A Healthier Way to Plan for College: 5 Ideas from BigFuture

Every student has unique interests and aspirations—and a future full of possibilities after high school. But too often the path to get to that future is unclear and confusing. BigFuture^® has a big idea to upend the too-stressful process of college and career planning.

At this year’s College Board Forum, Amy Reitz, senior vice president of BigFuture, led a session titled “A Healthier Approach to College Planning and Recruitment.” She described how today’s system is leaving too many students anxious, families overwhelmed, counselors overextended, and colleges struggling to connect with the right students.

Here’s how BigFuture^® is rethinking the entire ecosystem to make college planning and recruitment healthier—for students and the adults who support them.

1. Make the Fit Be About Students, Not Rankings.

“Fit” has been distorted by prestige and rankings that don’t reflect students’ real needs. BigFuture is expanding its guidance tools to help students find more detailed information on schools where they can thrive academically and personally.

2. Let Students See Their Options—Clearly.

With BigFuture School, students receive personalized career insights alongside their SAT^® and PSAT-related assessment scores, helping them connect their skills and interests to future opportunities.

3. Help Students Envision Their Own Futures.

“We all go through winding journeys to get to where we are. But we have a hard time helping young people navigate their journeys,” Reitz said. By guiding students to think about what they want, BigFuture gives them space to define what success looks like—on their own terms.

4. Make Finding the Right Fit Easier.

Reitz emphasized that technology helps—but it must support human connection, not replace it. “There’s a difference between being data driven and data informed,” she said. “We need to bring the humanity back into the process.” BigFuture uses AI to make connections between unstructured data sets but avoids overreliance on data that could strip away the personal touch.

5. Align Adults Around Students.

The BigFuture community brings families, educators, and institutions together to provide students with reliable information and shared purpose.

Reitz closed with the BigFuture commitment: A Big Future for Each and Every Learner. The goal isn’t just better tools—it’s a healthier process where students will find the support, information, and confidence to plan a future that truly fits.