10 College Planning Mistakes to Avoid
We stuck a new "text us" thingy on our website the other week, and some of the incoming messages have been heart breakers.
The sad ones are from parents with kids who either 1. got into their top choice college, but didn't get anywhere near the financial aid or merit aid they needed, or 2. got denied from colleges they thought were slam dunks.
Here's the thing about these situations....
They're Avoidable. Easily Avoidable.
I'm polishing off the notes for my upcoming new, local presentations this week (Wednesday,January 15 and Thursday, January 16) and thinking through which mistakes I want to share, and how.
There are two types of mistakes: those of commission -- where you do something wrong, and omission -- where you fail to do something.
Examples of the former: applying to the wrong colleges. Writing the wrong essay. Submitting your SAT or ACT when you shouldn't.
Examples of the latter: failing to learn strategies to get merit and need-based aid. Not applying for aid because you think you won't qualify. Overlooking great colleges solely because they're not well represented on rear window stickers of cars in your neighborhood.
If you're local to the Long Island area and you have a Class of 2026 or younger child with Ivy or other competitive college dreams in her heart, you should make it a point to come to Glen Head or Roslyn tomorrow or Thursday night. Here's the headline and the gist of each presentation:
You will discover tested and proven strategies and tips to help your child get into their "dream college" and how to win tens of thousands of merit scholarships, even if you think "no way do families like us ever qualify for anything!"
Details follow, click on the button for the date that works for you (seats are first-come, first-served):
***NOTE: THESE ARE LOCAL PRESENTATIONS, NOT WEBINARS***
- Andy "Mistake Breaker" Lockwood
P.S. Each venue is relatively small, so seats are given first-come, first-served. Register now, you can even bring along a friend while we have the space.
P.P.S. Here's a more complete run-down of questions and topics for each event:
Can your kid get into a decent college?
How does he "stack up" compared to the competition?
What specific strategies will improve chances of acceptance to his "Dream School?"
Do you make too much to qualify for scholarships or other financial aid, or can you "beat the system?"
How can she possibly stand out from 50,000 competitors who look the same on paper?
Those are just some of the questions we'll explore at your workshop. Other topics include:
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The inconvenient truth about what it takes -- beyond solid grades and near-perfect SATs, "passion projects" and other nonsense -- to get accepted to a top college today [WARNING: Not "Politically Correct"]
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Financial Aid "Loopholes" - how to legally "hide" your money from the financial aid office
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How to avoid Admissions Armageddon and build a balanced, strategic college list
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Are there any Safety Schools any more?
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Feather-ruffling facts about how college admissions officers view test-optional applications
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Extracurricular activities that "sell" verses those that bore
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How to qualify for 56.1% off the cost of college, even if you think you make too much money to have a shot at aid
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Negotiation Case Study: How a mild-mannered college advisor squeezed an additional $30,058 from a elite West Coast college...after it's so-called "Final Offer"
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The strange, counter-intuitive reason why six and seven-figure earning families have a better shot at some types of aid than lower earners
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Got a 529? Watch out. The shocking reason why that could be a fatal mistake (and how you might be able to fix things at the last minute)
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How an "expensive" private college could cost less out of pocket than a "cheaper" state university