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CollegeHelpGuide

The 4-Year College Planning Checklist

Grade-by-grade. Start wherever you are. Check off items as you complete them — your progress is saved automatically.

Click any tab below to jump to that grade. Nothing is required — use what applies to you.

Freshman

Meet with your guidance counselor about your 4-year course plan
Take the most rigorous courses you can handle without destroying your GPA
Start one extracurricular you genuinely care about — not for college, for you
Create a folder (physical or digital) for awards, letters, notable moments
Understand what GPA means: freshman year counts equally toward cumulative
Have a real money conversation with your family about college costs
Identify your school's math track and confirm you're on the right one
Look up what AP courses are available junior and senior year
Set a baseline: what does your family expect to contribute to college?

For the full planning article with detailed explanations, see The College Planning Timeline →

This tool uses public data from federal sources. Results are estimates — confirm details with schools directly.

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Find out what college will actually cost your family.