Helping families plan for college since 2018
College planning is scattered.
We built one place for all of it.
Test scores in an email. College list in a Google Doc. Essay drafts in three different apps. Emails from colleges, the school, testing companies. There is so much coming at you and nowhere to put it all. CollegeHound fixes that.
Add Scout for the questions that keep families up at night:
Where should we apply? · What are our chances? · How do we afford it?
Free Binder forever, no credit card. Add Scout for $9/mo during Dog Days of Summer.
The Binder. Everything your family needs.
You are not doing anything wrong. It is just hard to help when your student feels overwhelmed, you feel anxious, and nobody has a clear picture of what is actually done.
Without CollegeHound
- × Test scores in an email somewhere
- × A college list that hasn't been updated since March
- × Essay drafts in three different Google Docs
- × Parent trying not to nag
- × Student shutting down because the process feels too big
- × No shared plan for what needs attention next
With CollegeHound
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One shared Binder. Both of you see it.
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Colleges, scores, essays, activities, scholarships, and deadlines in one place.
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Scout helps your family see what is done, what is missing, and what to focus on next.
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So the conversation can move from “Did you do this?” to “Let's look at it together.”
Start with the free Binder.
Keep colleges, scores, essays, activities, scholarships, and deadlines in one place.
Free forever. No credit card.
Every family needs to answer three questions.
Most tools answer one. Most consultants charge $5,000+ to answer all three. Start with the free Binder. Add Scout when you want help answering all three.
Where should we apply?
Scout recommends schools based on your student's actual GPA, scores, interests, and preferences. Not a generic list from the internet.
Can we get in?
Scout reads your student's profile and gives honest fit assessments. Reach, target, safety. With reasoning, not just labels.
Can we afford it?
Track scholarships, understand financial aid, and compare costs. Scout helps you find money you might be missing.
CollegeHound Plus
Meet Scout. The advisor who actually
knows your student.
Organization without direction is just a really tidy pile of stress.
Scout reads your student's Binder – classes, scores, activities, colleges, and goals – then helps your family figure out what to do next.
Not a generic student. Yours.
Scout
You
Scout
Then ask Scout what it means.
Scout uses your student's Binder to answer real questions with context.
Ask a broad question. Scout turns it into a prioritized plan.
Based on what is already in your student's Binder.
Personalized college fit
Scout looks at your student's actual profile and tells you which schools are reaches, targets, and safeties. With reasoning, not just labels.
College research that goes deep
Campus feel, dorms, food, activities, social scene, jobs after graduation. One student gave Scout a 6 out of 5 for campus descriptions. Not a typo.
"What should we do next?"
Scout looks at where your student is in the process and tells you what to focus on this week. Not a generic checklist. Actual next steps for your family.
Essay help that is not cheating
Scout helps your student find their story and brainstorm angles. It does not write the essay for them. That is actually the point.
General AI starts with a blank box. Scout starts with your student.
You should not have to know the perfect prompt to get useful college guidance. Scout is built around the questions families actually ask, and it uses your student's Binder to make the answers specific.
“We are driving to Alabama. What colleges should we visit for Computer Science?”
Read how Scout planned this real road trip
“My student wants to study CS. Is their college list balanced?”
How to build a list that fits your student
“We don't know where to start. What should a junior be doing right now?”
“Is this college realistic for my student?”
How to categorize reach, target, and safety schools
“What are we missing that we don't even know to ask?”
“My student has no idea what to write about for the Common App essay.”
All 7 Common App prompts explained
Scout can give you the deep version, the short version, the parent version, or the student version. Whatever helps your family move forward.
Free Binder forever, no credit card. Add Scout for $9/mo.
What it costs and why.
Private consultants charge thousands. ChatGPT starts with a blank box. Parent groups don't know your kid. CollegeHound is the practical middle ground.
The Binder
Free
Free forever. No credit card required.
GPA, classes, activities, awards, college list, test scores, essays, deadlines, contacts, and to-dos. Parent and student views.
CollegeHound Plus
$15/mo $180/yr
$9/mo or $99/yr
Dog Days of Summer Special
Cancel anytime.
