Pricing
A counselor's brain, a subscription's price
Start free in grade 8 or grade 11. Upgrade when the plan gets serious. Cancel anytime — your roadmap stays yours.
Why not just ask a chatbot — or hire a counselor?
Both are useful. Neither is built to hold a student's whole journey, benchmark it against real schools, and track it for years.
 | ChatGPT / Claude | Human counselor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knows your full student profile | Always — it's the foundation | You paste it in every time | After multiple sessions |
| Remembers between sessions | Never forgets, grade 8 to 12 | Limited memory between chats | Details fade between meetings |
| School-specific admit benchmarks | Built in, updated every cycle | No | Varies by counselor |
| Scores your application by category | Gap scorecard + plan simulator | No | Yes — informal judgment |
| Tracks the plan across years | Automatic, with re-evaluations | No | Pay per meeting |
| Financial aid strategy | Budget-matched, with official tools | Generic advice | Sometimes — ask first |
| Available 24/7 | Yes | Yes | No |
| School/major plans, benchmarked | 1 to unlimited, by plan | No | Manually, per meeting |
| Side-by-side school comparison | Yes — Platinum | No | Manually, per meeting |
| Human 1-on-1 available | No | No | Yes |
| Cost | $0–$49.99/mo | $20/mo | $150–$500/hr |
| Annual cost | $199–$399/yr | $240–$1,200/yr | $5,000–$40,000/yr |
Common questions
Can I switch plans as application season approaches?
Yes. Most families run Pro through grades 8–10, move to Gold when evaluations and essays begin in grade 11, and some add Platinum for senior fall. Upgrades and downgrades take effect immediately.
What happens to my roadmap if I cancel?
Your profile and roadmap stay in your account on the Free plan. Paid features lock, but nothing you built is deleted.
What counts as a school/major plan?
One target school paired with one intended major — Princeton pre-med and Princeton economics are two plans. Each plan gets its own roadmap, benchmarks, and evaluation. Free includes 1, Pro 6, Gold 20, and Platinum is unlimited with side-by-side comparison.
Do you guarantee admission or financial aid?
No — and be cautious of anyone who does. TopuLaunch provides planning, benchmarking, and tracking. Admissions and aid decisions are made solely by schools.
Start free. Upgrade when the plan gets real.
Build your first roadmap in fifteen minutes — no card required.
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