Why I Gave My Son Permission to Drop Out of High School

We see a child in a maple treeWe’re watching him climb,You and I.You say, “Come down,You’ll hurt yourself!”I say, “Go upYou’re touching the sky!” –…

Here’s Why Dumping the Discipline Question on the Common App Really Matters

This is a year unlike any other. I am sure you have heard this over and over again as, over the past seven months, our…

Let’s Celebrate Scholarships and Financial Aid Like We Celebrate College Acceptance

This is the time of the year that high schools, parents and students are proudly boasting about their acceptance into colleges and universities. Acceptance to…

A Charter School Gave My Son Opportunity. Isn’t That What Democrats Should Stand For?

Tonight, the Democratic candidates for president will hold yet another debate, and likely, say very little about education. That’s why I rallied last night with…

Why You Shouldn’t Choose a College Just Based on Rankings

As high school comes to an end, seniors who believe higher education is the next step get their ducks in a row. They get their…

I Came to the U.S. at 13 and Now I’m Headed to UC Santa Barbara to Become a Mechanical Engineer

I was anxious, nervous and excited. At the age of 13, I was finally going to meet my mother. I was born in Los Angeles,…

Locking Up Rich Parents Won’t Get Us the New Deal We Need for College

College acceptances and rejections—those letters upon which millions of high school seniors place their highest hopes—are currently pouring into American homes. This year they are…

Some Students Can’t Afford to Leave Money Behind When Applying to College

When you grow up as I did with meager means—with a household income of less than $50,000 for a family of five—you pinch pennies, frequent…

We Know All About College Financial Assistance, Here’s How You Do It Better

Financial assistance for families with college-bound students has seen big changes in timing since 2016. The new process begins much earlier with students now able…

IDEA Public Schools Is Bringing 20 New Schools to Texas and Ana Martinez Is Leading the Charge

For the last decade, IDEA Public Schools has been steadily improving student outcomes in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the most educationally underserved areas…