new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f7cc1aa
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+---
+visibility: public-edit
+---
+
+# submitting right at the deadline
+
+*(common gotcha)*
+
+## what happened
+
+you wait until 11:58pm for an 11:59pm deadline. the upload stalls. the wifi drops. the submission portal crashes because 500 other people are also submitting at 11:58pm. you miss it.
+
+## why it's a gotcha
+
+deadlines are cliffs, not slopes. one second late is the same as one week late. and submission infrastructure is least reliable when it's most loaded — right before the deadline. you're betting your entire submission on everything working perfectly at the worst possible moment.
+
+## the fix
+
+submit a draft version early — even if it's incomplete. most platforms let you update your submission until the deadline. get something in 24 hours early, then update it as you improve it. your "insurance" submission doesn't have to be good; it just has to exist.
+
+## see also
+
+- [[check-what-you-submit]] — when rushing at the deadline, you submit the wrong thing
+- [[starting-applications-too-late]] — starting late is what puts you at the deadline
+- [[missing-fafsa-deadlines]] — deadlines you don't even know about
+- [[not-reading-submission-requirements]] — last-minute discovery of requirements
\ No newline at end of file