FAIRFAX, Va. — Diego Fonseca looked at the computer and took a breath. It was his final attempt at the math placement test for his first year of college. His first three tries put him in pre-calculus, ...

George Mason Term Instructor Ermias Kassaye, left, helps a student figure out an equation during a summer math boot camp on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2023 at George Mason University in Fairfax. Va.

A student uses his phone to copy the whiteboard at the end of a summer math boot camp session on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2023 at George Mason University in Fairfax. Va. Diego Fonseca looked at the computer ...

Diego Fonseca looked at the computer and took a breath. It was his final attempt at the math placement test for his first year of college. His first three tries put him in pre-calculus, a blow for a ...

Diego Fonseca is a computer science major who hoped to get into calculus in college but, like many college students today, he is still struggling with basic math. He has major hurdles with algebra, a ...