CollegeHound

09/02/2026

She already knows where she wants to apply. Great. That’s the beginning—not the end.

Now come the essays, recommendations, activity descriptions, school-specific requirements, scholarships, portals, and deadlines.

A spreadsheet records what you remember to enter. A college counselor helps shape the strategy. CollegeHound helps students carry out the plan between meetings.

Scout uses her actual CollegeHound information to answer questions and suggest what deserves attention next.

CollegeHound is free. Plus unlocks unlimited Scout.

Start free. No credit card:
https://collegehound.com/get-started/seniors/

09/02/2026

Class of 2027 families: The Common App is open. Now what?

Between schoolwork, essays, recommendations, and deadlines, it can be hard to know what actually needs attention first.

CollegeHound gives your family one place to see what’s done, what’s missing, and what needs attention next.

Start free; no credit card required.
Add unlimited Scout for $9/month or $99/year through Labor Day.

www.CollegeHound.com

09/02/2026

"We haven't started anything yet."

If that's your house, don't try to do everything at once. Start in this order:

Starting college applications in late August? The catch-up plan for Class of 2027 seniors: list, essays, letters, testing, and FAFSA, week by week.

08/31/2026

College planning has a lot of moving pieces. CollegeHound puts them in one place.

Keep track of colleges, deadlines, applications, scholarships and to-dos without juggling spreadsheets, browser tabs, emails and texts.

Parents can keep an eye on the big picture. Students can focus on what needs to happen next. And when your family has a question, Scout uses the information already in CollegeHound to give personalized guidance.

CollegeHound is free. Add Scout when you want more help along the way.

Get organized at CollegeHound.com

08/31/2026

Seniors: the sprint to November 1 is on.

We broke the next nine weeks into a week-by-week plan: what to finish, what to draft, and what can wait. If your family is staring at the whole mountain at once, start here.

Senior fall 2026 mapped week by week for the Class of 2027: test dates, the October 1 FAFSA, supplements, and the road to November 1.

07/09/2026

I’m continuing the quick series explaining how families can actually use CollegeHound.

Today: how parents can use it.

Sometimes students are ready to jump into college planning, and sometimes they are not quite there yet.

Parents can use CollegeHound to help get the process started: adding information to the Binder, looking at colleges, and keeping an eye on the pieces that affect the family.

Especially financial fit.

Because missed deadlines can get expensive: FAFSA, testing, scholarship opportunities, application deadlines, and college costs.

The Binder gives those details a place to go, and Scout can help families figure out what needs attention next.

The goal is not for parents to own the whole process.

The goal is to help your student move forward with a system.

07/07/2026

Summer college planning tip: Ask for recommendation letters before the school-year rush.

Most students wait until September.

By then, teachers are overwhelmed with requests, new students, and back-to-school demands.

A simple email now can make a big difference — especially for rising seniors.

You are not asking the teacher to write the letter today.

You are giving them a respectful heads-up, letting them know why you chose them, and giving yourself time to prepare a thoughtful brag sheet before school starts.

CollegeHound helps with this process by keeping everything organized in one place:

✅ Which teachers you’re considering
✅ Why each teacher might be a good fit
✅ Activities, awards, classes, and details for your brag sheet
✅ College list and deadlines
✅ Recommendation letter tasks and reminders

Scout can also help students think through which teachers make the most sense to ask — not just who gave them the highest grade, but who can write about their growth, effort, character, curiosity, or leadership.

We also have a free email template students can use here:

collegehound.com/blog/recommendation-letter-request-email-template-for-rising-seniors/

And if your student is not sure who to ask, these may help too:

collegehound.com/blog/how-to-decide-which-teachers-to-ask-for-recommendation-letters/

collegehound.com/blog/how-to-ask-for-letters-of-recommendation-and-build-a-strong-brag-sheet/

That one early ask can make the fall feel a lot less rushed.

07/06/2026

Financial Aid Timeline

The financial aid timeline for the Class of 2027 — month by month.

When to file the FAFSA, CSS Profile deadlines, and how to compare award letters.

Financial aid timeline for the Class of 2027. When to file the FAFSA, CSS Profile deadlines, state aid, merit scholarships, and how to compare award letters — a month-by-month guide for families.