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

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