After sixteen years in the classroom, I know that some of the most important conversations happen outside the lesson. One evening after eight o'clock, a parent reached out. She had just come home from work, and her mind was on her daughter's online classes. She asked, "How do I help her do well when I can't always be at the table with her?" I understand that question from the inside. My father taught me to value education early. At thirteen, I left home anyway, and over the n

Every parent I meet wants the same thing. They want their child to land at a college where that child can grow, whether the school is famous or simply the right fit. They also tell me it feels like a lot. That makes sense. So many choices NCES counts nearly 4,000 degree-granting colleges and universities in the United States, including more than 2,600 four-year schools. Florida alone is home to 162 of them, and 103 of those are public or private nonprofit institutions. That i

It is application season, and many seniors are sitting down with a blank page and a big question. What should I say about myself? I love this part of the process. The college essay is the one place in an application where a student's voice comes through in full. Admissions readers see grades, activities, and test scores in other sections. The essay adds the person behind them. This fall, I have had the joy of watching three students find their stories. Each one began with a f

The 2027-28 FAFSA opened earlier than any version of the form on record. Florida enters the season with its strongest completion rate yet. The Florida College Access Network (FCAN) reports that the state reached nearly 60% as of July 31. That is good news. But it's only part of the story. A record, and a wide range FCAN's research shows county completion rates running from 35% to 67%. The highest county completes the form at nearly twice the rate of the lowest. A student's zi

There is a student I keep thinking about. Her name is Gabi. She was well-read, extraordinarily kind, and one of the most capable students I had ever taught. She turned her work in on time. She helped her classmates without being asked. She had the kind of quiet leadership that takes years to develop in people who are trying to develop it on purpose. Gabi did not apply to college. Not because she could not get in. Because no one in her family had ever gone, and she did not kno

Your college essay is not a writing sample. It is the one place in an application where an admissions reader hears you, not your transcript. Admissions officers read thousands of essays. They are not looking for perfect prose or dramatic life events. They are looking for insight, growth, and a student who sounds like a real person. The difference between a forgettable essay and one that opens doors often comes down to three questions. The Three Essential Questions 1. What doe