LGBTQ History Month is about honoring what has been built, but it is also about seeing what remains unfinished. Recognition in the 1960s was groundbreaking, but equity in 2025 still demands vigilance. The work continues, especially as political climates change and rights are debated again in legislatures and on campuses.  Students will keep pushing, universities will keep being tested, and history will keep unfolding in classrooms, dorms, and student unions. Celebrating trailblazers is not about nostalgia—it is about remembering that change is possible when people refuse to stay silent.

Every September, the new U.S. News college rankings arrive and families treat them like gospel. A school climbs five spots and parents cheer. A school slips seven and families start crossing it off the list. The trap is thinking those numbers reflect what your teen’s actual experience will be. They don’t. 

When test-optional policies became widespread, many families assumed the SAT and ACT no longer mattered. “If it’s optional,” parents asked, “why put my child through the stress?” The reality is that scores still matter—a lot. At many colleges, students who submit test scores are admitted at much higher rates than those who don’t. The question isn’t whether tests matter. The question is whether your teen’s scores will strengthen or weaken their application.

Most families think of public universities as the affordable choice. For in-state students, that is usually true. But once you cross state lines, the story changes.  Out-of-state public universities often charge $60,000 to $75,000 a year with little or no merit aid. In many cases, these bills are higher than private colleges that look more expensive on paper but reduce costs through scholarships. Families who do not run the numbers can be caught off guard, paying more for less selective public options than they would for selective private ones.

When families see a college’s admit rate, it looks simple. If a school reports an admit rate of 15%, you might assume your student has a one-in-six chance. At colleges that offer Early Decision (ED), the reality is much different. The overall admit rate blends two very different pools: students admitted through binding Early Decision and students admitted through Regular Decision. Because a large portion of the class is already taken in November, the students who apply in January are competing for far fewer seats. That’s why the number that matters most is the effective Regular Decision admit rate —the real odds once Early Decision students have already filled their spots.