Posts by Shannon Buckley:

Whether (and Where) to Disclose ADHD on College Applications

Posted on: 15 Apr 2026

If you’re a current high school student who has been diagnosed with ADHD, another form of neurodivergence, or any kind of learning disability (such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, etc.), you might be wondering if or how that information will impact the college application process. Some common questions we receive from students and their families are: Am […]

Five Alternatives to Four-Year Colleges in 2026

Posted on: 14 Apr 2026

For many high schoolers, the approaching horizon of post-graduation has been forcibly stamped with one thing and one thing only: college. As students careen into the latter half of high school, that college noise only gets louder: from friends and classmates trading notes about dream schools, and from parents and school counselors wanting to get […]

How to Compare College Financial Aid Offers

Posted on: 27 Mar 2026

A college’s financial aid offer can sometimes be the difference between a college acceptance feeling like a dream come true or a very rude awakening. But this reality check, however painful, doesn’t have to be the end of the dream. We believe that with some careful reading, comparing, and number-crunching, students (and their parents) can […]

Applying to College Abroad? What You Need to Know

Posted on: 20 Mar 2026

If you’re living in the United States and getting ready to apply for college, it may feel inevitable that you will end up at a university here in the US. After all, there are so many prestigious, specialized, and incredibly varied undergraduate options around the country. But there’s no reason to limit yourself to what […]

Early Admission Takeaways for the Class of 2030

Posted on: 11 Mar 2026

March begins the grand finale of the college application season. Most schools will release their admissions decisions in mid- to late-March or April, and by May 1st (National College Decision Day), the majority of the incoming Class of 2030 will know where they will be headed in the fall.  But for the students who applied […]

So You’re a National Merit Finalist…Now What?

Posted on: 23 Feb 2026

Earlier this month, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) named the list of Finalists for its annual scholarship competition. Along with the notification that they have advanced to the final round of consideration for Merit Scholarships, Finalists also received a Certificate of Merit, acknowledging their academic achievement. If you were notified that you are a […]

Higher Ed Retrospective: How has higher education changed over the past 25 years?

Posted on: 13 Jan 2026

A lot has changed in the higher education landscape over the first quarter of the 21st century. While the turning of the new year is often a chance to reflect on the events, shifts, and trends that have most impacted the past twelve months (and there were certainly a lot of those in 2025!), it […]

Process vs. Product: AI and the Future of Learning

Posted on: 18 Dec 2025

If you are a parent preparing to send your high schooler off to college soon, you have likely been reeled in by recent headlines about AI on college campuses. Many institutions, from highly-selective Ivies like Dartmouth and Columbia, to massive public universities like the California State University System and Ohio State, have announced campus-wide AI […]