Your checklist · In high school
Your plan for what comes after high school.
You don't have to pick a career now. You do have to choose what comes after graduation. Tick these off one at a time; your progress stays on this device.
Junior year
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1. Find careers that fit you
Five quick questions. See careers that match what you enjoy, with real pay and growth.
Take the 2-minute quiz → -
2. Save three to five careers you're curious about
Tap Save on any career page. Your list keeps their pay, growth, and what it takes to start in one place.
Browse careers → -
3. Look at every road, not just college
Many careers start with an apprenticeship, a certificate, or a two-year degree, and some pay more than many degrees.
Trades and two-year paths → -
4. Check which of your careers are growing
Growing faster than average, paying above the median, and not expected to shrink because of AI.
Careers with a strong outlook → -
5. Talk to one adult who does a job on your list
Ask what a normal day is like, what they wish they'd known at your age, and how they got in. One conversation teaches more than an hour of reading.
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6. Compare your top options side by side
A degree, a two-year program, a career: time, typical debt, and what people earn after.
Compare my options → -
7. Show your list to a parent or mentor
Send your saved list as a link. Ask them what they see in you that fits, or doesn't.
Open my list →
Senior year
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1. Narrow it to two or three real options
Put them side by side: a degree at a specific college, a two-year program, or going straight into a career.
Compare my options → -
2. Check your program at the colleges you're considering
Every degree page lets you look up one college's program: what its graduates earn and borrow.
Find your degree → -
3. Run the numbers on your top degree
How long until what you'd earn makes up for what it costs. Change any number to match your situation.
Will a degree pay off? → -
4. File the FAFSA
The federal aid form opens in the fall of senior year. Some aid is first come, first served, so file early even if you're not sure you'll qualify.
Go to studentaid.gov ↗ -
5. If college isn't the plan, find an apprenticeship near you
Registered apprenticeships pay you while you train. The Department of Labor lists openings by trade and ZIP code.
Search apprenticeships ↗ -
6. When aid offers arrive, compare the real cost
Grants and scholarships are free money; loans are not. Compare what you'd actually pay each year, not the sticker price.
Compare aid offers → -
7. Decide, and tell someone why
Most colleges ask for a decision by May 1. Whatever you choose, write down why. It's the reason you'll come back to when it gets hard.
Open my list →
See what to do each month, junior and senior year →
Every step done. That's a plan most people never make. Look over your list →
Your checkmarks are saved in this browser only. Every number on this site comes from public government data and names its source; the numbers don't decide for you.
Somewhere else right now? In college · Thinking about a change