College Planning Track (Grades 8-11)
Most families don't realize it, but the most strategic decisions in the college admissions process happen long before senior year. Course selection, extracurricular commitment, leadership development, and personal narrative all build over years, not months. Starting early means having time to think long-term, plan with intention, and take the pressure off senior year before it ever arrives.
The College Planning Track is our recommended path for students in grades 8 through 11. It gives families the flexibility to start at the level that fits right now, with room to grow as your student does.
Each tier builds on the one before it, so families can start where they are and grow from there.
Choose your package.
| Comparison point | Foundations $2,999 | Strategy & Story $4,999 | Comprehensive (most popular) $7,999 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Early roadmap, lighter structure, affordable starting point | Stronger story, smarter research, meaningful planning | Earlier planning plus significant application support |
| Primary outcome | Clarity on major, career, and college direction | Develops the student's narrative earlier | Combines underclassmen prep with senior-year execution |
| 1-on-1 support | Up to 5 hrs | Up to 20 hrs | Up to 40 hrs |
| Essay support | None | Common App personal statement | Up to 10 supplemental, honors, or scholarship essays |
| GradBetter report | Not included | Included | Included |
| AchieveWorks assessments | Not included | Not included | 4 assessments + reports |
| Application support | Early planning only | Pre-senior positioning | Common App, deadlines, execution support |
Not sure which package fits?
Here's how to think about it.
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Your student is in 9th or 10th grade and you want an affordable, structured first step. You are not ready for full application support yet but you want to make sure your student is on the right path academically and building the right foundation early.
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Your student is in 10th or 11th grade and ready to start serious college research and essay work. You want their narrative developed early so senior year is about polishing and executing, not starting from scratch under pressure.
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You want the full experience from start to finish. Planning, positioning, and complete senior-year execution support, all built in from day one. You want peace of mind that every deadline, application, and essay is covered by a team that knows your student.
The tools that set our packages apart.
Beyond hours and meetings, our higher tiers include professional planning tools that turn strategy into action.
HSA Harvard Student Tutoring Ten hours of 1-on-1 tutoring with Harvard Student Agencies tutors, available for SAT, ACT, AP/IB, or general subject support. Built into the Premier package. Families choose how to apply the hours based on what their student needs most.
GradBetter A detailed reporting tool that pulls together academic profile, college fit, and cost context into a single report families can use as a working document. Included in Story & Strategy, Comprehensive, and Premier.
AchieveWorks A 4-assessment suite covering personality, learning style, interests, and career direction. Each assessment generates a detailed report that informs major exploration, college list building, and overall strategy. Included in Comprehensive and Premier.
Common questions
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Simply Admissions is a smaller, intentionally boutique practice. That means when you work with us, you're working directly with experienced consultants from day one, not a junior associate or intake coordinator who hands you off down the line. We work with a limited number of students at a time so every family gets real attention, real strategy, and a consultant who actually knows their student. For families who want a more personal, hands-on experience, that difference matters.
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Families who start in 9th or 10th grade get the most out of the process. We can guide course selection, extracurricular planning, and long-term positioning before junior-year pressure builds. Many families start in 10th or 11th grade and still have plenty of runway for testing strategy, college list building, and essay development. The Foundations package is designed to be an accessible, low-pressure way to get started.
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For families who want to approach this thoughtfully rather than reactively, yes. The decisions made in 9th and 10th grade shape what is possible by senior year. Starting early gives us time to build a real plan around your student rather than scrambling to reverse-engineer one under deadline pressure. It also tends to be a much less stressful version of this process for both students and parents.
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Foundations focuses on direction and groundwork: major exploration, resume development, extracurricular planning, and an early college fit list. Strategy & Story includes everything in Foundations, plus Common App personal statement support, deeper college research, the GradBetter report, and recommendation letter strategy. Strategy & Story is the right fit for families who want their student's narrative developed earlier so senior year feels lighter.
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Yes, and it is common. Families often start with Foundations or Strategy & Story and move into more comprehensive support as senior year approaches. Because we work with a small number of students at a time, that transition feels seamless rather than like starting over with someone new. We will walk through the upgrade path during your consultation so you know exactly what is available and when it makes sense.
Ready to make this feel simpler?
Schedule a free consultation to talk with our team. We will learn about your student, walk you through how we work, and help you figure out if Simply Admissions is the right fit for your family. No pressure, no obligation.
Not ready yet? Email us with any questions.
lallen@simplyadmissions.com