Visiting the learning support center should be a priority stop on any college tour, especially for students with learning differences. While services vary widely depending on the school, most offer academic assistance and disability accommodations to help students reach their potential.

For many neurodiverse students, the idea of college can feel abstract. Guidebooks and websites provide useful information, but they often lack the real-world feel needed to make an informed decision. That’s why we encourage all families to visit at least one college—and for neurodiverse students, we strongly recommend visiting at least three. Experiencing different campus environments firsthand can help your student determine what will work best for them academically, socially, and emotionally. We encourage all our families to visit at least 1 college (preferably more) during their decision-making journey. But for neurodiverse students, we recommend visiting at least 3 schools.

Early admissions results from the 2024-25 cycle reinforce a crucial reality—colleges are moving away from rewarding long lists of superficial extracurriculars. Highly selective institutions, including public universities like the University of Michigan and UCLA, as well as private colleges like Stanford and MIT, are prioritizing applicants who show depth, initiative, and impact over those who simply check boxes. As competition intensifies for admission to top programs in computer science, engineering, business, and the sciences, students who spread themselves too thin across numerous activities are being left behind. Instead, colleges seek students whose extracurriculars tell a compelling, cohesive story of intellectual engagement and long-term commitment.

Sports fans often flock to the powerhouse Southeastern Conference (SEC) colleges like Alabama and Georgia seeking dynamic athletic traditions and school spirit. However, you don’t have to attend an SEC juggernaut to find passionate fan bases and electrifying sports environments

Early admissions results from this year confirm what many families already suspected—highly selective majors are becoming even more competitive. Computer science, engineering, business, and nursing continue to be among the most selective fields, with acceptance rates often lower than those of the overall university. Meanwhile, sciences like biology and chemistry remain difficult to enter, particularly at research-focused institutions. Public universities such as the University of Michigan, Georgia Tech, and the University of Texas at Austin are seeing record-low acceptance rates for these high-demand programs, while elite private colleges like Stanford, MIT, and Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania are admitting only a small percentage of applicants to their top programs. Colleges are not just looking for students with strong grades and test scores; they want to see applicants who have already demonstrated a deep commitment to their intended major. Through extracurricular activities, students must show that they are not only interested in a field but have actively engaged with it in meaningful ways.