Overview
Applying to several programs means juggling dozens of moving parts with different owners: test centers, registrars, recommenders, translators, scholarship bodies and you. Most last-minute crises come from dependencies nobody mapped — a scholarship that closes before the program, an official transcript that takes three weeks, a recommender who travels in December, a test score that needs re-sending.
We turn your shortlist into a single timeline that works backward from each hard deadline, builds in buffers for things you do not control, and shows each week what you should be doing. Alongside it, we plan your application portfolio: which core stories, projects and evidence appear across documents, and where each program needs something specific, so tailoring becomes editing rather than rewriting.
The plan is a living document. Check-ins let us adjust it when a score comes in lower than hoped, a new scholarship appears, or a program changes its requirements.
Who it’s for and the problems it solves
This is for you if you are…
- Applicants with five or more programs and several scholarship applications running in parallel
- Working professionals who need to fit test preparation and statement drafting around a job
- Undergraduate applicants and families coordinating UCAS, Common App or direct applications with school deadlines
- PhD applicants combining supervisor contact, research proposals and funding competitions
- Anyone who has missed a deadline before and wants a system that prevents it
Common problems we help with
- Scholarship deadlines fall months before program deadlines and you only just noticed
- You have not asked recommenders yet and are unsure how much notice they need
- You are writing a new statement from scratch for every program
- Documents need certified translation or credential evaluation and you do not know how long it takes
- Your English or admissions test date leaves no room for a retake before deadlines
What’s included — and what isn’t
Included
- A master deadline list combining program, scholarship, funding and interview dates from official pages
- Backward planning for each deadline with buffers for transcripts, translations, test score reporting and recommenders
- Test strategy timing: when to sit IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Duolingo, GRE or GMAT so a retake remains possible
- Recommender plan: who to ask, when to ask, what briefing pack to give them, and reminder points
- Portfolio map: your core narrative, three to five key experiences and which documents use which evidence
- Document inventory: statement of purpose, personal statement, CV, writing sample, research proposal, portfolio pieces and their variants
- Early-round and rolling-admission strategy where programs reward applying early
- Budget line for application fees, test fees, score reports and translations
- Scheduled check-ins to update the plan as results and decisions arrive
Not included
- Logging in to portals or submitting applications for you — you keep control of every account
- Writing documents you submit as your own; drafting help is covered as feedback and coaching on the document pages
- Contacting recommenders or universities on your behalf
- Promising that any deadline, requirement or fee will stay the same — we record the official source so you can recheck it
What you receive
- Master timeline
- A shared spreadsheet or calendar with every deadline, internal target date and dependency, color-coded by owner (you, recommender, institution, test body).
- Weekly action plan
- A week-by-week task list from today to your last decision date, sized to the hours you actually have.
- Portfolio map
- A one-page map of your core story, key experiences and evidence, showing how each document uses them and where each program needs tailoring.
- Recommender briefing template
- A structure for giving each recommender your CV, program list, deadlines and the specific strengths you hope they can speak to.
- Checklist per program
- Requirement checklists covering documents, formats, word limits, fees and score-reporting codes, each linked to the official page.
How it works
Collect the shortlist
You send your program and scholarship list, or we build one first through the shortlisting service.
Requirement audit
We extract every requirement, deadline and format rule from official pages and flag anything ambiguous to confirm with admissions offices.
Build the timeline
We plan backward from each deadline, add buffers, and agree internal target dates with you.
Portfolio mapping
In a working session we identify your core narrative and assign evidence to documents, so drafting has a clear starting point.
Check-ins
Short scheduled reviews to update the plan after test results, recommender replies or new opportunities.
Planning tools and principles
- Backward scheduling
- Each deadline gets its own chain of dependencies: final submission, then proofreading, then recommender upload, then drafting, working back to today.
- Buffers for external owners
- Longer margins for things you do not control, such as official transcripts, certified translations, credential evaluations and test score delivery.
- Retake window
- Tests are scheduled so a second attempt still reports before the earliest deadline where possible.
- Core-and-variant documents
- One well-developed core statement plus program-specific paragraphs on faculty, modules and fit, instead of many separate drafts.
