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Expert tips on grade tracking, college planning, and helping your family succeed academically.

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FeaturedMarch 30, 2026•16 min read

How to Build a College List: The Complete Guide

Learn how to build a balanced college list with the right mix of reach, target, and safety schools. Expert guidance every parent needs for college planning.

O

Olivier

Solyo Parent

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Recent Articles

26 articles
college-planning

Summer Before Senior Year: What Matters for Admissions

What should rising seniors actually do the summer before 12th grade? Skip the overpriced programs and focus on what college admissions officers truly value.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
March 29, 202611 min read
gpa

What Is a Good GPA for College? A Parent's Guide

Find out what GPA your child actually needs for each college tier, how weighted and unweighted GPA differ, and how to track grades before it is too late.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
March 22, 202612 min read
college-planning

How Many AP Classes Do You Need for College?

Discover how many AP classes colleges actually expect, what the research shows about course rigor, and how to build the right schedule for your child.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
March 22, 202612 min read
college-planning

What Colleges Actually Look for in Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities make up 30% of college admissions decisions. Learn the tier system, the spike strategy, and what selective colleges truly value.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
March 21, 20267 min read
college-admissions

FAFSA 2026-27: A Parent's Complete Guide to Paying for College

The 2026-27 FAFSA is open and simpler than ever. Learn about Parent PLUS Loan caps, Pell Grant updates, key deadlines, and how to maximize financial aid.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
March 9, 202610 min read
school-technology

California's Phone-Free School Act: A Parent's Guide

California's Phone-Free School Act requires every school to adopt a smartphone policy by July 2026. Here is what parents need to know about the new law.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
March 6, 202610 min read
college-admissions

AI and Your Child's College Essay: What Parents Need to Know

Colleges are cracking down on AI essays. Here is what every parent needs to know about detection tools, AI policies, and helping your child write authentically.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
March 4, 202610 min read
college-admissions

How Colleges Really Calculate Your GPA: What Matters

Most selective colleges recalculate your GPA using their own formula. Learn the 6 most common methods and how each one affects your admissions chances.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
March 2, 202612 min read
college-admissions

Class of 2030 Regular Decision Results: Live Tracker

Track Class of 2030 regular decision results, Ivy Day 2026 dates, and acceptance rates for every top school. Updated daily as colleges release official data.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
March 2, 202611 min read
grade-monitoring

57% of Teens Use AI for Schoolwork — Most Parents Have No Idea

A Pew Research study reveals 57% of teens use AI tools for schoolwork, but only half of parents know. Learn the warning signs and how to stay informed.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
February 28, 20269 min read
college-admissions

Early Decision Results Are In — What Juniors Do Now

Class of 2030 early admit rates hit record lows at Yale (10.9%), MIT (5.5%), and more. Here's the month-by-month plan every junior's family needs now.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
February 22, 202611 min read
sat-act

SAT vs ACT in 2026: How Parents Can Pick the Right Test

The SAT and ACT both changed in 2025. Compare formats, timing, scores, and superscoring to help your student choose the right college admissions test.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
February 16, 202612 min read
sat-act

SAT and ACT Scores Are Required Again: What Parents Must Know

SAT and ACT scores are required again at over 50 colleges, and test submissions are up 11%. Here are the schools that require tests and a prep timeline.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
February 15, 202611 min read
uc-admissions

UC Computer Science Enrollment Is Declining: A Parent Guide

UC computer science enrollment dropped 6% in 2025, the first decline in 20 years. Here is what is driving the shift and how families should adjust plans.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
February 14, 20267 min read
email-management

80+ School Emails a Month: How Parents Miss What Matters

Parents receive 80+ school emails monthly yet 62% miss critical details. Discover the data behind school email overload and how AI can help families stay informed.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
February 8, 202612 min read
college-planning

California MIS Programs: A Complete Guide for College Planning

Explore 31 Management Information Systems programs across California UC, CSU, and private universities. Compare costs, rankings, and career outcomes here.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
October 6, 20257 min read
college-planning

Top 10 College Majors for 2025: Salaries, Jobs & AI Impact

Explore the 10 most popular college majors for 2025 with salary data, job outlooks, and AI impact ratings to help your student choose the right career path.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
October 2, 20259 min read
gpa-tracking

Real-Time GPA Tracking for Parents: Never Miss a Grade Change

Learn how Solyo helps parents track their child's GPA in real time by connecting PowerSchool and Canvas into one dashboard with instant grade change alerts.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
September 21, 20259 min read
email-management

From 100+ School Emails to One Dashboard: A Parent's Guide

Parents receive over 600 school emails monthly from PowerSchool and Canvas. Learn how to consolidate everything into one organized dashboard for visibility.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
September 20, 20259 min read
powerschool

PowerSchool and Canvas: How to Unify Your Child's Grades

Most parents juggle PowerSchool for grades and Canvas for assignments in separate tabs. Learn how to bring both platforms together into one clear dashboard view.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
September 16, 20258 min read
gpa

How to Calculate Your Child's GPA: Weighted vs Unweighted

Learn how to calculate your child's GPA step by step. Understand weighted vs unweighted scales, see real examples, and learn how colleges evaluate grades.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
September 15, 20255 min read
back-to-school

Back to School 2025: The Working Parent's Organization Guide

How organized working parents start the school year with confidence using a 5-minute setup for automated school communication and schedule management.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
August 10, 20256 min read
family-organization

Smart Shopping for Families: Save Money with Price Tracking

Learn how busy parents can save time and money with smart shopping strategies, automatic price tracking, and deal alerts across 200+ retailers for family essentials.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
July 26, 20256 min read
email-management

AI Email Organization for Parents: Save 7+ Hours Every Week

Discover how AI-powered email organization helps busy parents reclaim 7+ hours weekly by automatically sorting school messages and tracking deadlines.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
July 21, 20256 min read
email-management

How to Organize School Emails Automatically as a Busy Parent

Discover how busy parents can automatically organize their 47+ weekly school emails using a parent dashboard that sorts by child, teacher, and priority.

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Olivier·Solyo Parent
July 16, 20258 min read