As counselors, we know the start of a new school year is full of good intentions.
You map out classroom lessons, parent nights, college fairs, senior meetings, financial aid workshops, and everything in between. But with so much on your plate, it's easy to focus on what's most urgent, and that's often your seniors.
The challenge is that college and career planning doesn't begin in 12th grade.
The most meaningful conversations happen over time. Freshmen need opportunities to explore possibilities. Sophomores begin connecting interests to future pathways. Juniors start narrowing options and building plans. By senior year, students are ready to make informed decisions because they've been planning all along.
And at key moments in that journey—like receiving ACT scores—students and families often have the same question:
"What's next?"
Here are two free resources to support different stages of the college and career planning journey:
A successful college readiness program is built with all four years in mind. Students benefit when exploration, planning, and decision-making happen throughout high school rather than being concentrated in senior year.
The Four-Year College Planning Framework from Encourage provides practical strategies and grade-specific planning ideas to help counselors create a more intentional approach from freshman year through graduation.
Use the framework to think about the experiences and conversations students need at each stage:
Whether you're building a comprehensive counseling program or looking for fresh ways to engage students and families, the resource can help you identify meaningful opportunities to make planning an ongoing part of the high school experience.
ACT Navigator is a free online college and career planning tool designed to help students in grades 8-12 explore their future options and take action on their goals.
Through ACT Navigator, students can:
Navigator helps turn score reports into meaningful conversations and next steps, making it easier for students to see how today's decisions can influence tomorrow's opportunities.
Before the school year gets busy, consider how you can create intentional planning opportunities for every grade level.
A freshman exploring career interests today may become a more confident college applicant four years from now. A sophomore discovering new possibilities may uncover a pathway they never considered. A junior who develops a plan early can enter senior year feeling focused and prepared.
The goal isn't simply helping students decide where they'll go after high school. It's helping them build the knowledge, experiences, and confidence to make informed choices along the way.
This year, help students answer "What's next?" with a plan.
Start by sharing College Planning Shouldn't Start in 12th Grade and introducing students and families to ACT Navigator. Together, these free resources can support meaningful college and career planning throughout all four years of high school.
Because future readiness isn't a senior-year activity. It's a journey that begins long before graduation.