You are applying to several universities, some local and some abroad, and each has its own deadline, documents and fee. What you want to accomplish is simple: never miss a deadline, and never find out two days before one that a recommendation letter was not written yet. The university applications tracker answers this from two records you type: applications and documents. The sheet and its page are in Arabic.
The problem it solves
It starts with an email from one university and a note in a notebook. Two weeks later there are eight applications, each with a different document list and fees in different currencies. Information scatters, and it is hard to see which application is closest to its deadline. The sheet puts everything in one place and works out the rest.
How it works, step by step
- In Settings write today's date (or =TODAY() to update itself), the number of days before a deadline when the sheet should warn you, and the names of the currencies you pay fees in.
- In Applications write each application: university, programme, type (local or overseas), the deadline set by the university, the amount and its currency, the fee status and the application status.
- In Documents write every document each application asks for, with its status: ready, in progress or not started.
- The sheet works out, per application, the documents required, ready and missing, the readiness percentage, the days left and the alert.
- Open Summary for the full picture.
You type the deadline yourself; the sheet assumes none.
What each sheet does
- Settings: today's date, warning days, three currency names.
- Applications: the application log, with grey calculated columns: documents, percentage, days left and alert. The alert is one of four: "deadline passed", "deadline soon", "enter the deadline" (when none is typed) and "ready to submit" (when all its documents are ready).
- Documents: one row per required document, with the university name shown beside it and a warning if the application code does not exist.
- Summary: applications by type and status, what is late or near, total documents ready and missing, and fees per currency.
A walk-through with the sample sheet
These names and numbers come from the built-in example and are not real. Today there is 2026-11-01 and the warning window is 14 days:
- There are 10 applications: 6 local and 4 overseas, 7 of them open (not started or in progress).
- Application A02 has a deadline of 2026-10-28, so it shows -4 days left and the alert deadline passed. A01 and A08 show deadline soon (9 and 14 days left). A10 has 15 days left, so no alert yet.
- A04 has all four documents ready, 100%, so it shows ready to submit. A09 has no deadline, so it says enter the deadline.
- 29 required documents: 18 ready, 11 missing, about 62%.
- Fees in the local currency written in the example: total 7,400, of which 4,200 is paid and 3,200 unpaid. In foreign currency 1: total 150, of which 60 is paid. In foreign currency 2: total 185, all paid.
Why this approach
- The alert comes from the sheet: you do not count days or open every application.
- Documents in one log: you see what each application lacks.
- Separate currencies: fees in different currencies are never added into one number.
- Works in Excel 2016 and later, Google Sheets and LibreOffice; free, no sign-up.
Using the online version
The page opens on this worked example. Edit the white cells and the grey ones update at once. You can add a record with a form, import your own .xlsx, export to .xlsx, or download the Excel file. Your data stays in your browser. Open the template page or the template list.
Who it suits
A student or parent following several applications, or a small advising office. For planning the studying itself see the study planner, and for a teacher tracking class marks see the teacher's weighted gradebook.
Common mistakes, and when a sheet stops being enough
Typical mistakes: leaving the deadline empty, not updating today's date in Settings, and not changing the status to "submitted" after applying, so the application stays open and keeps its alert. A sheet is also a file one person edits at a time. If your office follows hundreds of students with a team, a custom program can be built for you.
FAQ
Where does the deadline come from? You type it from the university's website or correspondence; the sheet assumes none.
How are days left worked out? Deadline minus today's date, for open applications only.
Are fees in pounds? No, you pick the currency from three names you write in Settings.