Your Complete Guide to ScholarSynch
From your dashboard to landing scholarships — here's how to make the most of every feature, step by step.
Your Dashboard — Your Home Base
After signing up, you land on your personalized dashboard. See your profile completion, saved colleges, upcoming deadlines, and scholarship progress at a glance.
- Profile completion tracker to guide your setup
- Quick action buttons to jump to colleges, scholarships, and more
- Saved colleges pipeline — see where each application stands
- Upcoming deadline alerts so nothing slips through the cracks
- Scholarship progress and outreach activity at a glance
Tip: Your profile powers your recommendations. Fill it in for instant personalized results, or just start chatting — your advisor learns about you as you go. The dashboard will guide you through what to do next.
Build Your Profile
Your profile powers everything in ScholarSynch. Fill it in directly for instant personalized results, or just start chatting — your advisor picks up details from your conversations and builds your profile as you go.
- Academic stats: GPA, SAT/ACT scores, class rank
- Intended majors and career goals
- Geographic preferences and state of residence
- Financial situation and aid needs
- Extracurriculars, interests, and special circumstances
Tip: You can fill in your profile manually or let your advisor learn about you through conversation — or both. Don’t skip the financial section though — it’s critical for scholarship matching and aid estimates.
Explore Colleges & Programs
Browse 3,000+ colleges with filters for location, size, selectivity, cost, and programs. Deep-dive into college detail pages with admissions stats, athletics, and financial data.
- Search and filter 3,000+ U.S. colleges by what matters to you
- Explore 2,000+ academic programs by field and category
- NCAA Division I, II, and III athletics data for student-athletes
- Tap question chips on college cards to ask your advisor about any school
Tip: Use the Majors tab to find programs first, then discover which colleges offer them. Question chips on college cards let you ask your advisor without leaving the page.
Ask Your Advisor — Anywhere
Your college search advisor is available as an overlay from any page. Tap the Advisor tab in the bottom bar (mobile) or the chat panel (desktop) to ask questions without losing your place.
- Available from any page — no navigating away from what you’re doing
- Ask natural-language questions: “What scholarships match me at UCLA?”
- Question chips on college cards and detail pages pre-fill common questions
- Full chat history preserved — continue conversations anytime
Tip: The advisor learns from your conversations and your profile. The more context it has — whether you type it in your profile or mention it in chat — the more personalized your results.
Save, Compare & Track
Build your college list by saving favorites. Compare them side by side, track your application status, and rank schools by preference.
- Save colleges and track status: interested → applying → accepted
- Side-by-side comparison across cost, admissions, programs, and outcomes
- Rank colleges by your preference order
- Add notes to any saved college for your own reference
Tip: Aim for 8–12 schools with a mix of reach, match, and safety. Your dashboard shows a pipeline view of where each application stands.
Find & Apply for Scholarships
Profile-matched scholarships from 1,000+ opportunities. Track applications with requirements checklists, monitor deadlines, and manage your submissions in one place.
- Smart scholarship matching based on your profile
- Track application progress with requirements checklists (essays, recommendations, transcripts)
- Monitor deadlines and award amounts
- Dashboard scholarship tracker for at-a-glance progress
Tip: Apply early and often. Many students miss out simply because they don’t apply. Even small scholarships add up over four years.
Plan Your Finances
Estimate your Student Aid Index (SAI), compare net prices across colleges, and understand what you’ll actually pay after grants and scholarships.
- SAI calculator to estimate your federal aid eligibility
- Net price estimates for each saved college
- Compare aid packages side by side
- Merit scholarship data from Common Data Set sources
Tip: The sticker price is rarely what you’ll pay. Update your financial info in your profile for the most accurate estimates — it often changes which school is the best value.
Reach Out & Collaborate
Draft and send outreach emails to admissions offices, coaches, and scholarship coordinators. Share your college list with family and counselors.
- Draft outreach emails with templates for admissions, coaches, and coordinators
- Track email status (sent, opened, replied) and set follow-up reminders
- Share your college list with parents and school counselors
- Role-based access keeps everyone informed with permissions you control
Tip: Use the outreach templates to get started quickly. Personalized emails to coaches and admissions officers can make a real difference.
Ready to Get Started?
Join thousands of students using ScholarSynch to find their perfect college. It's free, personalized, and your advisor is available from every page.