Our head tutor Marissa U just got back from a conference where a rep from the College Board shocked the crowd with little known revelations about the brand spanking new digital SAT.

After Marissa told me about the first one, I interrupted and said, "We need to do a webinar for our list!"  

So that's what we decided to do, tomorrow night.  Marissa will run through the latest information you need to know before deciding to take the SAT.  

Or deciding not to take the SAT.

She'll cover the funky way that they now "adjust" the test based on how a student does in the first section (it's weird);  plus tips and tricks on how to get more answers correct, and score as high as possible!

Here's where to sign up -- please share this invite with anyone you know who could use it:

Sign Up Here..

- Andy Lockwood

P.S.  I'm also hosting an actual live (not a webinar) event in our brand new office, at the end of the month.  Details to come.

I'm going to go a bit negative this morning, if you'll indulge me.

This time of year, it's rare for a day to go by without having to break bad news.  We get several calls and emails per week from Class of 2024, high school senior families, looking for help with appealing wait lists or rejections from colleges.  And more requests for help negotiating financial aid and merit aid offers.

We have to turn down 9 out of 10 of these requests.

The worst part is that an alarmingly high percentage of inquiries come from moms or dads who have followed us -- reading these emails, attending our webinars and in-person workshops, even speaking to us 1:1 -- since last year, or longer.  Had they retained us a year or two earlier, we could have helped them avoid the pickles they're currently in.

It all could have been avoided.

Tonight, I'm doing one of my last presentations of the year for Rising Seniors -- yes, that means current 11th graders, but not for long -- to help you...

Good morning!

We're hitting the airwaves this morning -- 10:00am EST --  for College Coffee Talk, our live show about college admissions and financial aid news that you can use!  

Here's what's on tap for today:

*How college protests affect families' decisions

F*AFSA mistakes continue

Tune In!

Grab a cup of joe and we'll see you at 10am EST (recorded if you can't make it)

- Andy Lockwood

Tutoring | Appeal Your Award

I never do this, but I wanted you to look over my shoulder for this client conversation about the anti-Israel protests.  Actually, this is a mash up of three-four similar conversations I've had in the past few days with Class of 2024 families.

The gist of the conversations:  I'm reluctant to put down a housing deposit at [college] because of the out-of-control, anti-Israel, antisemitic protests.  What do you think?

Obviously this is guesswork, but I'll share my thoughts.

First, I hope and suspect that, as the academic year winds down and ends and college kids return home, the protests at most colleges will organically peter out.   I would guess that the summer reprieve will give college administrations time to discuss and implement actions to ensure order on campus in the fall, unlike what's happening at Columbia.

This may be a bit of a leap, but I don't think we'll see as much strife on campus next year. But of course...

Good morning!

Come join us this morning if you can -- 10:00am EST --  for College Coffee Talk, our live show about college admissions and financial aid news that you can use!  

Here's what's on tap for today:

• Another blow to test-optional;
• The latest on student loan "forgiveness" developments;  and 
• Your questions, we'll be live and chatting!

Tune In!

Grab a cup of joe and we'll see you at 10am EST (recorded if you can't make it)

- Andy Lockwood

Good morning!

We're hitting the airwaves this morning -- 10:00am EST --  for College Coffee Talk, our live show about college admissions and financial aid news that you can use!  

Here's what's on tap for today:

The Digital SAT Math Meltdown

Two Obscure FAFSA Hacks Discovered by Pearl

More

TUNE IN

Grab a cup of joe and we'll see you at 10am EST (recorded if you can't make it)

- Andy Lockwood

Nary a week goes by without a question about a summer program, service trip opportunity or other similar queries.  Here are my thoughts:

The world of extracurricular activities is divided into two parts:  Typical and Atypical.  Nothing against typical activities, but they won't move the proverbial college application needle.  Examples:

Playing a sport is great for many reasons, but unless you're a recruited athlete, it will not help your kid get in anywhere.  He doesn't have to step up his private tennis or fencing lessons to six times per week for college application purposes.

Being a member of National Honor Society is nice, but if your child qualifies, she will be joining the rarefied air of the top 70% of her peers.  Not a game changer for the college apps.  It's a participation trophy.

Enrolling in a service trip to Hawaii, the Dominican Republic or some other tropical paradise requiring travel by air -- instead of offering your...

Tutoring | Bootcamp

Hello my College Planning Amigo,

During College Application Season, it’s unusual for a month to go by without a parent asking me whether they should check the “yes” box on the Common App, to indicate that they want to be considered for financial aid.

What do you think?  Will it hurt your odds of getting in?  Or…

Is that the right question?  Here are my thoughts.

Most colleges are “need aware.”  Meaning, they consider whether you need financial aid as ONE of the 25 ish factors that go into a college application.

So whether you need aid or not isn’t a make or break question across the board.  However, it definitely is one of the considerations that could get you in or keep you out when it comes down to the wire, when admissions committees are making their final cuts.

On the other hand, a relatively small number of colleges, typically Ivy and other elite private colleges, purport to be...

A week ago, the folks at the Common Application announced that their essay prompts will be the same as last year's.

On a related note, Class of 2025 students will write the same crappy essays as last year's college applicants.   

One big error revolves around choice of prompt.   I'll share which one is the worst in a moment, but first let me give you a little overview if you're new to the wonderful world of college essays and applications.

The Common Application comes out August 1.  The overwhelming majority  of the colleges your son or daughter will apply to accept the Common App (Georgetown University is one notable exception that has its own application).

The Common App really isn't that big a deal.  A lot of it is rote - name, address, parent info, list of honors, etc. 

However, the areas that require thought and attention are 1. essay writing (the personal statement and supplemental essays) and 2. the Activities Section.

In my...

In response to my email predicting the slow demise of test-optional policies, I received a mini rant from a subscriber to my email list.   Her point, summarized:

* She was a great student herself back in the day

* She was not a great test taker though

* She was admitted to an elite school

* Ergo, standardized testing is ineffective at predicting academic success in college

My response:

"Back in the day" there wasn't as much grade inflation as there is in modern times.  Today, admissions officers can't rely on GPA they way they once could to predict how well a student will do in college, academically.

*I'm happy that she was admitted to the college where she apparently wanted to go.  But I'm curious why she has a chip on her shoulder big enough to spend her time emailing me.

*My email reported the news that Yale (joining Dartmouth, Georgetown, MIT, Georgia Tech, Purdue and others) announced they were tearing up their test-optional policies.  Not my...