It is difficult to know what the future holds, but teaching and incorporating the knowledge, skills and abilities needed for the coming decades is critical, says UB guest columnist Roger Thompson, who is vice president for student services and enrollment management at the University of Oregon.

In the wake of the Varsity Blues scandal, predatory online "educational startups" offering guidance on finding and winning competitive fellowships showcase a troubling flaw in the U.S. educational system, says guest columnist Kyle Mox, an associate dean at Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University.

A growing number of colleges are no longer requiring standardized exam scores for student applications, which officials say increases college access.