of 6— Create your Claude account and subscribe to Pro

What you'll accomplish

By the end of this guide, you'll have a Claude Project loaded with your institution's advising handbook, academic catalog sections, and common policy FAQs. When a student asks a policy question you're not certain about, you'll ask your project and get a cited, accurate answer in under 30 seconds — instead of hunting through PDFs or calling the registrar.

What you'll need

Claude Pro account ($20/month at claude.ai) — free tier does not include Projects
PDF or text of your institution's advising handbook (get from your advising office)
Key sections of the academic catalog (graduation requirements, general ed requirements, etc.)
Any FAQ documents your advising office has created
Cost: $20/month (Claude Pro)
Time needed: 45–60 minutes initial setup; 30 seconds per query after that

How-To Guide: Build a Policy Reference Assistant with Claude Projects

Step 1: Create your Claude account and subscribe to Pro

Go to claude.ai
Click Sign Up and create an account with your email
Once logged in, click Upgrade to Claude Pro in the bottom left of the sidebar
Complete payment ($20/month)

What you should see: Your account now shows "Claude Pro" in the sidebar, and you can access additional features including Projects.

Tools:Difficulty: MediumDocument to uploadAdvising handbookAcademic catalog (current year)Academic standing policiesTransfer credit policiesLate/retroactive policyFinancial aid satisfactory progressClaude