A college’s reported crime number does not tell you whether the campus is safe. Families need to understand the reporting systems, support resources, prevention efforts and institutional response behind the number.

Senior fall asks students to do two important things at once: finish college applications and keep being strong students. The solution is not choosing one. It is building a plan that protects both.

College applications matter. So does the person completing them. Senior year should not become one long admissions project.