Family on college campus
For Parents

Will they get in?
What will it cost us?

Search any college, enter your child's GPA and scores, and see their estimated chances — instantly, free, powered by U.S. Department of Education data.

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What are your child's real odds?

Start with the school, then add GPA, SAT, or ACT. The estimate updates as soon as there is enough data.

Search for a school to see your child's chances.

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No credit card·Federal data only·Free forever tier
Everything you need to know

The six questions every parent asks.

Stairway U answers them with real federal data — not rankings, not marketing quizzes, and not a $200/hr college counselor.

🎯
Will they get in?
Estimated admission chances for every school on their list — based on your child's GPA and test scores vs. the school's published 25th–75th percentile range. Powered by federal data.
💰
What will it actually cost us?
Net price by income bracket, 529 growth projections, tuition inflation estimates, and loan scenarios. Side-by-side for every school, so you can compare apples to apples.
📋
Are we on track?
A visual journey from sophomore year to Decision Day. Every milestone, every deadline, every task — checked off as your student completes them. You see the progress without hovering.
✍️
Are the essays done?
AI-powered brainstorming helps your student discover essay topic ideas for each school, and a critique tool scores their draft with specific feedback on what to fix. They do the writing — AI helps them think.
🎓
What about scholarships?
Scholarship finder matches your student to verified opportunities from a curated database — real organizations, real links, real deadlines. Track applications in one place.
📊
How do the schools compare?
Side-by-side comparison of acceptance rate, cost, graduation rate, and median earnings — all from the U.S. Dept of Education. No marketing spin.
Your own login

See everything.
Without hovering.

Your student does the work — you get visibility. Your parent account shows the school list, costs, academic profile comparisons, and deadlines in a read-only dashboard built for peace of mind.

  • ✓See which schools made the list and why
  • ✓Compare costs side-by-side (net price, not sticker price)
  • ✓Track college list and deadlines
  • ✓Weekly email digest so you stay in the loop
Create Your Parent Account →
Free with your student's $9.99/mo subscription. No extra cost.
How it works
1
Your student signs up and builds their college list.
2
They share a 6-character code with you.
3
You link your parent account — done in 30 seconds.
4
You see everything: schools, costs, odds, progress.
From real families

What parents say after
their first week.

“The Financial Planner finally helped me understand what college will actually cost us. I stopped dreading the conversation and started making a real plan.”

Linda C.
Parent of 2026 applicant

“I had no idea my daughter had a 68% chance at her dream school. We almost didn't even apply because we assumed it was a reach.”

Maria R.
Parent of 2026 applicant

“We were juggling spreadsheets, Niche, and CollegeVine. Now everything is in one place and I actually understand the numbers.”

David K.
Parent of 2027 applicant
Pricing

$9.99/mo vs. $200/hr.

A private college counselor costs $200+/hour and still uses the same federal data we do. Stairway U gives your family the same odds, same cost breakdowns, same deadline tracking — for the price of a lunch.

Private counselor
$2,000–$6,000
per application season
Stairway U Pro
$9.99/mo
7-day free trial · cancel anytime
Stairway U Free
$0
Chancing + milestones forever
Start 7-Day Pro Trial →
No credit card required to start. Parent account included free.
Data from🏛 U.S. Dept of Education📊 College Scorecard API🎓 IPEDS
College campus

Stop wondering.
Start planning.

Your child's college list deserves real data, not guesswork.

Start Free — For Parents
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