Find your direction
Explore colleges, careers, and ways to pay. Build a shortlist around your interests, goals, and budget.
College · Careers · Scholarships
FutureStepsYOUR FUTURE. ONE STEP AT A TIME.College planning.
College planning.
One clear
next step.
Turn college, scholarship, and career options into a plan you can follow—with an AI coach to help you keep moving.
Free planning and practice. No time limit. No card required.AI tutoring & coaching · 90-day trial with a shared weekly allowance
Support for families. Space for students.Parents see shared progress. Student coaching chats stay private.
For students exploring US college and career pathways, and the people cheering them on.
A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIESPlenty to explore.
Plenty to explore.
Help finding what fits.
Discover your options, save what interests you, and bring it all into your next conversation with your coach.
3K+US schools in our directory
AidSource-linked scholarships and grants
70+Career entries to explore
4K+Lessons
MAKE YOUR SHORTLIST YOUR OWN
Find your kind of college.
A good fit starts with what matters to you. Try a starting point to see the questions worth asking.
A LITTLE GUIDANCETry it out
Could I see myself learning here?
- Which classes would I be excited to take?
- Can I explore different majors before choosing?
- What could I try through projects or internships?
One small step to try
Pick a subject you enjoy. Look through one school’s course list.
SMALL STEPS. REAL MOMENTUM.Life changes.
Life changes.
Your plan should, too.
A busy week, a new interest, a better score. Bring it to your coach and work out what comes next, together.
Built around you One step at a time
Find your next step Your coaching journeyA little support at every turn
EXAMPLE- Get to know you
Your interests, goals, and starting point.
- Make a plan
Choose a small step you can commit to.
- Give it a go
Take action. Learn what works for you.
Check in. Adjust. Keep going.
“This week got busy. Can we start smaller?”
That’s a good place to begin. Let’s pick one thing. A fresh next step, with every check-in.
FROM POSSIBILITIES TO PROGRESSA little clarity.
A little clarity.
A plan you can actually use.
Build your plan
Turn your choices into manageable actions. Keep application materials, deadlines, and this week’s priorities together.
Your next step · ApplicationsKeep moving
Practice, check in with your AI coach, and adjust as life changes. Let your family support your progress along the way.
Practice · Coaching · FamilyFOR FAMILIESStay involved.
Stay involved.
Give them room to grow.
See shared progress, upcoming deadlines, and ways to help. Keep conversations about options and affordability connected to your student’s plan.
- Shared progress summary
- Money and affordability picture
- One useful parent action
- Application and deadline visibility
- Private student coaching remains private
Family
Alex is on track
3 meaningful steps completed this week.
You can help with one thingTalk through the UT Austin campus visit.Explore family guidance →
YOUR NEXT CHAPTER STARTS SMALL
Start free. Keep moving.
Explore colleges, scholarships, and careers. Build your plan and practice from the question bank, with no time limit. Eligible students receive a 90-day AI trial from their signup date, after email verification and required age and permission checks. It includes homework help, tutoring and college and career coaching. No invitation is needed. Study and coaching share one weekly AI allowance. Study also allows up to 100 requests per day, subject to the remaining weekly allowance and service availability. Longer chats, complex questions and photos may use more allowance. No card is needed and the trial never charges automatically. After the trial, live AI help requires a paid plan and available allowance; free planning, question-bank practice and saved work remain available.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Why guidance matters.
A little perspective from research on student coaching and career exploration.
STUDENT COACHING01
Support can help students stay the course.
In a randomized study of college students, those assigned an individual coach were more likely to remain enrolled, including a year after coaching ended.
A useful takeawayConnect everyday actions to longer-term goals, with regular check-ins along the way.
Read the study Bettinger & Baker · NBER, 2011CAREER EXPLORATION02
Exploring the future is time well spent.
An OECD analysis of longitudinal data from eight countries linked teenage career exploration, experience, and thinking about work with better adult employment outcomes.
A useful takeawayMake space to explore possibilities and learn about working life before choosing a direction.
Explore the research OECD · Career readiness, 2021These studies examine other programs and populations, not FutureSteps. The OECD findings describe associations, rather than proving cause and effect.
A FEW THINGS TO KNOW
Before your first step.
Clear answers for students and families.
Who is FutureSteps for?
Students exploring US college and career pathways, and their parents or guardians. Our current examples focus on college discovery, scholarships, applications, and SAT preparation. Specific eligibility and requirements vary by school and scholarship.
Am I speaking with AI or a human advisor?
The coaching experience is AI-supported. Human advising and essay reviews are planned as separately priced services for later; they are not included in the monthly plans. Check important admissions and funding details with the relevant school or provider.
What can I try for free?
College and scholarship search, career exploration, your planner, question-bank practice, and linked parent access are free with no time limit. Eligible students receive a 90-day AI trial from their signup date, after email verification and required age and permission checks. It includes homework help, tutoring and college and career coaching. No invitation is needed. Study and coaching share one weekly AI allowance. Study also allows up to 100 requests per day, subject to the remaining weekly allowance and service availability. Longer chats, complex questions and photos may use more allowance. No card is needed and the trial never charges automatically. After the trial, live AI help requires a paid plan and available allowance; free planning, question-bank practice and saved work remain available. The interactive walkthrough is also free and needs no account. Compare optional AI plans.
What can a linked parent see?
Linked parents can see shared planning information and progress to help support the student. Private student coaching conversations are not part of that shared view. Each student has their own account.
Does FutureSteps guarantee admission or scholarships?
No. FutureSteps helps you explore options and organize your next steps. Schools and scholarship providers make their own decisions, and results depend on individual circumstances.