What you'll accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll have a working method for using Claude to draft individual sections of your accreditation self-study — turning a crisis documentation project into a manageable, ongoing process. Instead of writing from scratch under deadline pressure, you'll produce solid first drafts in 20–30 minutes per section.
What you'll need
- A free Claude account at claude.ai (free tier works for this)
- Your accreditation framework's standards document (Cognia, WASC, ACSI, or your accreditor's self-study guide)
- A list of evidence your school has gathered for the section you're working on
- Time needed: 30 minutes to learn the process; 20–30 minutes per section after that
- Cost: Free (Claude's free tier) or $20/month (Claude Pro for longer documents)
How-To Guide: Generate Accreditation Self-Study Section Drafts
Step 1: Open Claude and Create a New Conversation
Go to claude.ai in your browser and click New Conversation. Claude's free tier allows you to work on sections one at a time. If you're on Claude Pro, you can use a Project to store your school context (see Tips below).
What you should see: A clean chat interface with a text box at the bottom. Troubleshooting: If prompted to log in, use your school email address to create a free account.