Blog Posts

A practical guide to using the last weeks of summer wisely. By Alison McMahon, Founder, Bluebird College and Career Consulting College Applications have a way of sneaking up on families. School supplies are not out yet, the pool is still open, and senior year still feels far away. Then August 1 arrives, the Common App officially opens for the 2026-2027 cycle, and suddenly the college process feels real. Here is the good news. Rising seniors who use these last few weeks of sum

The rules just changed. Again. A wave of recent announcements is reshaping the 2026-2027 application cycle. Here is what every student and family needs to know right now. Testing Yale goes test-required After 6 years, 4 test-optional, then 2 test-flexible, Yale now requires the SAT or ACT for admission effective this fall. UC faculty demand testing back 800+ University of California professors, including 7 of 9 math department chairs signed an open letter citing a nearly 30-f