Notion Grad School Application Tracker Template

See what each program still needs, when to ask for letters and what every offer pays you.

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The main page of the Notion grad school application tracker with the next deadlines

Programs by status above the letters of recommendation with each recommender’s next step

PhD in Environmental Science

Northfield University · $95 fee

Status Preparing

Days left Due in 14 days

Ready 4 of 7 ready

Next step Waiting on 2 letters

Checklist

Letters in 1 of 3

Works on the free Notion plan
Each program’s next step, spelled out
Letters and offers in one place

At a glance

What it is: A grad school application tracker in Notion: every program with its deadline, what’s still missing, your recommenders, your statements and your offers.
Who it’s for: Anyone applying to PhD or master’s programs, and seniors applying to college. No Notion experience needed.
Price: $9, one payment. It’s yours to keep.
Free Notion plan: Yes. Databases, formulas and buttons, nothing more.
Time: About ten minutes to set up, then a minute whenever something changes.

Watch the 45-second tour

Next deadlines, a program’s checklist, your letters and an offer, filmed in the real template.

Cover of the 45 second video tour of the Grad School Application Tracker for Notion

What it does that most application trackers don’t

Most grad school trackers on Notion are a table of programs and dates. This one also tells you what to do next for each program, and for each person writing you a letter.

The next step, spelled out

Each program shows the first thing it’s missing, like Waiting on 2 letters or Pay the fee, and then Submit the application.
A count of what’s ready

Transcripts, test scores, CV, statement, writing sample, letters and fee add up to a simple 5 of 7 ready.
Letters on time

Each recommender shows when to ask and, a week before the first deadline, a reminder if their letters aren’t all in.
Offers side by side

Add the stipend and tuition and each offer says what it pays you or costs you per year.

We set it up from a fresh copy, the way you’ll get it: added a program with + Add program, hid the samples and brought them back.

What’s inside

The main page opens with what’s due next, then all your programs, your letters and your documents. Each program has a page of its own with its checklist, people and documents.

Next deadlines

Programs you haven’t submitted yet, closest deadline first, with the days left, how ready each one is and its next step. Anything due within a week turns red.

Program page

Status, days left, how ready it is and the next step at the top, then the checklist. Below sit its recommenders, documents and your notes, like what to ask at the interview.

Letters of recommendation

Each recommender with their role, status and programs. Next says when to ask, when to send a reminder and when to say thank you.

Three recommenders with role, status and their next step, such as Waiting for a yes

Documents

Your statements, CV and writing sample with their status and the programs that use them. Add a word limit and the length turns red if you go over.

Statements, a writing sample and a CV with status and length, one over its word limit in red

Offers

Funding type, stipend, tuition and reply date for each admit. Compare offers puts them side by side with what each one pays or costs per year.

An admitted program with its fellowship, stipend, tuition, reply date and net pay per year

Also in the template

Season plan

What to do and when, counted back from your first deadline, from the shortlist to decision day.
Faculty you’ve emailed

For PhD applicants: the professors you contact, their research, when you emailed and whether they replied.
Fees

A tab with every application fee and whether you’ve paid it.
Sample data

A made-up student applying to 9 programs. One button hides it, another brings it back.

How to use it

Open the main page and look at Next deadlines to see what’s due first.
Do the Next step on the top program, then tick it on the program’s page.
When a recommender says yes or a letter arrives, update their status and Letters in.
After you submit, change the status and add news as it comes in.

Set it up in about ten minutes

Do this once a season. It’s easiest on a computer.

Buy it on Etsy and download the Start here PDF. Open the template link in it and click the Duplicate icon (two small squares) at the top. A free Notion account is enough.
Open Start here, look around the sample, then click the button to hide it. Anything you add yourself stays.
Click + Add program on the main page and fill in the school, deadline and fee. Keep it on Researching until you decide to apply.
On each program, tick what’s done and type how many letters it needs. Ready and Next step update as you go.
Add each recommender and link the programs they write for. Next tells you when to ask.
When an offer comes in, add the funding, stipend, tuition and reply date, then open Compare offers.

Statements, your CV and writing samples go in Documents, one row each.

Is it right for you?

A good fit if

You’re applying to several PhD or master’s programs this season.
You need letters from two or three people for different deadlines.
You keep more than one version of your statement for different word limits.
You want to compare funding offers in one place.

Look elsewhere if

You want reminders by email or phone. It shows what’s due when you open it.
You want it to submit applications or check portals for you.
You need help writing your statement. It tracks drafts, it doesn’t write them.
You apply to one program only. A note is enough.

Questions

Does it work on the free Notion plan?

Yes. It runs on databases, formulas and buttons, and the free plan has all three.

Does it work for master’s programs?

Yes. Set the degree to Master’s and leave out what the program doesn’t ask for. Tick an item if it isn’t needed, and Ready still adds up.

Can I use it for college applications?

Yes. Set the degree to Other and skip what you don’t need, like faculty or a writing sample.

Does it send me reminders?

No emails. When you open it, the main page sorts programs by deadline and shows anything due within a week in red, and each recommender says when to send a reminder.

Can I add my own checklist items?

Yes. Add a checkbox to All programs and tick it on every program. It won’t count toward Ready, which keeps its seven items.

Can I use it on my phone?

Yes. Setup is easiest on a computer. On a phone, the main page stacks from top to bottom and ticking an item takes a tap.

Where does the template go after I pay?

You download a Start here PDF from Etsy with the template link. Open the link and click the Duplicate icon at the top of the page, and the copy is yours to keep and change.

What if I get stuck?

Email us at hello@magnetcreativestudio.com with the template name and what you see, and we’ll help you get it working.

For power users

How it’s built, if you like to change things.

The databases

Database	What it holds
Programs	School, Degree, Status, Deadline, Portal, Fee, the checklist, Letters needed and in, Interview, Funding, Stipend, Tuition and Reply by.
Recommenders	Role, Status, Email, Asked on, Programs and Thank-you sent.
Documents	Type, Status, Words, Word limit, Feedback from, Link and the programs that use it.
Faculty	Research, Reply, Emailed on, Notes and their programs.

How it works inside

Ready: Ticked checklist items, plus letters once enough are in, out of 7.
Next step: The first missing item for a program you’re preparing, or what comes next for its status.
Days left: Days to the deadline for programs not yet submitted, in red within a week.
Recommender Next: When to ask, a reminder a week before the first deadline, then a thank-you.
Net per year: Stipend minus tuition, shown as what the offer pays you or costs you.
Clear and bring back: One button hides every sample row, another brings them back. Your own rows stay.

Know what each application still needs

Pay once, hide the sample and add your first program.