May 1st—often referred to as National College Decision Day—marks a major milestone for high school seniors and their families. It’s a moment to celebrate how far you've come, and also a time to make a thoughtful, well-informed final decision about where your student will spend the next few years. At these schools, national championships don’t just belong to the athletes—they belong to the entire campus.

When most people think of college sports, their minds jump to massive stadiums, powerhouse Division I programs, and nationally televised games. But there’s something uniquely special about athletics at small liberal arts colleges—something that’s often overlooked. At these schools, national championships don’t just belong to the athletes—they belong to the entire campus.

As a career counselor, I’m used to being the one holding the flashlight—helping students and adults see their strengths, connect the dots between interests and abilities, and make informed choices about their futures. But during my certification process for the Highlands Ability Battery (HAB), I had a moment where the light shined right back at me.

The concept of Ikigai, a Japanese framework that describes where your passions, skills, values, and sense of purpose intersect, has become a guiding touchstone in my work.

if you're a parent of a high school teen, you've probably heard one of these: “Have they picked a major yet?” “What career are they thinking about?” Students hear these questions constantly—and with the best of intentions. But these conversations often push teens into early declarations that may or may not be rooted in self-understanding, and their college plans can suffer. The truth is simple: Students don’t need to have it all figured out. They just need direction, not cert

When families begin the college search, one of the first questions I often hear is, “What’s the best school my student can get into?” It’s a natural impulse—after all, we’ve been conditioned to equate rankings with quality, and to treat college admissions as a high-stakes competition.

When it comes to finding great-fit colleges, it’s not just about prestige or rankings—it’s about finding a place where a student will thrive academically, socially, and personally.

T.S. Eliot once wrote, “April is the cruelest month.” Ask any high school senior—or their parents—and they might agree.

March is “Mad” for plenty of reasons—final admissions decisions rolling in, wondering if Spring will ever come, brackets getting busted...