The Elective

James Murphy

James Murphy is a writer for The Elective, the College Board's education magazine

18 Articles

Black female teacher wearing a mask stands in front of a whiteboard and guides a lesson being recorded by two cameras

3 Min Read

News

How the Pandemic Has Impacted Teachers

3 Min Read

Overhead photo of a male teenager looking at his phone while sitting at his home desk, cluttered with notebooks and a computer and a globe

5 Min Read

News

Nudges, Not Sales Pitches

5 Min Read

A mother and her two children, all wearing face masks, stand in front of a school administrator who is preparing to loan them a laptop computer

5 Min Read

News

Remote Learning Lessons from Los Angeles

5 Min Read

a mother helps here two sons with their schoolwork

3 Min Read

News

The Digital Divide Is About More Than Technology

3 Min Read

A female college student walks across campus wearing a face mask

8 Min Read

Interview

Lessons Learned from the Great Recession of 2007—2009

8 Min Read

screenshot from the c-span cram for the exam show showing a split screen image of both teachers

4 Min Read

News

AP Gov Cram Session, Courtesy of C-SPAN

4 Min Read

Photo montage showing, from left to right, Tony Hale, Janet Yellen, John Quinones, and Valerie Jarrett

4 Min Read

News

AP Master Class Is In Session

4 Min Read

closeup of two female hands typing on a laptop computer

5 Min Read

News

Closing the Tech Gap for AP Students

5 Min Read

a frustrated student sitting at a desk covering her eyes

3 Min Read

Extra Credit

20 Mistakes Students Make When Applying to College

3 Min Read

a screenshot from the movie the perfect score showing a cake celebrating a test score

5 Min Read

Extra Credit

A Different Kind of Screen Test

5 Min Read

a group of college graduates throwing their caps in the air

2 Min Read

Opinion

Free College Expands—Will It Matter?

2 Min Read

a row of yellow school buses

3 Min Read

Extra Credit

How the Yellow School Bus Got That Way

3 Min Read

a hand holding a smartphone with the screen showing the headline students drowning in debt

5 Min Read

Opinion

Student Loan Crisis: More Complicated Than a Number

5 Min Read

a stack of college application papers with the word accepted stamped on one page

4 Min Read

Opinion

College Admissions Has Never Not Been Complicated

4 Min Read

a college student sitting on a bench reading a book while wearing headphones and guarding his bike

2 Min Read

Extra Credit

How to Read Like a College Student

2 Min Read

a notebook with the word fafsa written across one page in heavy black marker

3 Min Read

News

The Push to Make FAFSA Completion a Requirement

3 Min Read

a row of male and female graduates wearing their caps and gowns and looking serious

4 Min Read

Opinion

The Confusing State—and Uncertain Future—of Class Rankings

4 Min Read

a male teenage student sitting at a desk with a concerned look as other students rush past him

2 Min Read

Extra Credit

The SAT is a Workout—And Not Just for Your Brain

2 Min Read