Most planning timelines start junior year. That's a year too late.
The students who get their first choice started sophomore year. Here's the grade-by-grade timeline that works — and what you can skip.
Start here
The College Planning Checklist
A month-by-month college planning checklist from freshman year through decision day, including what to prioritize if you're starting late.
Get the timeline→Your step-by-step path
Follow these steps in order. Each one builds on the last.
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The College Planning Checklist
A month-by-month college planning checklist from freshman year through decision day, including what to prioritize if you're starting late.
12 min readHow to Build a College List
The 3-tier system for building a college list that balances reach, match, and safety schools without wasting application fees or selling yourself short.
9 min readCollege Visit Checklist
A college visit checklist with specific questions to ask, red flags to watch for, and what admissions tours hide. Make every campus visit count.
9 min readAll guides
Browse by topic
Planning by Grade
What to do each year from freshman through senior spring.
Finding a College Planning Advisor
9 min readHow to Plan for College in High School
9 min readWhen to Start Preparing for Grad School
9 min readBuilding Your List
How to research schools, visit campuses, and pick safety/reach targets.
Safety Schools That Are Actually Good
9 min readTransfers & Alternatives
Community college, gap years, dual enrollment, and transfer paths.
Community College Transfer Guide
10 min readDual Enrollment vs AP Credits
10 min readGap Year Pros and Cons
10 min readShould You Take a Gap Year?
9 min readHow to Transfer Colleges
10 min readSpecial Paths
Guides for athletes, students with disabilities, international students, and more.
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What to Do After Committing to College
5 min readWhat to Do Before College Orientation
4 min readCollege Accreditation Rules Are Changing
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5 min readCollege Faculty Buyouts: What It Means
5 min readThe 2026 Enrollment Cliff Explained
5 min readGoddard College Is Closing in 2026
5 min readLabouré Nursing School Closes in August
5 min readLourdes University Closes This May
5 min readMay 1 Is Closer Than You Think
4 min readA Quarter of Private Colleges May Close
5 min read442 Private Colleges May Close
5 min readArticulation Agreements Explained Simply
9 min readGoing Back to College After Dropping Out
10 min readCan You Go to College at Any Age?
10 min readCan You Go to College With a GED?
10 min readDouble Major vs Minor
10 min readMilitary to College Transition Guide
10 min readSafe College Paths for Undocumented Students
11 min readWhat Is a College Credit?
10 min readWhat Is a College Minor?
10 min readStatistics & data
What's new in planning
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A study of 1,000+ party platforms finds Republican support for higher ed has dropped sharply since the 1980s. Here's what it means for college funding.
May 7What to Do Before College Orientation
You committed May 1. Now what? Here are the housing, financial aid, and health tasks due before orientation this fall — most happen in May and June.
May 5College Faculty Buyouts: What It Means
Voluntary buyouts at dozens of colleges in May 2026 are thinning tenured faculty. Here's what fewer professors means for current and incoming students.
May 4What to Do After Committing to College
Decision Day was May 1. If you just committed, here are 8 things to do in the next 30 days before housing and orientation deadlines close.