College planning can often feel like following Google Maps: every turn planned, every step predictable, all aimed at one specific destination. But the journey to college isn’t a straight line — it’s more like a road trip filled with detours, discoveries, and unexpected opportunities for growth. Colleges aren’t looking for students who follow a rigid formula; they’re searching for individuals who explore their passions, embrace challenges, and reflect on their unique paths. It’s about finding meaningful destinations along the way, not just arriving at the endpoint.

Welcome to January. If you are like most of the families we work with, you are probably looking at the calendar and wondering how summer is already on the horizon. We know the feeling. The holiday decorations are barely packed away, the second semester is just revving up, and suddenly, summer program applications are opening. It is a busy time, and adding summer planning to the academic mix can feel overwhelming. But take a deep breath. You are right on time. 

"Does this college have learning support?"  We hear this question from parents every day. It seems like a simple "yes" or "no" question, but in the landscape of higher education, the answer is often "it depends." Securing the right academic assistance for a learning-different student means understanding a spectrum of offerings. "Learning support" is a broad term that can range from a drop-in writing center to a dedicated specialist who meets with your student every morning.

As a parent, it is natural to feel a knot of anxiety tighten in your stomach when you look at your teenager's high school transcript. In the high-stakes world of college admissions, we often find ourselves fixated on the numbers. We worry about the GPA, the standardized test scores, and the class rank.  For parents of neurodiverse students or those with learning differences (LD), this anxiety is often compounded by a deeper, quieter fear: Will they actually be able to make it on their own?

When it comes to the highly competitive world of college admissions, every detail of a student’s high school experience matters—especially their academic choices. One of the biggest mistakes students make is skipping or dropping a core subject too early in high school. While it might seem harmless to forgo a fourth year of foreign language or to replace senior-year science with a free period, these decisions can send the wrong message to admissions officers and hurt your teen’s chances of getting into their dream college.  Here’s why taking all five core subjects—English, math, science, social studies, and foreign language—for all four years of high school is essential and how skipping one can cost your teen their spot at a selective institution.