Disclosure: This post is intended to introduce families to Early Bird™ and contains affiliate links. I only recommend resources that I believe may be useful to families navigating the college process.

I’ve been through the college process before.

As a parent, I’ve experienced the excitement, the questions, the deadlines, the financial concerns, and, yes, even the occasional panic that comes with helping a teenager navigate the road to college.

But this year, I’m looking at the process from a slightly different perspective.

I have a grandson entering the college process this year.

And let me tell you, being on the sidelines as a grandparent doesn’t make me any less invested! In fact, it has made me think even more about how overwhelming college planning can be for families.

There are so many questions.

• What colleges are actually a good fit?
• What should students be doing in 8th, 9th, 10th, or 11th grade?
• When should they take the SAT or ACT?
• How do you find scholarships?
• How do you help your student build a strong application without taking over the process?

And perhaps most importantly: How do you make sure your student isn’t simply following a checklist, but actually creating a college plan that fits who they are?

That’s why I was intrigued when I learned about Early Bird™, a college-planning platform designed to help students and families start earlier and make the process more personalized.

Meet Early Bird™: College Planning That Actually Fits Your Student

Early Bird™ helps students in grades 8–12 build a personalized roadmap to college by beginning with their strengths and interests and continuing all the way through the application process.

At the center of Early Bird™is Fit Finder, a tool that matches students with colleges based on academic fit, personal preferences, financial fit, and outcomes.

I especially like the idea of looking beyond the traditional question of “What are the best colleges?” and instead asking, “What are the best colleges for my student?”

Those are two very different questions.

Students also get College Rings, which provide a semester-by-semester plan that breaks down what they should be focusing on and when. Instead of waiting until senior year and suddenly realizing there are dozens of things to do, students can work through the process gradually.

Early Bird™ also includes guidance from Robin. Its built-in support engine, along with essay prompts and tools and scholarship search resources.

And for families who want more personalized help, an optional marketplace connects students with 1:1 support for college counseling, essay assistance, and test preparation.

Making College Planning More Accessible

Another thing that caught my attention is the story behind Early Bird™.

It was built by Carrie Jorgenson, a former school counselor with 10 years of experience and a former admissions reader at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz. She has personally guided more than 1,000 families through the college process.

That experience matters.

We often talk about how helpful a private college counselor can be, but the reality is that less than 1 in 4 high-achieving students ever have access to one.

That leaves a lot of families trying to figure everything out on their own.

Early Bird™ was created to help close that gap by bringing personalized college-planning guidance to more students and families.

And as someone who has spent years helping parents navigate the college process, I know firsthand how valuable it can be to have someone, or something, help you understand what needs to happen, when it needs to happen, and why it matters.

What Does It Cost?

This is another area where Early Bird™ stands out.

Family plans are $29.99 per month or $270 per year, which is a fraction of the cost of traditional private college consulting.

For families who don’t have the budget, or simply don’t need a full-service private counselor, having access to structured planning and guidance could be a very useful middle ground.

Why I’m Paying Attention

As I watch my grandson begin his college journey, I’m reminded that college planning isn’t something that should suddenly begin the summer before senior year.

The earlier students understand their strengths, interests, options, finances, and goals, the more intentional the process can become.

And that’s really what I want for my grandson and for every student whose family I reach through Parenting for College.

I don’t want students choosing colleges because they’re famous.

I don’t want parents choosing colleges because someone else’s child went there.

And I definitely don’t want families getting to senior year and realizing they’ve missed opportunities simply because they didn’t know what they were supposed to be doing.

I want students to find colleges that fit them.

That’s why I’m taking a closer look at Early Bird™ as my own family enters this process. And if you’re the parent or grandparent of a student in grades 8–12, it may be worth looking into as well.

College planning doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It just needs to start early and have a plan.