Concourse / Before College
Leg 1 · Departure
Before College
Everything between the first day of senior year and move-in day — applications, money, tests, and the decision itself. Built for the student filling out the forms and the parent double-checking the deadlines.
Senior year runs on a schedule you don’t get to set — FAFSA opens in the fall, Early Decision closes a month later, and Decision Day arrives whether you’re ready or not. This is the full map of what to handle, and when.
Financial Aid & FAFSA
FAFSA, the CSS Profile, and how to actually read an award letter — what “cost of attendance” and “expected family contribution” mean once real numbers show up.
View guide → Gate A2Applications & Essays
The Common App, supplements, and writing an essay that sounds like you wrote it — not a thesaurus.
View guide → Gate A3Scholarships & Aid Search
Where the free money actually is, and how to apply without missing a deadline.
View guide → Gate A4Testing & Academics
SAT/ACT strategy, test-optional decisions, and keeping grades steady through May.
View guide → Gate A5Campus Visits & Fit
How to tell a good tour from a great one, and questions worth asking that aren’t on the brochure.
View guide → Gate A6Choosing a College & Decision Day
Comparing offers side by side and making the call before May 1.
View guide → Gate A7Trade & Certificate Programs
HVAC, welding, CDL, electrician, cosmetology — real program cost and completion time against the actual regional wage.
View guide →Also useful from here: the College Comparison Tool to compare real cost and outcomes across schools, and the Accreditor Report Card to see how a school’s accreditor stacks up on graduate earnings vs. debt.