Consulting · The roadmap
Two-year college planning timeline
January of junior year through May 1 of senior year, month by month. Every step pairs a short explanation with something the student actually does. This is the roadmap the Comprehensive package walks a family through.
Part 1
Junior year
| When | Step | What the student does |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Feb | Know yourself first | Do a self-assessment of values and priorities (size, location, academics, culture, distance from home), then write down what it means for the college list. |
| Jan–Feb | Have the money conversation early | Talk as a family about what you can pay and how much borrowing you'll accept. Run net price calculators for two or three colleges. |
| Feb–Mar | Plan senior courses and testing | Choose senior-year courses (rigor matters, and senior grades count). Make a testing plan, or decide to go test-optional. |
| Mar–May | Research and visit colleges | Visit in person or virtually and take notes, including each school's net price. |
| Mar–May | Fit vs. match | For each school, write down why it fits you, not just whether your numbers match it. |
| Spring | Activities | Build an activities list in Common App format (10 slots, with character limits). |
| May–Jun | Ask for recommendations | Ask two teachers before summer, and fill out a brag sheet for your counselor and recommenders. |
| Summer | Build a balanced list | Put each school's admission likelihood next to its net price. The list needs a financial safety as well as an admission safety. |
| Summer | Start essays | Brainstorm Common App essay topics. Learn which kinds of help are ethical, including AI: it can help you brainstorm and catch errors, but the writing must be your own. |
Financial-aid prep for juniors (no FAFSA yet)
- Run net price calculators and the Federal Student Aid Estimator on StudentAid.gov to get a rough Student Aid Index (SAI).
- Create StudentAid.gov accounts for the student and each parent who will sign the FAFSA. Identity verification can take a few days.
- Find out which colleges on the list require the CSS Profile. It's a separate form with its own deadlines.
- The FAFSA uses "prior-prior year" taxes, so the tax year that ends in December of junior year is the one that counts. Keep those records organized, and know that big financial moves that year (selling assets, unusual income) will show up on the FAFSA.
Part 2
Senior year
| When | Step | What the student does |
|---|---|---|
| Aug | Set up applications | Create a Common App account and any other platform accounts, and start a deadline tracker. |
| Aug–Oct | Choose admission plans | Compare Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision. Binding ED carries a cost risk because you can't compare aid offers. |
| Aug–Nov | Finish essays and supplements | Revise with a checklist, keeping your own voice. |
| Late Sep onward | FAFSA and CSS Profile | File early, since aid follows the admissions timeline. Use a checklist of forms and deadlines for each school. |
| Fall | Submit and confirm | Check every portal, and confirm that scores and transcripts were sent and received. |
| Fall–Winter | Keep senior grades up | Colleges can rescind offers if grades drop. |
| Mar–Apr | Compare aid offers | Separate grants from loans, check renewal conditions, and appeal if your circumstances warrant it. |
| Apr–May 1 | Decide | Use a decision checklist, take waitlist steps if needed, and submit your deposit by May 1. |
FAFSA timing for the current cycle (as of October 2026)
| Class | Grade now | Starts college | FAFSA year | FAFSA opens | Tax year used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2027 | Senior | Fall 2027 | 2027–28 | Sep 23, 2026 | 2025 |
| Class of 2028 | Junior | Fall 2028 | 2028–29 | By Oct 1, 2027 | 2026 |
Students file the FAFSA again every year they're in college.
Want someone walking this with you?
The Comprehensive package covers every step above, with Ben in the room for each one. It starts with a free 20-minute planning call.
Free 20-min planning call with Ben
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