Excerpts from the college knowledge MONTHly

Sure, it’s a classic song by Robert Johnson (and Cream) about standing at a crossroads, symbolizing a pivotal decision or life-altering moment (and it’s also an unheralded movie starring Ralph Macchio), but that’s not important right now.  Following up the original essay I posted when I kicked the CKM off last month on the topic of ‘should you hire an IEC’, I want to take a few moments to address a corollary to that question: when should you start preparing for college?   I c

Fun Fact: the American School Counselor Association tracks the student-to-counselor ratio at U.S. high schools each year, by state.  The average this past year was 372:1. The five states with the worst ratios?: Arizona (570:1), Michigan (565:1), Minnesota (539:1), Illinois (486:1) and Indiana (479:1).  Want the full list with a bigger picture?  Here ya go: https://schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/62807f33-a020-4c4f-ac6f-bf284803fd97/pr_ratios-24-25.pdf

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/24/technology/schoolwork-chatbot-cheating-pew.html Why it’s worth a look:  I don’t think this is shocking by any stretch of the imagination, but the information provided shows the trend of chatbot usage, the arguments on both sides of the narrative, and where things stand, from the student perspective.

https://www.kut.org/education/2026-02-19/ut-system-votes-to-limit-controversial-topics-in-class-raising-concerns-about-academic-freedom Why it’s worth a look:  I swear, I’m not picking on Texas (two mentions in two episodes), but this article is simply too important to pass up.  As I said before, there are certain states that consistently move to the front of their respective political sleds – California tends to do so for ‘blue’ states and Texas tends to do so for ‘red’ ones

https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/reports/parent-plus-subprime-loans-universities-debt/ Why it’s worth a look:  Happy to thank friend and colleague Erik Ellefsen for directing me to this important article.  First, let’s establish what a PLUS loan is.  The Parent PLUS Loan, as it suggests, is a loan taken by the parents of an undergraduate student, when all other financial aid opportunities have been ‘exhausted’.  They tend to have high interest rates, and the intere

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-obbba-reshapes-student-lending/ How to read it:  It’s really long (not gonna lie), but if you want to have an assessment of where we have been, from a college lending/borrowing perspective, and where things are going to go under the Trump Administration on this front, this is probably a good use of your time.  I would also say that some conclusions can be drawn about the efficacy of the modern college degree, based on the amount of loans

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2026/01/28/texas-pauses-use-h-1b-visas-state-universities Why it’s worth a look:  This is a growing issue, both for parents and students who hail from outside the United States.  At the college level, this topic affects employees at colleges and universities and even more so affects families hoping to send a child to a U.S. college or university.  There are certain states that consistently move to the front of their respective p

https://www.chronicle.com/article/after-a-tragedy-minnesotas-flagship-faces-another-test Why it’s worth a look:  Start with a controversial topic?  Sure, why not?  As a consumer of college life (just like you should be), examining the response of the recent incidents in Minnesota should give you a sense of what life might be like if you attended such an institution of higher learning, along with the secondary perspective gained – what must it be like to handle such events fro

Yes, it’s a classic song by the 1980’s rock band, Asia, but that’s not important right now.  I want to take a few moments to address an important question for families who have high school-aged children.  One of the most common questions I hear from parents who have consultations with me is some version of: "Why should we hire you?”.  Great question. First, no, you don’t need to hire me (or someone like me).  Depending on the goals of the student, parent(s), the financial sit

This quarter’s Listworthy was originally going to be a ‘Ripped From the Headlines’ piece, but I elected to modify it for Listworthy...

Each quarter, the College Knowledge Quarterly will feature a different U.S. college or university for families to get to know a bit...

I’m usually the first to pat myself on the back for making a correct prediction of future college events. Here’s one where I have to step...

Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce has provided a tour-de-force of data on college graduation, graduate school...

For those of you who just can’t go without a list of some sort, this one is brought to you by our associates at The Hechinger Report and...

Each newsletter will provide readers with insight into a specific major that might pique your interest. This segment is all about...

Each quarter, The College Knowledge Quarterly features a different U.S. College or University for families to get to know a bit better....

What is an IEC, you ask? An Independent Educational Consultant. Me. Or someone like me, who makes a living selling their services to...

To say that things have been challenging for American colleges and universities lately is a massive understatement…and the worst is yet...

…we would have to admit to the fact that we, the people of the United States, are the dumbest people on the planet. Facts and science...

This Listworthy piece is brought to you, as the header suggests, by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. If you...

Each quarter, The College Knowledge Quarterly features a different U.S. College or University for families to get to know a bit better....

One of the great frustrations I have as a college counselor is trying to get families to look beyond college rankings for their primary...

This update is cobbled together from several sources, but I thought it best to connect everything into a single article. To say the...

Based on a legal ruling in early September, the University of California is no longer allowed to accept SAT or ACT scores as part of any...

This story arrived just before I finalized this CKQ, but I thought it was important enough to swap in for another story. Obviously, there...

You heard me right! There is one piece of particularly good news for EVERYONE when it comes to college and COVID-19: the cost of...

As part of my work as a UCLA College Counseling Certificate Instructor, I read and respond to a boat-load of posts from my students. My...

So much has been seen, heard and written when it comes to the topic of colleges and universities moving to test-optional policies when it...

This quarter’s Listworthy was originally going to be an article on California’s best undergraduate business programs (stay tuned for the...

Each quarter, The College Knowledge Quarterly will feature a different U.S. College or University for families to get to know a bit...

And the news keeps on rolling! Effective for high school graduating class of 2021 and beyond, ALL Oregon public colleges and universities...

What…you thought we were done ripping those headlines for your benefit?! No way! Our friends at Compass Test Prep have a penchant for...

I came across this article through several sources, but ultimately used the one published in the Washington Post. Let’s just start with...

One of the really great benefits of being on a professional social media platform like LinkedIn is that you get great tips, tricks, and...

Sunday, January 26th. I was just sitting down at an outdoor table, outside of a famous LA hot dog stand, about to have lunch with a...

CKQ Examines College Majors: Applied Mathematics

Ripped from the Headlines: ACT Announces Big Changes to Their Testing and Reporting Policies

Ripped from the Headlines: Schools Only Keep Hiring Counselors, but Students' Stress Levels...

Main Article: Because Mike Rowe Says So?

I came across an article written by Sibile Marcellus from Yahoo Finance back in late August and thought it might be worth mentioning in...

I don’t think I could have picked a more cryptic beginning to an article, but I wanted to get you interested enough to read it! So, what...

Each quarter, The College Knowledge Quarterly features a different U.S. College or University for families to get to know a bit better....

This Listworthy piece is brought to you by me! (with some help from those pesky college ranking lists). I have shared with you, time and...

This quarter’s Listworthy is all about finding some of the best bargains outside of California for California families. First, what’s...

Each newsletter will provide readers with insight into a specific major that might pique your interest. This segment is all about...

Each quarter, The College Knowledge Quarterly will feature a different U.S. College or University for families to get to know a bit...

As a devout member of the Western Association of College Admission Counselors (WACAC), I make the effort to attend at least one...

For my friends and associates in the college counseling world, the name Lloyd Thacker should be known, if not familiar. For many others...

If you ask most parents and their teenage children about why they are interested in attaining a Bachelor’s degree, most will report that...

For those of you who just can’t go without a list of some sort, this one is brought to you by… me! If you know me, then you know just how...