diff --git a/src/components/applicant/competition-timeline.tsx b/src/components/applicant/competition-timeline.tsx
index a5273e6..4ab5e34 100644
--- a/src/components/applicant/competition-timeline.tsx
+++ b/src/components/applicant/competition-timeline.tsx
@@ -202,15 +202,16 @@ export function CompetitionTimelineSidebar() {
           // Is this entry after the elimination point?
           const isAfterElimination = eliminationIndex >= 0 && index > eliminationIndex
 
-          // Is this the current round? Either has an active project state,
-          // or is the first round the project hasn't passed yet (for seed data
-          // where project states may be missing).
+          // Is this the current round? Either the project has an active state
+          // here, or every previous round has an explicit advancement outcome
+          // (PASSED/COMPLETED). A closed round alone isn't enough — a round can
+          // close before admins declare advancement, and until they do, the
+          // applicant has NOT moved on to the next round.
           const hasActiveProjectState = !!entry.projectState && entry.projectState !== 'PASSED' && entry.projectState !== 'COMPLETED' && entry.projectState !== 'REJECTED'
           const isCurrent = !isAfterElimination && (hasActiveProjectState || (
             !isPassed && !isRejected && !isCompleted &&
             data.entries.slice(0, index).every((prev) =>
-              prev.projectState === 'PASSED' || prev.projectState === 'COMPLETED' ||
-              prev.status === 'ROUND_CLOSED' || prev.status === 'ROUND_ARCHIVED'
+              prev.projectState === 'PASSED' || prev.projectState === 'COMPLETED'
             ) && index > 0
           ))