Every College Deadline, Owned and Scheduled
One Google Sheet that pulls official college data, shows what each school really costs your family, and turns your deadlines into a week-by-week task plan — so nobody is guessing what's due next.
Everything You Need to Track College Applications
Adaptive Task Plan
Generates a deadline-aware plan from your own colleges and dates — assigned to student or parent, scheduled by week. Finished work survives every regeneration. See how it works
College Data Import
Automatically fetch college data from the Department of Education's College Scorecard API. See how it works
Application Tracking
Track deadlines, requirements, and application status across all your target schools. View screenshots
Financial Comparison
Compare costs, financial aid, and return on investment across colleges
Travel Planner
Estimates distance from home, whether you'd drive or fly, and what visits and trips home actually cost each year
Smart Scoring
Weighted scoring system to help evaluate and rank your college choices
Privacy First
All data stays in your Google Sheets. No data stored on external servers
100% Free
Currently free to use. No hidden costs or subscription fees
Trusted by Students and Families
Built with feedback from real families
Your information stays in your Google account
Uses Department of Education APIs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is College Tools really free?
Yes, College Tools is currently completely free to use. You just need a Google account to copy the spreadsheet template.
Do I need programming knowledge?
No programming knowledge is required. College Tools works through simple menu commands in Google Sheets.
How do I get a College Scorecard API key?
Visit api.data.gov/signup to get your free API key. It takes less than a minute and requires only your email address. See full setup guide
Do I have to build the task list myself?
No. College Tools generates the plan from the colleges and deadlines already in your workbook, then assigns each task an owner and a week. You can preview every change before it's written, and your completed tasks, notes, and custom rows are preserved when you regenerate. See how task planning works
Is my college data secure?
Yes, all your data stays in your own Google Sheets document. College Tools doesn't store any of your information on external servers.