College · Family Resources

One application,
every piece in on time.

Work through the Common App’s sections, check the essay against the word limits and the activities and honors against their slots, invite recommenders after the FERPA release, and keep every college’s deadline and supplements in one list. The checklist names the next deadline and anything that will block it.

Add your applicationWhat you get

Applications

The worked example is made up: a senior with an early action deadline in four days, an essay 38 words over and the FERPA release not decided, and a classmate applying regular decision. Records save on this device only.

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What you get

College · Family ResourcesFree

What you finish with
A record per student with graduation year, essay word count, activities, honors, fee waiver and FERPA decision; eight application sections and four recommender steps; each college with deadline, round, supplements and status; counts of colleges submitted; flags for the essay limits, the activity and honor slots, deadlines within two weeks and the FERPA release.
Who it is for
High school juniors and seniors applying through the Common App, their parents and families, and school counselors.
Format
Browser checklist with a saved record per student. Prints a one-page application plan, every record or a blank checklist; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Family Resources space in Caveat College.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Add the application and every college on your list, with its deadline and round.
  2. Fill the sections; put activities in order of what matters most to you.
  3. Get the essay between 250 and 650 words and proofread it in the preview.
  4. Decide the FERPA release, then invite your counselor and teachers, weeks before the first deadline.
  5. Submit each college’s part, and check each one shows as submitted.

Add your application

How the parts fit

Three parts, three sourcesCommon AppOnce, for every collegeProfile, family, education, testing, activities (10), honors(5), personal essay (250 to 650 words)Each collegeOne per collegeIts own questions, supplements, deadline and roundYour schoolSent by them, after the FERPA releaseCounselor’s school report, transcript, teacher lettersThree parts, three sourcesCommon AppOnce, for every collegeProfile, family, education, testing,activities (10), honors (5),personal essay (250 to 650 words)Each collegeOne per collegeIts own questions, supplements,deadline and roundYour schoolSent by them, after the FERPA releaseCounselor’s school report,transcript, teacher letters
The school’s part takes the longest to arrive. Invite recommenders early, after the FERPA release.

The FERPA release

In the education section you choose whether to waive your right to see your recommendation letters later, under FERPA. Many counselors suggest waiving, because colleges may give more weight to letters written in confidence, but it is your choice. You must complete the release before you can invite recommenders, and you cannot change it afterward.

Fee waivers

Students who meet one of the Common App’s fee waiver indicators, such as eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch or an SAT or ACT fee waiver, can request a waiver in the profile section; the counselor confirms it. Ask your counselor if you are not sure.

Sources

  1. The Common Application. Applicant help center: sections, activities (10) and honors (5), and the 250 to 650 word personal essay (commonapp.org).
  2. The Common Application. FERPA release authorization and inviting recommenders (commonapp.org).
  3. The Common Application. Fee waiver eligibility indicators (commonapp.org).
  4. U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office. FERPA and the right to waive access to letters of recommendation (studentprivacy.ed.gov).

The worked example is made up. Each college sets its own requirements and deadlines; the Common App updates its application each August. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.