Caveat College · For college-bound students and families
Everything between ninth grade and move-in day.
College courses taken for credit in high school, the college list, applications, paying for college and the move to college. Free tools for every step, and your Caveat advisor when you want one.
College credit in high school: four routes
Each one is right for someone. None is right for everyone, and each college counts them differently.
AP
A high school course with an exam in May.
- Credit
- Colleges give credit or placement by exam score, and some give none.
- Watch for
- The course shows rigor on the transcript even when the credit does not count.
Dual enrollment
A college course taken through the high school.
- Credit
- Usually on both the high school and the college transcript, with a grade.
- Watch for
- Often the lowest cost. The college grade is permanent.
An online college course
Taken directly from a college, on your own calendar.
- Credit
- The grade lives on a college transcript; each college decides whether it transfers.
- Watch for
- Readiness matters more than speed. A first course should be a safe one.
CLEP
An exam without a course: self-study, then one test.
- Credit
- Credit by score at colleges that accept CLEP.
- Watch for
- Fewer colleges accept it, so check the list first.
Plan the route
Compare the routes for the colleges on your list, then set up the one you pick.
Credit Route Plan
Dual enrollment setup
AP or CLEP self-study support
Credit check across colleges
Credit petition help
Community college to university plan
A first college course before 9th grade
Practice week with full feedback
Parent guide: College credit in high school
Support for an online college course
Your Caveat advisor sets the pace, checks in weekly and writes you a report every week. The student does the coursework.
- Weekly check-in with your Caveat advisorEvery week
- A pacing calendar built around school and activitiesSet at the start
- The student does every reading, post, quiz and examTheir own work
- A written weekly report to parentsEvery week
An example week, not a real student. A typical 3-credit online course asks for about six hours a week.
Spotter, the Caveat family app
Families on a plan see this week's pace, the weekly report, what is due next, messages and documents in one place, on any phone.
Get Spotter on your phone →- Support for any online college courseA weekly check-in and a written weekly report for one online college course, from any college or a community college's dual enrollment.$300 per course
- AP or CLEP self-study supportA study calendar to exam day, a weekly check-in and the registration steps for an AP or CLEP exam taken on your own.$225 per exam
- Dual enrollment setupThe application, placement, registration and the transcript at the end, in the right order.$99
- Practice week with full feedbackA practice college week with a scored rubric and line-by-line comments, before you commit to a course.$25 per week
- College PrepThe whole college process for grades 9 to 12 with your Caveat advisor, weekly.$299 a month
Prices as posted on each product. Caveat plans and paces; it does not teach the course or do any of the work.
The college list
A balanced list of reach, target and likely colleges, with a net price for each one.
The college list builder
Is the college list balanced?
College pathways
College support program finder
Direct admissions
First in the family to college
College list build
College visit planner
Major and career exploration
The Caveat College Search Binder
The athlete eligibility starter
Athletic recruiting plan
Arts portfolio and audition timeline
Service academy and ROTC timeline
Gap year plan
Applications and essays
Every deadline on one calendar, testing decided, and essays the student writes.
Your College Essay: From Blank Page to Final Draft
College essay brainstorm
Recommendation letter request
The activities planner
Senior year calendar
SAT or ACT: which fits?
SAT and ACT test-day checklist
Application timeline
Essay feedback: personal statement
Essay feedback: supplemental essay
Activities list and resume review
Recommendation letter prep
Interview practice
SAT or ACT plan
Deferral, waitlist or appeal letter help
Summer and pre-college program applications
The Caveat Senior Year Deadline Kit
Parent guide: The admissions timeline, grade by grade
Students write every word. Essay feedback points out what to fix and why; it never rewrites. The college essay course is $19 and self-paced.
Paying for college
The FAFSA, the net price, scholarships and the aid offers, side by side.
Listed price $48,000 a year. Grants and scholarships of $21,000 bring the net price to $27,000. Loans are part of what you pay, not a discount.
Example figures, not a real college. Every college publishes a net price calculator; use it for your own numbers.
Aid, step by step
Free tools first. Your Caveat advisor when you want a second pair of eyes.
FAFSA documents checklist
Compare aid offers
The student loan payback estimator
Scholarships for students with disabilities
Financial aid walkthrough
Net price check
Scholarship match
Aid offer comparison
Out-of-state tuition discount check
Parent guide: Paying for college
The move to college
Ready for the dorm, the accommodations in place and the study habits a college course asks for.
Dorm readiness check
From IEP to college accommodations
College Study Skills
College Accommodations Review
IEP or 504 to college
Post-Secondary Options Report for Learning Differences
Senior launch
College Launch bundle
First semester of college check-ins
College readiness report
Senior Year Pass
25 free college tools
Checklists, calculators and planners for every step. No sign-up, nothing saved.
College essay brainstorm
College pathways
College support program finder
Compare aid offers
Direct admissions
Dorm readiness check
FAFSA documents checklist
First in the family to college
From IEP to college accommodations
Is my student ready for a college course?
Is the college list balanced?
Is this AP course a good fit?
Ready for AP Calculus AB?
Recommendation letter request
SAT and ACT test-day checklist
SAT or ACT: which fits?
Scholarships for students with disabilities
Senior year calendar
The activities planner
The athlete eligibility starter
The Caveat Family Guide to College
The college list builder
The credit passport
The GPA impact calculator
The student loan payback estimator
AP and CLEP practice courses
Self-paced practice for the exams, $29 each with a certificate. They live in Caveat Academy.
AP Biology Practice Course
AP Calculus AB Practice Course
AP English Language and Composition Practice Course
AP U.S. History Practice Course
AP Calculus BC Practice Course
AP Chemistry Practice Course
AP Computer Science A Practice Course
AP Computer Science Principles Practice Course
AP English Literature and Composition Practice Course
AP Environmental Science Practice Course
AP European History Practice Course
AP Human Geography Practice Course
AP Macroeconomics Practice Course
AP Microeconomics Practice Course
AP Physics 1 Practice Course
AP Precalculus Practice Course
AP Psychology Practice Course
AP Research Practice Course
AP Seminar Practice Course
AP Statistics Practice Course
AP U.S. Government and Politics Practice Course
AP World History: Modern Practice Course
CLEP Prep: Introductory Psychology
A tutor for the college course itself
For the coursework your Caveat advisor does not teach.
The fine print, up front
The same lines on every page.
Each college decides.
Admission, financial aid and how any credit transfers are each college's decision, and policies change. We show published policies and say where they came from.
Caveat never promises an outcome.
Not admission, not an aid amount, not a scholarship, a score or credit transfer.
Students do their own work.
Every assignment, essay and exam is the student's own. We never write an essay and never log in as a student.
High school credit is separate.
The student's school, or the parent for a homeschooled student, decides the high school credit for a college course.
AP, Advanced Placement and CLEP are registered trademarks of the College Board, which is not affiliated with and does not endorse Caveat. Practice courses do not award college credit. Everything is online and priced up front.
The other branches
One brand. Four branches. Every grade, every next step.
For teachersCaveat ClassroomResources made to order, free tools, professional development, certification prep.
For studentsCaveat AcademySelf-paced courses for grades 6 to 12, from full-year classes to AP and SAT prep.
For parentsCaveat Co-OpHomeschool from kindergarten to grade 12, courses for parents, and plans with your Caveat advisor.
The Caveat Family Guide to College is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Each college decides admission, aid and how credit counts, and requirements change; check each college's own pages. Examples are examples, not promises. Caveat Academic Services is an independent college preparation company. Students do all of their own work.