Financial
Estimate the family’s expected contribution, understand aid terminology, compare total cost rather than sticker price alone, and decide how savings, cash flow, borrowing, and other resources fit together.
College planning
College planning works better when families start before the application deadline.
CKT’s legacy content treated college planning as more than tuition. The rebuilt roadmap organizes the process around affordability, student preparation, school fit, financial aid, and family decisions.
Three planning dimensions
Academic
Course selection, grades, testing strategy where applicable, activities, and application timing can all affect the student’s options.
Social / fit
The strongest financial offer is not automatically the best school. Program fit, campus environment, support systems, geography, and the student’s goals matter.
Start earlier than senior year when possible
Families often have more choices when planning begins before applications are underway. The useful starting point depends on the student’s stage, what has already been saved, likely school types, and how much uncertainty remains around career or academic direction.
Partner note: CKT’s legacy site referenced a college-planning partner. Partner-specific offers and outbound links are intentionally held until Chris confirms the current relationship and approved destination.
Understand the options first. Decide what fits second.
Use the guided experience to organize your questions, or contact Chris when you want to talk through your situation.