Academic Planner

The Academic Planner is a thoughtfully designed tool created to complement the College Board's online resource, Big Future, while encouraging students and parents to engage with their guidance counselors. Specifically targeting low-income college-goers, the Academic Planner offers parents an accessible entry point into the crucial conversation surrounding college preparation.

Recognizing that many low-income students' parents may be unfamiliar with the college preparation process, the Academic Planner directs both parents and students to the best online and physical resources, emphasizing the importance of underutilized high school guidance counselors. The design of the Academic Planner takes advantage of typography and the versatility of paper, creating a self-mailing poster that adapts seamlessly to various environments.

The Academic Planner challenges the conventional notion of print materials competing with digital tools by asking, "how can we create printed tools that complement, rather than compete with, digital resources?" When used in tandem with the College Board's BigFuture, both tools become more effective in guiding students and parents through the college preparation process. The planner's design is empathetic and informed by extensive research, creating a valuable resource for all members of a student's academic life.

With one side of the planner serving as a step-by-step guide through the college application process, the reverse side is designed to be displayed on high school walls, making the planner useful in multiple environments.