Who’s afraid of an empty nest?
A mother braces herself for one of the biggest parenting transitions of all: her youngest child’s departure.
How to get a great letter of recommendation
There's an art to getting letters of recommendation. Here’s the lowdown on who to ask, when to ask them, and how to make it work for all parties.
How learning a foreign language builds tolerance
Learning another language is associated with a host of benefits — including building cultural competence.
The secret to improving SAT scores
Did your teen get a low PSAT, SAT, or ACT score? Don’t panic. Everyone can improve their scores. Two experts share their secrets for helping teens learn how to rock these tests.
What's a gap year?
Here’s what burned-out high school seniors and their perplexed parents need to know about taking a year off before starting college.
15 low-key ideas for visiting college campuses
When you’re just starting to look at colleges, it’s OK to keep it easy like Sunday morning. Here are 15 informal ideas for visiting college campuses with your teen.
Understanding college admissions tests
Today’s ACT and SAT look very different from the tests parents remember. Here’s how they have changed.
Struggles many first-generation college students face
As a former first-generation college student who is now a professor, I have experience with the struggles that many first-generation students encounter on campus.
America's (small) new trend: taking a gap year
Gap years have long been popular in Europe and Australia. Now, a small but growing group of U.S. teens and their parents are jumping aboard the gap year trend.
Stepping it up the summer after 10th grade
You may think all of your child’s college prep work happens during the school year, but what your teen does during the summer can be a total game changer.
Planning your teen's summer after 9th grade
How teens spend their time over the summer can be excellent fodder for college essays and applications. Now’s the time to strategically plan your ninth grader’s summer.
13 surprising tips for applying to college
The college admissions process can feel like a moving target. Here are some surprising nuggets of wisdom from those who played the game and survived.
Doing a January check-in with your 9th grader
Your child is halfway through freshman year. If you don’t already, make a regular practice of sitting down with your teen and talking about how they feel about school, grades, classes, and teachers.
Doing a January grade check with your 10th grader
Grades count for college. With a new report card in hand, now is a good time to review your child’s grades and classes together.
Time for your teen to take a personality test!
No, it’s not because of all the attitude and eye rolling. These free tests can get high school students thinking about careers they'll be inspired to work hard for.
The first five steps on the road to college
What's the key to getting your kids into college? Start early and stick to a plan.
The most important thing happening (or not happening) in your child’s class
Make sure your child has a place in the economy of the future by nurturing their interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) now.
6 questions to ask your child's school about STEM
To find out how your child's school is teaching STEM subjects — and to encourage the school to make STEM a priority — start by asking these six questions.
Community college conundrum
It's cheap, it's easy, but is it a path to higher education? One mother finds out when her dropout son enrolls.
The high costs of skipping college
Having less education generally means earning less money. And the loss goes beyond salary.
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