diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a4cba82..8e07ce0 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -16,3 +16,9 @@ config/search_config.json
 
 # Templates are committed instead (see config/*.example.json)
 data/*.lock
+test_dry_run.mjs
+test_full_flow.mjs
+test_modal_diag.mjs
+test_labels.mjs
+test_buttons.mjs
+test_submit.mjs
diff --git a/lib/apply/easy_apply.mjs b/lib/apply/easy_apply.mjs
index 114e6a3..14da4fe 100644
--- a/lib/apply/easy_apply.mjs
+++ b/lib/apply/easy_apply.mjs
@@ -273,20 +273,72 @@ export async function apply(page, job, formFiller) {
     if (submitBtn) {
       console.log(`    [step ${step}] clicking Submit`);
       await submitBtn.click({ timeout: APPLY_CLICK_TIMEOUT }).catch(() => {});
-      await page.waitForTimeout(SUBMIT_WAIT);
 
-      // Verify modal closed
-      const modalGone = !(await page.$(MODAL));
-      if (modalGone) {
+      // Wait for modal to close — LinkedIn may take a few seconds after submit
+      const modalClosed = await page.waitForSelector(MODAL, { state: 'detached', timeout: 8000 }).then(() => true).catch(() => false);
+      if (modalClosed) {
         console.log(`    ✅ Submit confirmed — modal closed`);
         return { status: 'submitted', meta };
       }
 
-      // Modal still open — submit may have failed
-      console.log(`    [step ${step}] ⚠️  Modal still open after Submit click`);
-      console.log(`    Action: submit may have failed due to validation or network error`);
-      await dismissModal(page, MODAL);
-      return { status: 'incomplete', meta };
+      // Modal still open — LinkedIn often shows a post-submit confirmation/success
+      // dialog that still matches [role="dialog"]. Check for success indicators.
+      const postSubmitModal = await page.$(MODAL);
+      if (postSubmitModal) {
+        const postSubmitInfo = await postSubmitModal.evaluate(el => {
+          const text = (el.innerText || el.textContent || '').toLowerCase();
+          return {
+            hasSuccess: text.includes('application was sent') || text.includes('applied') ||
+                        text.includes('thank you') || text.includes('submitted') ||
+                        text.includes('application has been') || text.includes('successfully'),
+            hasDone: text.includes('done') || text.includes('got it'),
+            snippet: (el.innerText || '').trim().slice(0, 200),
+          };
+        }).catch(() => ({ hasSuccess: false, hasDone: false, snippet: '' }));
+
+        console.log(`    [step ${step}] post-submit modal: "${postSubmitInfo.snippet}"`);
+
+        if (postSubmitInfo.hasSuccess || postSubmitInfo.hasDone) {
+          console.log(`    ✅ Submit confirmed — success dialog detected`);
+          // Try to dismiss the success dialog
+          const doneBtn = await findModalButton(page, MODAL, {
+            ariaLabels: ['Dismiss', 'Done', 'Close'],
+            exactTexts: ['Done', 'Got it', 'Close'],
+          });
+          if (doneBtn) await doneBtn.click().catch(() => {});
+          return { status: 'submitted', meta };
+        }
+
+        // Check for validation errors — real failure
+        const postErrors = await postSubmitModal.$$('[class*="error"], [aria-invalid="true"], .artdeco-inline-feedback--error');
+        const errorTexts = [];
+        for (const e of postErrors) {
+          const t = await e.evaluate(el => el.textContent?.trim()?.slice(0, 80) || '').catch(() => '');
+          if (t) errorTexts.push(t);
+        }
+
+        if (errorTexts.length > 0) {
+          console.log(`    [step ${step}] ❌ Validation errors after Submit: ${JSON.stringify(errorTexts)}`);
+          await dismissModal(page, MODAL);
+          return { status: 'incomplete', meta, validation_errors: errorTexts };
+        }
+
+        // No errors, no success text — but Submit button is gone, likely succeeded
+        // (LinkedIn sometimes shows a follow-up prompt like "Follow company?")
+        const submitStillThere = await findModalButton(page, MODAL, {
+          ariaLabels: ['Submit application'],
+          exactTexts: ['Submit application'],
+        });
+        if (!submitStillThere) {
+          console.log(`    ✅ Submit likely succeeded — Submit button gone, no errors`);
+          await dismissModal(page, MODAL);
+          return { status: 'submitted', meta };
+        }
+
+        console.log(`    [step ${step}] ⚠️  Submit button still present — click may not have registered`);
+        await dismissModal(page, MODAL);
+        return { status: 'incomplete', meta };
+      }
     }
 
     // Stuck detection — no Next/Review/Submit found