) | $30,000 | $0 | Scholarship, Loans | $5,000 | $25,000 | Pending | |
| Room & Board | $12,000 | $0 | Grants, Savings | $2,500 | $9,500 | Pending | |
| Books & Supplies | $1,200 | $0 | Savings | $0 | $1,200 | Pending | |
| Transportation | $2,500 | $0 | Family support | $0 | $2,500 | Pending | |
| Miscellaneous | $1,000 | $0 | Part‑time job | $0 | $1,000 | Pending | |

**Properties**  

| Property | Type | Details |
|----------|------|---------|
| **Category** | Title | – |
| **Estimated Cost** | Number | Format **$** |
| **Actual Cost** | Number | Format **$** |
| **Funding Source** | Multi‑Select | Scholarship, Grants, Loans, Savings, Family support, Part‑time job |
| **Funding Received** | Rollup | Relation to **Scholarships** → `Score/Amount` → `sum` (auto‑fills when a scholarship is marked **Awarded**) |
| **Net Cost** | Formula | `prop("Estimated Cost") - prop("Funding Received")` |
| **Status** | Select | Pending, Approved, Disbursed, Paid |
| **Notes** | Text | – |

---  

## 📅 Master Timeline (All‑Dates View)  

Create a **Master Timeline** database (type: *Table – Full Page*) that pulls every date‑type property from the other databases via **Relations** + **Rollups**.  

| Item | Related To | Date Type | Date |
|------|------------|-----------|------|
| UW Application Deadline | Schools | Deadline | 2024‑11‑15 |
| UW Essay Due | Essays | Due Date | 2024‑10‑30 |
| Coach Rivera Reminder | Recommendations | Reminder | 2024‑08‑12 |
| Gates Scholarship Deadline | Scholarships | Deadline | 2024‑11‑01 |
| Tuition Payment Due | Financial Aid Budget | Estimated Cost (use a dummy date) | 2025‑01‑15 |

**How to Build**  

1. Add a **Relation** to each source DB (Schools, Essays, Recommendations, Scholarships, Financial Aid Budget).  
2. Add a **Rollup** for the relevant date property (e.g., `Deadline`, `Due Date`, `Reminder`).  
3. Set the **Timeline** view to use the **Date** column as the start/end.  

---  

## 📋 Tasks (Action Center)  

| Task | Related To | Owner | Due Date | Priority | Status | Notes |
|------|------------|-------|----------|----------|--------|-------|
| Request final transcript from school | Schools (UW) | Self | 2024‑09‑20 | High | Not Started | Needed for early decision |
| Draft Stanford essay #1 | Essays (Stanford) | Self | 2024‑10‑01 | Medium | Not Started | Brainstorm ideas |
| Follow up with Coach Rivera | Recommendations (Coach Rivera) | Self | 2024‑08‑12 | High | Not Started | Reminder set |
| Submit Gates Scholarship | Scholarships (Gates) | Self | 2024‑10‑31 | High | Not Started | Gather recommendation letters |
| Update Financial Aid Budget after scholarship award | Financial Aid Budget | Self | 2024‑11‑02 | Medium | Not Started | Auto‑rollup will fill Funding Received |

**Properties**  

| Property | Type | Details |
|----------|------|---------|
| **Task** | Title | – |
| **Related To** | Relation | Link to any of the other DBs (Schools, Essays, Recommendations, Scholarships, Financial Aid Budget) |
| **Owner** | Person | – |
| **Due Date** | Date | – |
| **Priority** | Select | Low, Medium, High |
| **Status** | Select | Not Started, In Progress, Completed, Blocked |
| **Notes** | Text | – |

---  

## 🎨 Visual Dashboards (Kanban / Gantt / Charts)  

1. **Schools Kanban** – Board view on **Schools** grouped by **Application Status**.  
2. **Essays Gantt** – Timeline view on **Essays** (Start = `Start Date`, End = `Due Date`).  
3. **Recommendations Board** – Board view on **Recommendations** grouped by **Submitted** (✅ / ❌).  
4. **Financial Chart** – In **Financial Aid Budget**, use **Group** by **Funding Source** and enable **Sum** on **Estimated Cost** and **Funding Received**; the grouped view acts as a bar chart.  
5. **Overall Progress Widget** – Embed a third‑party Notion progress bar (e.g., *Indify* or *Apption* widget) and bind it to the **Overall Progress** formula on the Dashboard page.  

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## 🛠️ How to Set Up (Step‑by‑Step)  

1. **Duplicate** this template into your workspace.  
2. For each markdown table, click the three‑dot menu → **Convert to Database** → choose **Table – Full Page**.  
3. **Rename** each database exactly as shown (Schools, Essays, Recommendations, Test Scores & Scholarships, Financial Aid Budget, Master Timeline, Tasks).  
4. **Create properties** exactly as listed (Title, Select, Number, Date, Checkbox, Email, URL, Relation, Rollup, Formula, Multi‑Select, Person).  
5. **Relations**:  
   - *Essays → Schools* (one‑to‑many).  
   - *Recommendations → Schools* (many‑to‑many).  
   - *Test Scores & Scholarships → Schools* (many‑to‑many).  
   - *Financial Aid Budget → Scholarships* (many‑to‑many).  
   - *Tasks → any* (use a **Relation** that allows linking to multiple DBs).  
6. **Rollups & Formulas**: copy the exact formulas from the property tables above.  
7. **Views**: add the Kanban, Timeline, Board, and Grouped views as described in the **Visual Dashboards** section.  
8. **Reminders**: open each **Date** property → **Remind** → set **3 days before** (or custom per your workflow).  
9. **Dashboard page**: embed each linked view, then add a **Formula** block for **Overall Progress** (`round((prop("Fit‑Score Ranking").progress + prop("Essay Gantt").progress + prop("Recommendations Board").progress) / 3)`).  
10. **Publish** (optional): `Share → Publish → Allow duplicate as template` so others can copy it.  

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### 🎉 You’re ready!  

All dates, scores, and funding flow automatically. Move a school card across the Kanban, update an essay draft, or check a recommendation box – the **Fit Score**, **Progress %**, and **Financial Summary** recalculate instantly. Use the Dashboard to see what’s due next, which schools are your best fit, and how much net cost remains.  

Good luck, and may your applications soar!