Supporting Your Teen’s Mental Health
About four in ten high schoolers report ongoing sadness or hopelessness. Here’s how parents can ease the pressure, listen well, and know when to get help.
Financial Matters: The CSS Profile
Some colleges use the CSS Profile to award their own grants and scholarships. Here’s how it differs from the FAFSA and how to file it on time.
Focus on Majors: Looking Into the Future
From AI and quantum engineering to climate studies and health informatics, colleges are adding majors built for tomorrow’s careers. Here’s what to explore.
Dual Enrollment: Pros and Cons
Dual enrollment lets high schoolers earn college credit early, but the grades stick and credit policies vary. Here’s what to weigh before signing up.
Understanding the PSAT: What it is (and Isn’t)
Does the PSAT count? Do we need to prep? What happens with the score? Here's a grade-by-grade look at what the test actually means for your student.
Financial Matters: The FAFSA Timing Gap
The FAFSA asks for taxes from two years ago, so it can miss a job loss, a bonus, or a pay cut. Here's how families can ask colleges to look at the real numbers.
Focus on Majors: Alternatives to Business
Not every student needs a BBA to work in business. From economics to English, here are the majors that can get you there, and why internships matter more than the name on your degree.
Do Rankings Really Matter
Would you move to a town just because it ranked #1 in America? Probably not. So why let a college ranking decide where your student spends four years?
Thriving in Your First Year of College
College is the first time you're truly responsible for yourself — your schedule, your grades, your relationships. It can feel overwhelming, but with a few simple habits in place, your first year can be one of the best of your life.
Financial Matters: The Overlooked Student Loan Option
Most families consider two options when financing college: federal aid and big-name private lenders. But there's a third option that's frequently overlooked — and it could save your family thousands of dollars.
Focus On Majors: Liberal Arts Myths
Ask twenty people what they think about a liberal arts education and you'll get twenty different answers — most of them wrong. From career outcomes to earning potential, we're separating fact from fiction.
Your Summer, Your Story
Summer is one of the few times students can pause and ask: what do I actually care about? Before you think about programs or internships, start there. The self-knowledge you build this summer shapes every decision that follows.
Choosing a Gap Year
Gap years have a reputation — but the data tells a more interesting story. This month's post covers what students actually gain from a well-planned year off, how to approach deferrals, and when a gap year might be exactly the right call.
Financial Matters: The A to Z of College Finance
College finances can feel overwhelming fast. This month we broke it down from A to Z — literally. Grants, loans, meal plans, credit, and a few things most families don't think to ask about until it's too late.
Focus On Majors: Applied Mathematics
Considering applied math? This month's major spotlight breaks down what the degree actually covers, which schools give students the most flexibility to pair it with a second field, and the career paths it opens up — including AI and machine learning.
When Parents Do Too Much
New on the blog: a look at what the research says about overparenting during the college application process — and why letting your teen handle more than you think they should might be the most helpful thing you do this season.
Dealing with College Denial
It’s college-decision season. You open your email or log into your college portal to check your admissions status. But if the message you opened begins with “We regret to inform you…,” it can feel like the air just got sucked out of the room, especially if this was your “first choice” college.
Financial Matters: How to Appeal a Financial Aid Award
A financial aid appeal is a formal request asking the college to take another look at your aid package. Financial aid officers have what’s called “professional judgment,” which allows them to adjust awards when a family’s situation has changed or when the original forms didn’t capture the full picture. Many families are surprised to learn that adjustments do happen.
Focus On Majors: Crop and Soil Sciences
Most students hear the words crop and soil science and picture farms and tractors. But the field is far broader and more interesting than many people realize. It connects to professional sports, environmental sustainability, space exploration, and even the foods and drinks people enjoy every day.
Making an Impact through Community Service
In a time when college admissions can feel like a competition, it’s easy to think every activity needs to “look good” on your applications. Community service often falls into that trap, reduced to logging hours or checking a requirement. The truth is, most colleges don’t require community service. The true value of service is the impact on your community and on yourself.