- Recommender care
- Asking early (commonly four to eight weeks ahead), giving a briefing pack, and sending polite reminders at agreed points.
- Decision tracking
- A section for offers, funding letters, deposit deadlines and reply dates, including the US April 15 resolution that many graduate schools follow for funded offers.
A typical graduate application year, month by month
For a fall start, many applicants begin roughly twelve to fifteen months ahead. Timing varies by country and program, but the rhythm below is a useful default that we adapt to your list.
- Spring to early summer: research programs, sit a diagnostic test, start test preparation
- Summer: sit English or admissions tests, contact potential supervisors where relevant, draft the core statement
- Early autumn: ask recommenders, request transcripts and translations, begin scholarship applications (several major awards close in autumn)
- Late autumn to winter: finalize and submit program applications, most US and Erasmus Mundus deadlines
- Winter to spring: interviews, offers, funding decisions and visa preparation
Scholarships change the calendar
Funding deadlines often come first. Some government scholarships require you to apply a year before you would start, some university awards require an admission application by an early priority date, and Erasmus Mundus consortia usually close for scholarships in winter. We place these at the front of your plan so a strong program application is not wasted because the funding window closed.
What a portfolio plan looks like
Your documents should tell one coherent story from different angles. The statement of purpose explains your academic direction, the CV lists evidence, recommendation letters confirm it from outside, and a scholarship essay may emphasize leadership or impact. Mapping these in advance avoids contradictions, repeated anecdotes and gaps, and shows where you need new evidence — for example, a short research project or a relevant course — while there is still time to get it.
What the work can look like
Illustrative example — fictional data
Sample timeline excerpt: data science master's applicant
An invented applicant with eight programs across the US and Europe, one government scholarship and a full-time job, starting planning in June. Dates below are placeholders to show the format.
Critical path
Scholarship closes in early October, so the core statement must be in second draft by mid-September. GRE booked for late July to leave an August retake option. Official transcript request sent in August because the registrar quotes a three-week processing time.
Recommenders
Former professor asked in early September with a briefing pack; manager asked at the same time for the two programs that accept a professional reference. Reminder dates set two weeks and three days before each deadline.
Portfolio map
Core story: moving from logistics analytics to applied machine learning. Capstone project appears in the statement and CV; workplace forecasting project leads the scholarship essay; leadership example reserved for interviews.
Illustrative example with invented details. Your plan is built from the official requirements of your own programs.
What you’ll need to provide
- Your program and scholarship list, or permission to build one with you
- Test dates booked or planned and any previous scores
- Names and roles of possible recommenders
- Your CV and any existing drafts of statements
- Realistic weekly hours available and any fixed commitments such as exams or travel
You don’t need everything ready to ask for a quote — tell us what you have and we’ll say what’s missing.
What affects price and turnaround
Price depends on
- Number of programs and scholarships in the plan
- Whether the plan covers one country or several application systems
- Level of study and whether research proposals or portfolios are involved
- Number of check-in sessions across the cycle
- Whether shortlisting is included or you arrive with a fixed list
Turnaround depends on
- How soon your first deadline falls
- Whether program requirements need confirming with admissions offices
Every project is quoted individually. How we price our work.
Questions people ask before starting
How early should I start?
For graduate programs abroad, starting about a year ahead gives room for tests, retakes, scholarships and considered drafting. Starting later is still workable; the plan then prioritizes the steps with the longest external lead times.
Can you manage my portals and passwords?
No. You keep sole control of all portals and submissions. We give you checklists and reminders, and you complete each submission yourself.
What if my test score comes back lower than I need?
The plan builds in a retake window where possible. If there is no time, we look at programs that accept alternative evidence, conditional offers or pre-sessional English, and update the list.
Does this include feedback on my statements?
Planning covers the portfolio map and timing. Detailed feedback on drafts is available through the statement, CV and scholarship essay services, which can be combined with the plan.
I only have six weeks. Is planning still worth it?
Often more so. With little time, the most useful step is identifying which requirements have long external lead times and which applications to prioritize or defer to a later intake.