Tech-Neill-ogy #138 - 9 August 2026

Your Weekly Guide to Leveraging Technology in College Counseling

Author

Jeffrey Neill
August 10, 2026

In partnership with

Welcome to Tech-Neill-ogy #138!

It’s always nice when the students return after a lengthy pre-service. Classes resumed on Thursday, and we’re headed into our first full week. This week’s newsletter features a host of interesting articles and some useful tools. As always, if you come across any, please do not hesitate to send them my way! For now, enjoy the newsletter!

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Don’t let AI raise your kids

A new book stresses that for young children, human interaction is the key to growth

The Hechinger Report • Jackie Mader

Faster solutions, lower test scores: How AI is eroding math skills

Researchers detect ‘cognitive surrender’ in answering word problems

The Hechinger Report • Jill Barshay

AI is about to disrupt millions of jobs. A century ago, America's answer was to build a new high school | Fortune

AI is rewriting the rules of work. America's high schools are still teaching the old ones.

Fortune • Tim Knowles

Would You Go Back to a Time Before Smartphones If You Could?

Turns out, looking back is also about looking forward.

The Atlantic • Julie Beck, Natalie Brennan

Financial Aid Offices Contend With AI-Written Appeals

In a survey, administrators said vague, AI-written appeal letters can be burdensome because they lead to more back-and-forth between families and the financial aid office.

Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs • Johanna Alonso

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https://www.edficacy.co/ - Tell them Jeff sent you!

I find myself using this one routinely this time of year, especially as we dust off old slide decks and presentations for various constituencies: 

Act as an experienced thought partner. Interview and interrogate me carefully and thoroughly, asking one question at a time, about the following:

Please, if you have any great prompts or ideas, please share! Send me a note at [email protected].

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Webinars & Live Events Page

Look here for upcoming webinars and other events (and recorded ones) by the College Essay Guy! New events are happening all the time…

www.collegeessayguy.com/webinars-live-events

That’s it for this week, but here’s this week’s non-tech article:

UC targets high school course requirements amid SAT debate. What aspiring students need to know

UC faculty leaders have accelerated plans to review SAT/ACT testing and high school A-G course requirements. Here is how it affects future college applicants.

Los Angeles Times

“There is no other state that both has admission requirements that are laid out and then actually approves each and every course and its content.”

—Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the California State Board of Education, quoted in the Los Angeles Times

The University of California is reviewing both its test-free admissions policy and the 15-course “A–G” requirements that shape college preparation across California. Although no immediate changes have been announced, recommendations concerning the SAT or ACT are expected by June 2027, followed by a broader reconsideration of how UC defines academic readiness. Given UC’s size and national influence, this is a space all college counselors should be watching closely: its decisions could affect curriculum planning, testing strategies, and wider conversations about rigor and access well beyond California.

Happy counseling!

Jeff