Headlines are buzzing with news of UC faculty pushing to bring back the SAT and ACT, leaving many high school families wondering if they need to scramble to buy test prep books. While hundreds of professors are raising concerns about math readiness, the official UC policy remains strictly test-blind for the immediate future. Here is a look at the real timeline behind these discussions and exactly what it means for students applying over the next few years.

If financial aid already felt confusing, this month added a new layer. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) went into effect July 1, 2026, changing some fundamental assumptions families have been making about how to pay for college.

Here's what actually changed, and why it matters for families planning right now.

Applying to the UC system can feel like a guessing game. Why does a student get into UCLA but get rejected by UC Irvine? The reality is that the UC system is far more complex than it appears from the outside. From capped GPA calculations to major-specific selectivity, here is a straightforward breakdown of how UC admissions offices actually make their decisions.

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of big-name universities, but the school that looks most impressive on a sweatshirt isn't always where your student will actually thrive. From brutal grading curves to massive lecture halls, high-prestige schools often come with hidden trade-offs. Here is a look at what college "fit" actually means and how looking beyond the U.S. News rankings can set your child up for genuine long-term success.

Applying to college shouldn't feel like gambling. While loading up a list with eight "reach" schools and a couple of afterthought safeties is a recipe for a stressful spring, a balanced list creates real, exciting options. Discover how to properly define Reach, Target, and Likely schools—and why financial aid can completely change how you categorize them.