If you are looking for our latest coverage of this topic, please follow the High School & Beyond blog, which looks at the forces that shape adolescents' pathways to college and career.

When I was approached about writing the College Bound blog in 2010, I was game. I had covered education as a freelancer for many years and my high school son was just starting to talk about college. The beat sounded interesting and the timing was right.

Five years and 1,1...