Everything in the Binder, plus Scout: personalized college fit, next steps, college research, essay brainstorming, scholarship guidance, visit planning, and answers based on your student.
|
DIY (Google + spreadsheets) |
CollegeHound Binder free · Scout $15/mo |
Private Consultant $5,000+ |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Organized college info | 14 browser tabs | One shared Binder | Varies |
| Personalized advice | Google it yourself | Scout reads their profile | 2-3 meetings/year |
| Specific questions | Ask a parent group about someone else's 5.0 student | Ask Scout about your actual student | Email, wait 48 hours |
| College research | Rankings, Reddit, and guesswork | Scout connects research to your student | Depends on package |
| Parent + student access | Shared Google Doc maybe | Both see the same plan | Parent usually excluded |
Organized info
CollegeHound: One shared Binder
DIY: 14 browser tabs
Consultant: varies
Personalized advice
CollegeHound: Scout reads their profile
DIY: Google it yourself
Consultant: a few meetings/year
Specific questions
CollegeHound: Ask about your actual student
DIY: parent group guesswork
Consultant: email and wait
College research
CollegeHound: Research tied to your student
DIY: rankings, Reddit, guesswork
Consultant: depends on package
Shared access
CollegeHound: Parent and student see the same plan
DIY: shared doc maybe
Consultant: parent often excluded
Dog Days of Summer Special
Scout Monthly: $15/mo → $9/mo
·
Scout Annual: $180/yr → $99/yr
Getting started takes about 5 minutes.
Sign up and create your Binder
Just your email, student's grade, and high school. No credit card.
Follow the guided checklist
A step-by-step walkthrough shows you what to add and why. No blank screen, no guessing what to do first.
Ask Scout when you need guidance
Scout comes with built-in prompts so you don't have to figure out what to ask. Pick a question or type your own.
Student-tested against ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot
One student tested Scout across 16 college-planning questions. Scout gave the most personalized answers because it was the only tool using the student's actual GPA, test scores, activities, and college list.
The biggest difference was not that Scout sounded smarter. It was that Scout knew the student.
What students and educators are saying
“Before CollegeHound, I felt very lost on how to prepare. Now I am going to have a less stressful senior year.”
Rising senior
“Absolutely pivotal. Never seen another website that gives so much information.”
Rising senior
“The college application process is like uncharted territory for many families. Scout addresses your specific concerns and tells you what to expect.”
Rising senior
“This is an incredible tool. It finally gives structure to everything students do before applying to college.”
Christina Winter
Educator & Parent
“The college journey can feel overwhelming for kids with learning challenges but CollegeHound makes it manageable.”
“Knowing where to start is often a roadblock for students with ASD, ADHD and executive function challenges. CollegeHound lessens that burden by providing a clear framework that starts as early as 9th grade, building crucial skills like planning, time management, working memory and organization over several years.
This long-term approach helps students stay on track and reach deadlines with reduced stress. Its personal assistant, Scout, is a standout feature that sets realistic goals, identifies gaps in applications, and utilizes AI capabilities to match individualized interests to schools that are the right fit for specific learning needs.
As an executive function coach who works with kids with learning differences, I would highly recommend this platform.”
Lindsay Strobl, MA, LSC
Executive Function Coach
Scout works for your family. Not for colleges, advertisers, or investors.
No college pays to be recommended. No ad network sees your data. No investor is pushing us to sell your attention. Scout works for you because your family is the customer.
Private by design
No last names, birthdates, or SSNs required. We limit personally identifying information from the start.
Current when it matters
Scout can search for current information when deadlines, programs, scholarships, or costs may have changed. For stable data, it relies on trusted sources that update on their own schedule.
Not sold. Not shared with advertisers.
Your student's Binder is for your family. We do not sell student data or let ad networks use it.
What students and educators are saying
“One place instead of twenty Google Docs.”
Stuti
Rising Senior
“Scout suggested colleges I had never heard of.”
Daliana
Rising Junior
“Before CollegeHound, I felt very lost on how to prepare. Now I am going to have a less stressful senior year.”
Rohan
Rising Senior
“I thought the AI would give generic answers, but it actually read my exact stats. It noticed the gap between my unweighted and weighted GPA and told me how to use my specific extracurriculars.”
