They Changed My College Dream, So I Cut Them Off

The night the college applications were due, an alert lit up my phone in the middle of the night: A new device has logged into your application account. Please check whether your password has been compromised.

It startled me. I wanted to wake my parents and figure out what to do.

Then, without meaning to, I heard them talking.

My mother sighed. "Nora's scores are high enough for a top-tier school. If we change hers to a private community college, do you think she'll hold it against us?"

My father didn't care. "It's fine. Once the acceptance letter comes, we'll smooth it over."