diff --git a/nextjs-app/components/ComparisonChart.module.css b/nextjs-app/components/ComparisonChart.module.css
index d847f1d..43acaf0 100644
--- a/nextjs-app/components/ComparisonChart.module.css
+++ b/nextjs-app/components/ComparisonChart.module.css
@@ -1,16 +1,23 @@
-/* Chart wrapper: chips (mobile) above, canvas filling the rest of the
-   parent .chartContainer, whose fixed height drives Chart.js sizing via
-   maintainAspectRatio: false. */
+/* Chart wrapper: chips (mobile) above, then the canvas, then the gap note.
+   The canvas has its OWN definite height (Chart.js needs one for
+   maintainAspectRatio: false); the chips and the note flow at their natural
+   size around it rather than competing with it for a fixed outer height —
+   so a longer note (e.g. the KS4 gap caption) or a two-row chip legend can
+   never squash the chart. */
 .wrapper {
     display: flex;
     flex-direction: column;
-    height: 100%;
 }
 
 .canvasBox {
     position: relative;
-    flex: 1 1 auto;
-    min-height: 0;
+    height: 380px;
+}
+
+@media (max-width: 640px) {
+    .canvasBox {
+        height: 280px;
+    }
 }
 
 /* School chips: mobile-only legend + tap-to-focus control. Desktop keeps
diff --git a/nextjs-app/components/Modal.module.css b/nextjs-app/components/Modal.module.css
index d1ecf4c..eab03ac 100644
--- a/nextjs-app/components/Modal.module.css
+++ b/nextjs-app/components/Modal.module.css
@@ -123,6 +123,10 @@
   .modal {
     width: 100%;
     max-width: 100%;
+    /* Bottom sheet: open at a stable, comfortable height so the empty
+       "start typing" state isn't a tiny stub and the sheet doesn't jump as
+       results load (the results list scrolls within). */
+    min-height: 55vh;
     max-height: 95vh;
     border-bottom-left-radius: 0;
     border-bottom-right-radius: 0;
diff --git a/nextjs-app/components/SchoolSearchModal.module.css b/nextjs-app/components/SchoolSearchModal.module.css
index c00e8c3..640dcea 100644
--- a/nextjs-app/components/SchoolSearchModal.module.css
+++ b/nextjs-app/components/SchoolSearchModal.module.css
@@ -2,14 +2,6 @@
   padding: 1.5rem;
 }
 
-.title {
-  font-size: 1.5rem;
-  font-weight: 700;
-  color: var(--text-primary, #1a1612);
-  margin-bottom: 1.5rem;
-  font-family: var(--font-playfair), 'Playfair Display', serif;
-}
-
 .warning {
   background: var(--accent-gold-bg);
   border: 1px solid var(--accent-gold, #c9a227);
@@ -119,12 +111,16 @@
   font-size: 1rem;
   font-weight: 600;
   color: var(--text-primary, #1a1612);
-  margin-bottom: 0.5rem;
+  margin-bottom: 0.25rem;
   white-space: nowrap;
   overflow: hidden;
   text-overflow: ellipsis;
 }
 
+.resultButton {
+  flex: 0 0 auto;
+}
+
 .schoolMeta {
   display: flex;
   gap: 1rem;
@@ -159,21 +155,21 @@
     padding: 1rem;
   }
 
-  .title {
-    font-size: 1.25rem;
-  }
-
+  /* Compact stacked card: name + meta, then a full-width action so the tap
+     target is obvious and the card doesn't waste vertical space. */
   .resultItem {
     flex-direction: column;
     align-items: stretch;
+    gap: 0.625rem;
+    padding: 0.875rem;
   }
 
-  .addButton {
+  .resultButton {
     width: 100%;
   }
 
   .schoolMeta {
-    flex-direction: column;
-    gap: 0.25rem;
+    flex-wrap: wrap;
+    gap: 0.25rem 1rem;
   }
 }
diff --git a/nextjs-app/components/SchoolSearchModal.tsx b/nextjs-app/components/SchoolSearchModal.tsx
index 798c2af..e7e6d42 100644
--- a/nextjs-app/components/SchoolSearchModal.tsx
+++ b/nextjs-app/components/SchoolSearchModal.tsx
@@ -81,10 +81,8 @@ export function SchoolSearchModal({ isOpen, onClose }: SchoolSearchModalProps) {
   };
 
   return (
-    <Modal isOpen={isOpen} onClose={handleClose}>
+    <Modal isOpen={isOpen} onClose={handleClose} title="Add School to Comparison">
       <div className={styles.modalContent}>
-        <h2 className={styles.title}>Add School to Comparison</h2>
-
         {!canAddMore && (
           <div className={styles.warning}>
             Maximum 5 schools can be compared. Remove a school to add another.
@@ -129,9 +127,9 @@ export function SchoolSearchModal({ isOpen, onClose }: SchoolSearchModalProps) {
                 <button
                   onClick={() => handleAddSchool(school)}
                   disabled={alreadySelected || !canAddMore}
-                  className={
+                  className={`${styles.resultButton} ${
                     alreadySelected ? "btn btn-active" : "btn btn-secondary"
-                  }
+                  }`}
                 >
                   {alreadySelected ? "✓ Comparing" : "+ Compare"}
                 </button>
diff --git a/nextjs-app/components/compare/TrendsExplorer.module.css b/nextjs-app/components/compare/TrendsExplorer.module.css
index 7c74367..e5e007b 100644
--- a/nextjs-app/components/compare/TrendsExplorer.module.css
+++ b/nextjs-app/components/compare/TrendsExplorer.module.css
@@ -60,18 +60,10 @@
   margin: 0 0 1rem;
 }
 
-/* ComparisonChart runs Chart.js with maintainAspectRatio:false, so it fills
-   its container's height — which must be *definite*. A min-height alone does
-   not resolve the chart wrapper's height:100%, leaving Chart.js to fall back
-   to its ~150px default (a squashed sliver). Give it a real height. */
+/* ComparisonChart owns its own canvas height now (a definite px value per
+   breakpoint), with the mobile chip legend above and the gap note below it
+   flowing at natural size. This box therefore only needs to not constrain
+   that height — no fixed height, or the note would again eat the plot. */
 .chartBox {
-  height: 420px;
-}
-
-@media (max-width: 640px) {
-  /* Taller on mobile: the mobile-only school chips sit above the canvas and
-     wrap to two rows for 3+ schools, so the plot keeps a usable height. */
-  .chartBox {
-    height: 360px;
-  }
+  min-height: 0;
 }