Build Your Plan - Scaffold

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Step 1 of 7

About your kid

Start with the basics. We'll get to the deeper stuff next.

A quick note: the form takes about 20 minutes, and your plan builds for 20-30 more. A computer is the comfortable way to do it, but if you're on your phone, that's fine too. We'll email you your plan link either way.

Student's first name

Please enter your student's first name.

Last name

Please enter your student's last name.

Age and current grade

Please enter your student's age and current grade.

School name

Please enter the school name.

School type

Please select a school type.

School district (optional)

Academic profile

Weighted and/or unweighted GPA, any test scores (SAT, PSAT, AP exams), honors or AP courses, gifted identification, anything relevant.

Please describe your student's academic profile.

Academic strengths

What subjects come naturally? Where does your kid shine?

Please describe your student's academic strengths.

Academic weaknesses or gaps

Struggles, disinterest, or gaps. It's OK to say "nothing obvious" if that's true.

Please describe any academic weaknesses or gaps.

Extracurricular activities

Sports, clubs, volunteering, jobs, anything outside the classroom. Include how long they've been doing it and any leadership roles.

Please describe your student's extracurricular activities.

Step 2 of 7

Who your kid really is

This is where the plan gets personal. The more specific you are, the better the strategy.

Interests, hobbies, obsessions

What does your kid do when nobody's grading them? Include things they might not think of as "college-worthy."

Please describe your student's interests and hobbies.

Personality and temperament

How would you describe your kid to a close friend? Not the resume version, the real one.

Please describe your student's personality.

Anything a teacher has said about your kid that stuck with you (optional)

A comment from a teacher, coach, or mentor that felt true.

Step 3 of 7

About the parents

Your background matters for the strategy. First-gen status, professional networks, and family structure all shape the plan.

Parent 1

Name

Please enter parent 1's name.

Education

Please enter parent 1's education.

Profession

Please enter parent 1's profession.

Parent 2 (if applicable)

Name (optional)

Education (optional)

Profession (optional)

Family Structure

Family structure

Please select a family structure.

Custody arrangement

This affects financial aid forms. Some schools require the non-custodial parent's information.

Which parent will file the FAFSA?

Relationship with co-parent regarding college planning (optional)

Siblings (optional)

Names, ages, grades, and anything relevant to the college timeline. If they'll be in college at the same time, that matters for financial aid.

Step 4 of 7

Geography

Location shapes the school list and the financial strategy.

City

Please enter your city.

State

Please select your state.

Area type

Please select area type.

Tell us about your area (optional)

Is there competition to get into schools? What's your community like? What local opportunities are available?

How far from home would your kid go for college?

Please describe your student's geographic range for college.

Step 5 of 7

Finances

This is private and it's essential. Financial aid strategy is the most valuable part of the plan, and it can't work without honest numbers.

Approximate household income

Combined annual income, pre-tax.

Please enter your household income.

What can you afford per year for college? (optional)

Be honest. There's no wrong answer. If you're not sure, leave this blank and we'll help you figure it out.

Significant assets

Home equity, 529 plans, retirement accounts, other savings. Schools use this in financial aid formulas. Home equity especially matters for CSS Profile schools.

Please describe your significant assets.

Any special financial circumstances (optional)

Business ownership, rental income, recent job change, medical expenses, anything that makes your financial picture non-standard.

Step 6 of 7

College preferences

Tell us what you're looking for in a college. We'll build the list, but it helps to know where your head is.

Size preference (select all that apply)

Large (15,000+) Mid-size (5,000-15,000) Small (under 5,000) Not sure yet

Geographic preference

Please describe your geographic preference.

Must-haves (optional)

Specific major, D1 sports, religious community, co-op programs, research opportunities, anything non-negotiable.

Deal-breakers (optional)

Schools already on your radar (optional)

Schools you've talked about, visited, or are curious about. No wrong answers.

Step 7 of 7

Priorities and final thoughts

Last step. Rank what matters most, then tell us anything else.

Rank these (most important at top)

Use the arrows or drag to reorder. #1 is what matters most to your family.

⋮⋮ Minimize total cost of attendance

⋮⋮ Prestige / brand name

⋮⋮ Academic fit (programs, research, major strength)

⋮⋮ Geographic location

⋮⋮ Campus culture / social fit

⋮⋮ Merit scholarship likelihood

⋮⋮ Post-graduation outcomes (career, earnings, grad school)

Anything else that matters to you that isn't on that list? (optional)

Tell us anything else (optional)

What keeps you up at night about this? What do you wish someone would just tell you? A story about your kid that captures who they really are? The more you share, the better the plan.

Email address

Your finished plan opens right on this page, and we'll email you the private link so it's always in your inbox.

Please enter your email address.

✎

Building your plan...

Scaffold is generating your personalized college strategy.
This usually takes 20-30 minutes. Real strategy takes a moment to think through.
You can close this tab. Your plan keeps building, and we'll email you the link when it's ready.

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Your plan is ready

Scroll down to read your personalized Scaffold plan.