Grades 9–10Ages 14–15
Trajectory Optimizer
Gateway: 11th-grade portfolio
"How do we build a real portfolio by 11th?"
The most important two years. Get a roadmap for course selection, meaningful activities, and building a narrative—not just a resume.
Common Questions Parents Ask
How many APs should my freshman/sophomore take?
It depends on your school, your child's strengths, and your goals. Puddle helps you build a course plan that's ambitious but sustainable.
Everyone says 'find your passion'—but my kid doesn't have one yet.
That's normal. Puddle helps you explore strategically so genuine interests can emerge before junior year crunch time.
Should we hire a college counselor now?
Maybe not yet. Puddle gives you the strategist thinking for $0, so you can decide if you need expensive help later.
This Year's Focus Areas
- Course selection that builds toward a narrative
- 1-2 extracurriculars with increasing leadership/depth
- Summer plans with purpose (not just filler)
- GPA protection while challenging yourself
- Building relationships with teachers for future recs
Recommended Next Steps
- Map out 4-year course sequence with counselor
- Identify 1-2 activities to go deeper (leadership, competition, projects)
- Plan summer that builds on school-year interests
- Start a simple portfolio of meaningful work
- Skip: Activity-hopping just to fill a resume
Sample Child Plan Insights
Course rigor vs. GPA balanceOn Track
Extracurricular depthFocus Area
Emerging narrativeFocus Area
Teacher relationshipsOn Track
Your Child's Free Spark Plan
Pick your child's spark to see their personalized plan
Select a spark above to see your child's free plan
Home lab activity · Dinner conversation · Expert picks
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