The Application Playbook
$22
Most application advice assumes someone is sitting next to your senior who already knows how this works. A lot of seniors don’t have that.
The Application Playbook is that person. It’s 39 pages from two high school counselors, written to the student. It covers what an application is made of, who sends each piece, what to write in the boxes that matter, and what to do after you hit submit.
What’s inside
Get set up: who sends what, what to gather first, a tracker, recommendations and transcripts, fees and waivers, and a timeline that works backward from the deadline
When to apply: what each plan commits you to, and five checks before early decision
Activities: building the list, with before-and-after examples of the 150-character description
Essays: finding a topic, testing it, drafting, revising, supplements, and where the line is on AI
Platform by platform: the Common App, the UC application and Cal State Apply
Submit, and after: a last check, what to watch for, and what to do when decisions arrive
Plus a page for parents, a page for recruited athletes, and a glossary
Who it’s for
Seniors applying in fall 2026 for fall 2027, especially the ones doing this without much help.
The details
A fillable PDF you can type in or print. 2026–27 edition. Licensed for one household. This is a digital download, so all sales are final. It’s general educational information, not individual advising, and it doesn’t guarantee admission.