College planning, grade by grade
Good college planning is not a senior-year sprint. Forthway turns it into small, manageable steps across four years — adjusted for each student.
Explore and build habits
Ninth grade
- Try activities that connect to genuine interests
- Build a strong GPA foundation from the first semester
- Start a simple record of what you do and enjoy
Deepen and plan rigor
Tenth grade
- Choose depth over breadth in one or two activities
- Plan junior-year course rigor with your counselor
- Take the PSAT and start a light practice routine
- Build a first list of colleges to explore
Test, visit and shortlist
Eleventh grade
- Sit the SAT or ACT and plan a possible retake
- Refine your list into reach, target, likely and discovery
- Take on real responsibility inside an existing activity
- Begin essay brainstorming in the spring
Apply and decide
Twelfth grade
- Finalize the list and confirm every deadline
- Draft, revise and submit essays
- Request recommendations early
- Track financial aid and scholarship deadlines
In Forthway, this roadmap is personalized: tasks shift based on grade level, courses, test scores, activities, interests, college goals and what a student has already finished.
See a live roadmap in the demo