Stuti
Rising Senior
“I think that CollegeHound is a wonderful tool that really has lowered my stress about the college application process.”
Leo
Rising Senior, AFHS · CollegeHound Intern
“This is an incredible tool. It finally gives structure to everything students do before applying to college.”
Christina Winter
Educator & Parent
“The college journey can feel overwhelming for kids with learning challenges but CollegeHound makes it manageable.”
“Knowing where to start is often a roadblock for students with ASD, ADHD and executive function challenges. CollegeHound lessens that burden by providing a clear framework that starts as early as 9th grade, building crucial skills like planning, time management, working memory and organization over several years.
This long-term approach helps students stay on track and reach deadlines with reduced stress. Its personal assistant, Scout, is a standout feature that sets realistic goals, identifies gaps in applications, and matches individualized interests to schools that are the right fit for specific learning needs.
As an executive function coach who works with kids with learning differences, I would highly recommend this platform.”
Lindsay Strobl, MA, LSC
Executive Function Coach
Questions we get a lot.
My kid will not use it. Why should I bother?
That is actually the most common reason parents sign up. You do not need your student's permission to start organizing. Most parents of 9th and 10th graders use the Binder to capture grades, activities, and awards as they happen. When senior year hits and applications ask for everything, it is already there. Your student can join when they are ready. Or not.
We already have a counselor. Do we need this?
Your counselor probably has 400 other students. CollegeHound does not replace your counselor. It fills the gaps between meetings so you show up prepared, your student's info is organized, and nobody forgets what was discussed last time.
Fair question. Scout talks to them like a person, not a textbook. Students tell us it feels like texting a really smart friend who happens to know everything about college admissions. And the Binder is free. Your kid can use it whether you pay for Scout or not. No pressure, no lockout.
ChatGPT doesn't know your kid. It gives the same generic advice to every student who asks. Scout reads your student's Binder. Their GPA, test scores, activities, college list, notes. And it gives advice based on their actual situation. Think of it like the difference between Googling “what should I do” and asking someone who has already seen your file.
No. And that is on purpose. Scout helps your student find their story, brainstorm angles, and figure out what makes their experience worth writing about. It doesn't write the essay. The essay is supposed to be your student's voice. Scout helps them find it.
It is actually the perfect time. The families who feel behind senior year are the ones who didn't start organizing until junior year. Right now there's no stress, no deadlines. Just a chance to get everything in one place so when it matters, you're ready. Scout even knows what sophomores should be thinking about vs. seniors.
No catch. The Binder is free forever. No credit card, no trial expiration. Scout is $15/month (currently $9 with our summer promo). You can cancel anytime, no questions asked. We're a small company run by a college planning specialist and a software engineer. We're not trying to trap you. We're trying to help you.
It takes about 5 minutes. Sign up, answer a few questions about your student, and Scout is ready to talk. You don't have to fill in everything on day one. Add stuff as you go. Test scores when they come back, activities as they happen. The whole point is to make this easier, not add another thing to your plate.
Yes. The Binder is completely free. Sign up, poke around, add your student's info. You'll see how it works before you spend a dime. Scout is the paid piece, and at $15/month (or $9 right now with our summer deal) with cancel-anytime, you can try it for one month and decide. No annual contract, no commitment.
Because fall is when everyone starts, and that is when it gets stressful. Right now you can set things up calmly. No deadlines breathing down your neck. By the time school starts, your kid's profile is built, their college list is taking shape, and you're ahead instead of scrambling. The families who feel most confident in October are the ones who started in the summer.
“I am a speech-language pathologist with 30 years of experience helping students and families communicate. I have ADHD and a blended family of seven. By our fifth application cycle, I knew the process was broken for everyone, not just families like ours. So we built CollegeHound.”
We are real people and this is our real passion. Every CollegeHound family can reach us directly. No ticket system, no chatbot wall. Just us.
Shelley Psyk
Co-Founder & CEO · College Planning Specialist
Dog Days of Summer Special
The Binder is free. Add Scout for $9/mo.
The Binder is free forever. Add Scout AI guidance for $9/mo (normally $15/mo). Cancel anytime.
I know this is a lot. I am living it too.
Get Your Free Binder + ScoutGrades 9-12. Cancel anytime.