If a student is a high school junior hoping to start college in fall 2028, it’s a good time to be  thinking about whether they should take the Scholastic Aptitude Test in the spring, since most colleges still say it is “optional.” Despite widespread expectations that colleges would reinstate SAT or ACT scores as a requirement, Read More

Colleges are rethinking how they teach sport management, and the shift is being driven by compelling numbers. The sports and entertainment sector is expected to add nearly 100,000 jobs annually through 2034, and the global sports economy is projected to reach $3.7 trillion by 2030. At least 10 colleges and universities are launching sports business Read More

The Department of Education has opened Beta 2 testing for the 2027-28 FAFSA, meaning any student or parent can now request early access to complete the real form before its official October 1 launch. Testing began in two phases. Beta 1, which started August 5, involved a limited group of school districts and institutions. Beta Read More

Most students use AI as a search engine: “find me colleges with strong engineering programs” or “compare Michigan and Purdue.” A recent Forbes piece by longtime counselor Scott White makes the case that this undersells what AI can actually do, and offers an alternative approach to think about. The most valuable thing counselors do during Read More

I have always told students that if they couldn’t answer a “Why [name of college]?” question in an essay – or for that matter in an interview – the college shouldn’t admit them! But look what’s happened. In the last month even more colleges popular with unCommon students got rid of their supplemental-essay requirement. (Believe me, there’s Read More

The fall of senior year can feel like the moment when everything about college admissions suddenly becomes urgent—and in some ways, it is. Application deadlines are approaching, college lists are taking shape, essays need attention, and important decisions about testing, recommendations, financial aid, and applications are all competing for a family’s attention. But the value Read More

Fall term 2026 is upon us, and the below approaches, if not already in place, should be considered during late enrollment for this term and, at the latest, be in place before the next term. For high school counselors, understanding how colleges approach billing and outside funding can also help when working with students and Read More

Financial aid offices are reporting a new pattern: an increase in professional judgment appeals that appear to have been written by AI. And according to a survey of financial aid administrators by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, these letters are not working. Every college is required by law to allow students and Read More

The Common App opened August 1 for the 2026-27 admissions season, and for counselors heading into fall advising, it’s worth knowing what’s different this year before students start asking questions. There are no major overhauls this cycle. The seven personal statement prompts are unchanged, and the application structure is largely the same. The one notable Read More

A growing number of states and colleges are exploring accelerated bachelor’s degree programs that allow students to graduate in three years by reducing required credits from the standard 120 to roughly 90 to 100. This summer, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Indiana have all announced plans or studies around the concept. At least 119 such Read More