College Parents of America, Weekend Reading Room (5/16/14)

Until recently, it would have been heresy, and just plain bad practical advice, to tell a high school junior or senior with college aspirations not to take the SAT, especially if he or she lived on either coast of the United States.This ritual college admissions test, owned and operated by The College Board and administered by Pearsons, has hit some rocky times though, and now, more than ever, families of college-bound students may want to consider the SAT alternative or not take an admissions test at all.What happened to cause the mighty SAT to wobble?

Thanksgiving Comic

"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek." - Mario Andretti

Expanding transparency around colleges is always a concern. Families and students, who are often viewed as "consumers" of higher education, are rightfully due the disclosure of a bevy of relevant information about institutions they compensate in exchange for education. In addition to the many existing laws governing required disclosures by colleges, there's been, in recent years, a push for transparency in possible costs (the net price calculator), a push for transparency in campus safety (Clery Act and campus safety statistics), and a push for transparency in defaults of loans (cohort default rates). Such transparency is required of private and public schools, under the assumption that certain types of transparency are universally needed for students and families. On Tuesday, there was a call for greater collegiate transparency in a new realm: campus debit cards.