Straight A’s and perfect SAT scores are no longer enough to gain admission into the nation’s top colleges. So says a higher education expert, who explains how elite colleges are looking for that something “extra” in their applicants. In a guest column, a Clayton County teacher talks about turning students into “makers,” reflective of the burgeoning Maker Movement that appeals to tinkerers, techies and do-it-yourselfers. And readers talk about a new study that finds “drill, baby, drill” may provide the secret to math success in the early grades.

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Travelers wait in Concourse F, the international terminal, at Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com