5 College Planning Tools to Explore This Summer

Whether you’re brand new to or a pro at the college search process, there’s always new information to gather about college planning.

It can be really difficult (and time-consuming) to find the best, most reliable sources of information. To help you out, we’ve listed some of our favorite college planning tools and apps.

Please note: Some of these companies are Scoir partners! If you purchase any resources through these links, Scoir will receive a small commission.

Our Favorite College Planning Tools and Apps

• Coalition for College
• Matriculate
• Schoolhouse
• Test Innovators
• College Essay Guy

Coalition for College

Last year, we announced an exciting development. Starting August 2022, Scoir enabled students to apply to Coalition Colleges.

(Read more about what it means to Apply with Scoir and our Apply Year 2 updates.)

This means that colleges that are part of the Coalition for College network and are participating will allow students to apply with Scoir.

Applying to college can be confusing, complex, and often discouraging. So, we pulled together some resources from Coalition for College that can help you feel more confident in your college planning! 

Coalition for College offers students equal access to college planning tools that encourage exploration, self-reflection, and discovery.

You can find a ton of free articles and videos here, broken down into key categories.

Coalition also offers many online events, giving you the chance to gain personal insights from leaders in admissions. You can watch the recordings here, more are still ahead. Explore their events calendar here. 

Matriculate

Wouldn’t it be helpful to have a peer mentor to walk you through every step of the college application process? Let us introduce Matriculate.

Matriculate is a national nonprofit that provides "free virtual college advising to low-income high-achieving students across the country through a near-peer mentorship model."

It only takes a few minutes to apply to be a High School Fellow! As a Fellow, you will receive college planning guidance from a college student that understands what you are experiencing right now.

If you have any questions or want more information, feel free to contact their team at students@matriculate.org.

Schoolhouse

Managing homework and college apps can be a struggle. If you’ve ever wished you could have (or offer) live 1:1 peer tutoring, this college planning resource is for you.

Schoolhouse is a non-profit started by Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, that provides free peer tutoring over Zoom. Get extra help in math, SAT prep, and more in 1:1 live homework help and small-group sessions...all alongside a global community of students like you.

It’s easy to sign up—and free! To learn more, create an account today. Or, if you're interested in reaching learners from around the world, getting volunteer hours, building leadership skills, and boosting your college resume, consider becoming a volunteer tutor.

The Schoolhouse blog has great college planning resources to check out as well on a variety of topics, from writing better essays to personal development.

Test Innovators

Looking for an SAT/ACT prep tool that you can access from home? Test Innovators is a great college planning tool to check out. 

They'll provide you the practice tests you need to ace the new digital SAT or the paper SAT. Unlike other test prep tools, Test Innovators is personalized to you, so you're only focusing on areas you could improve.

As outlined on our partners page, Test Innovators also offers:

• Full-length practice tests
• Immediate scoring
• Personalized feedback
• Timing analysis
• Additional practice questions
• Test-taking strategies
• Educational content for students, families, supporters

Check out their SAT prep resources and their ACT prep resources to get started!

College Essay Guy

Arguably the hardest part of the college application process is the essay.

College Essay Guy has been helping students like you for over 20 years. Their goal is to help you face this challenge with ease, purpose, and joy.

College Essay Guy can support you with:

• College essay coaching
• College admissions counseling
• College interview prep
• Graduate school admissions coaching
• The Matchlighters Scholars Program (pairing high-achieving, low-income students with college counselors for free)

Here are some of their most popular services for students like you:

• One-on-One Coaching
• How to Write the College Application and Supplemental Essays Course

The College Essay Guy YouTube channel is a great free resource as well.

Curious about our partnership with College Essay Guy? You can learn more on our partner page. 

While there are a wealth of college planning tools out there, we hope these 5 provide a great starting place. 

Need a break from all this serious planning? Check out our dorm room essentials blog post for a fun break!

This article was originally published on April 21, 2022. It was updated on July 18, 2023 for accuracy and comprehensiveness.