1:1 College Advising

Can I give you a quick update?

The calls have been coming in, and I’m starting to see my Q1 calendar take shape.

I’ll be honest with you.  I haven’t looked forward to anything in my work quite like this in a long time.

Part of it is the format:

One family.

One student.

One focused block of time.

No rushing. No juggling. No noise.

Just sitting down together and figuring out what is actually going to move the needle.

But a big part of it is who I’m meeting.

These are thoughtful, motivated, coachable kids.

Parents who care deeply, but aren’t trying to micromanage or game the system.

Families who recognize the stakes involved and don’t want to leave it to chance.

That combination is rare. And energizing.

After doing this for decades, I finally know exactly what kind of work I enjoy most.

This is it.

Here’s what these sessions look like:

You, your student, and me. Working together on Zoom or in our Glen Head or Boca Raton office.

We identify the re...

Private College Advising

Let me tell you a little story about Ava, before she got into her dream school Early Decision. 

She came to me with a problem.

Not a grades problem. Not a test scores problem.

An essay problem.

The kind that doesn't just hurt your application, but could flat out kill your chances at elite colleges.

She'd been “working on it” for weeks, whatever that meant.

Her mom had looked at it from every angle.

Her English teacher was useless (college essays don’t have a “rubric”).

Nobody could see a way forward.

Here's what I noticed when we sat down one on one:  Ava was flailing.

Smart kid, strong student.

But too close to the problem.

She'd been staring at this thing for so long that, in reality, she hadn't produced anything, except two random paragraphs that she hated.

I saw the solution in less than six minutes.

Not because I'm smarter than Ava. (I'm not.)

But I was outside the problem.

I didn't have Ava's years of built up internal assumptions ...

[Trigger warning to any guidance counselor, sorry, "school counselor" who may have stumbled onto my email list:  if you're easily offended by what parents REALLY think about guidance counselors -- private school and public school -- you may want to skip this email. ]

There’s something I almost never hear parents say out loud, but I hear it between the lines all the time.

“I feel like my kid’s doing everything she’s supposed to…and I still don’t know if it’s enough.”

That feeling of "we're missing out" isn’t paranoia.

And it isn’t because you missed a checklist item.

It’s because the college admissions system quietly changed, but most school counselors are still playing by the old rules.  Here’s what I mean:

They're drowning in administrative work. Schedules. Discipline issues. Testing logistics.

Many don't even meet with students about college until junior year…which is far too late since grades 9-12 all count on the application.

And honestly? A big chunk don't even know thei...

Yesterday I mentioned that, as an experiment, I'm opening up a small number of spots for personal college advising with families who came from “the outside world” (who weren't referred by other clients).

A bunch of you asked for more details, wondering, “Is this for my kid?” So let me tell you exactly what this looks like.

This is not for parents who want a checklist.

It’s not for families looking for a magic essay template or a guaranteed Ivy outcome (ahem, Lori Loughlin!).

And it’s definitely not for anyone hoping to outsource responsibility and “let someone else handle it.”

This is for parents who sense something important is at stake and don’t want to get it wrong.

Parents who feel deep down that the admissions landscape has shifted, but can’t quite put their finger on how. 

Or what to do about it.

Parents who know their child is capable of more than what’s showing up on paper right now.

Parents who, if they're being honest, have no idea how their child will answer the ...

This is a personal note from me. I'm sending this only to a small group, so do me a favor and keep this between us kids.

I've been thinking a lot about legacy lately.

Not in some heavy or Lifetime movie dramatic way, just... what's actually mattered most to me over 25 years as a college advisor.

It's not the TV appearances on Fox, CBS, or even that weird Netflix "Varsity Blues" college admissions documentary thing that I was in...

It's not my books hitting bestseller status five times, or Pearl’s and my podcast charting at #2...

It's not the speaking gigs or the "college planning guru" label people sometimes use...

That's all ego stuff. 

What matters most: 

The kids.

Like Ava, paralyzed for weeks over her essay. I unlocked it in less than 10 minutes.

A few weeks later:  Admitted Early Decision.

And Liam, who couldn't figure out how to stand out, because, frankly, he really didn't.

I mapped out a multi-step “passion project” in four minutes that he implemented over th...

Final reminder about this SAT vs ACT Preview Class.

If there's any doubt about which test is the right call for your student, this gives you clarity fast.

For example, which test is best for strong math students?

Which is best if you need accommodations?

Which is best if your kid “sucks at science?”

Register here, see you in class!

>>REGISTER HERE<<

-Andy "Last Call" Lockwood

Lockwood College Prep

P.S.   The SAT and ACT are BACK.

Colleges know that they're better predictors of kids' ability to do college work.

And you need good scores to get the best scholarships, too.

SAT v ACT Webinar Tonight

I get it.

College planning and other super-important items on your to-do list get buried once the week starts.

If you have a young-un in 10th or 11th grade, don't let that happen.  Make time for our class tonight.

It’s fast. One  45 minute-ish class to help you:

-Avoid prepping for the wrong test 

-Stop guessing which test fits your son or daughter

-Understand timing differences that matter

-Know what changed on the ACT, and how they affect your kid

C'mon, you don't need to watch the latest "feel good" news. Our class will be better for your blood pressure.

Register here.

-Andy

P.S.  Our head tutor, Marissa U, will walk you through the briar patch of:

- How the test structures actually differ

- Where pacing becomes the problem

- Question styles that favor different thinkers

- What the recent ACT changes mean for strategy

P.P.S.  Does anyone even know what a briar patch is?

SAT v ACT Webinar

If choosing between the SAT and ACT feels confusing, that’s normal, and you have PLENTY of company.

Here's what usually happens:

A kid picks the SAT because their school defaults to it.

Or the ACT because a friend is taking it too.

Then they prep for months.

I hate to say it, but... far too many of them realize halfway through -- after they bombed their first test -- that they chose wrong!

Now they're starting over.  Oy.

Our SAT vs ACT Preview Class was created to prevent that unsavory sitch.

Marissa U, head tutor, will walk you through:

- How the test structures actually differ

- Where pacing becomes the problem

- Question styles that favor different thinkers

- What the recent ACT changes mean for strategy

Bottom line:

One class. Clearer decision.

Register here.

-Andy "Pencils Down" Lockwood

P.S.  Is it recorded? Yes. :)

Length?

Focused and efficient.  45 minutes, give or take.

Good morning!

I thought I'd share a few questions from parents who attended our live workshop in our office last night.

And my answers, not just the questions (duh).

I'm going live in a few minutes, but if you can't make it and still want to watch, it's recorded too.  Same page:

Tune In!

See ya,

- Andy "Live and Unplugged" Lockwood

SAT v ACT:  Which Test is Best Class

A lot of families treat the SAT and ACT like they're interchangeable. Guess what?

They're not.

Some students sail through the SAT's logic puzzles and get crushed by the ACT's time crunch.

Others breeze through the ACT's straightforward questions and freeze when the SAT throws them curveballs.

In our SAT vs ACT Preview Class, Marissa breaks down:

*Why timing pressure isn't the same on both tests

*Why some students struggle on the ACT

*Why others find the SAT unexpectedly challenging

*Which learning styles match which exam

*What the ACT changes mean for today's test-takers

*Section-by-section differences that matter

If you want confidence in your kids test choice before you commit time and money to prep, this matters.

Higher scores mean greater odds of acceptance into your kid's "Dream School," 

Not to mention better chances of racking up boatloads of fat, juicy scholarships.

Details here.

See you in class!

-Andy

P.S. Quick questio...