I wanted to relay some recent, flat-out bad advice from guidance counselors that some frustrated parents shared with me over the past month or so.

But before I do, and in case you are a guidance counselor  -- sorry, "school counselor" (the proper term, apparently) and think I'm doing this to bash you, I'm not. 

I'm merely REPEATING actual examples of poor advice -- or no advice -- that others have mentioned to me, so that you and your fellow parents can avoid them, and thereby steer clear of the consequences of following said bad advice.   (I actually like most of the guidance counselors I've met, professionally and personally.)

Nonetheless, I'll press on.  This one's about submitting your SAT or ACT scores as part of your college application, versus going the test-optional route and keeping your scores to yourself.

I've probably heard this advice 15-20 times this year:  do not submit your scores if it's below the average reported score for that college.  The stated or unstated rea...

Bumping this in your inbox -- along with other things that go bump in the night -- to make sure you saw our special treat, not trick, of a deal that ends in a few hours...

If you're freaking out about the horrifying cost of college and now on this earth you'll possibly be able to send your little Children of the Night to the colleges they deserve, you have one more bite at the neck, um apple:

Our Financial Aid Warrior program -- the done-for-you service to file your financial aid applications and get you all the cashola you deserve, and possibly more.  Here are the gory details:

10% OFF DEAL

Our Financial Aid Warrior gives you peace of mind and certainty that you didn't screw things up and "rob" yourself out of the grants and scholarships you otherwise deserve.

We take care of everything, from preparing all financial aid applications, strategies to qualify for more $$, help negotiating the offers, assistance with loan paperwork if needed, more.

Instead of clenching your fists a...

Like a mummy rising from its sarcophagus, our 10% off "scholarship" deal is back for one more, ghoulish and lugubrious day.

If you're freaking out about the horrifying cost of college and now on this earth you'll possibly be able to send your little Children of the Night to the colleges they deserve, you have one more bite at the neck, um apple:

10% OFF SCHOLARSHIP DEAL

Our Financial Aid Warrior gives you peace of mind and certainty that you'll get every last dollar in financial aid you deserve, and possibly more.

We take care of everything, from preparing all financial aid applications, strategies to qualify for more $$, help negotiating the offers, assistance with loan paperwork if needed, more. 

It's all described here, and 10% off if you sign up before the clock striketh 12 on Hallows Eve.

(Translation:  your deadline is midnight, 10/31/23.)

Here's where get all the gory details.

I bid you good eve-a-ning...

- Count Andrew Von Lockwuudd

P.S.  I know this was a goofy ema...

Hidey-ho

If you missed last night's webinar -- where we answered more than 50 questions about financial aid, scholarships, the new rules changes, strategies for divorced families, the 529, more -- then you're in luck.  We posted a recording here:

Financial Aid Q&A

You can also book a time to chat with us about getting our help, maybe.  I heard that there were no more spots on our calendar.  If that's the case and you want to chat, just reply to this email.

Second announcement:  ACT prep class starts next week, gearing up for the December test.  Here's where to sign up, use the coupon code CRUSH2023 for a cool hundred smackeroos off (but wait for the shopping cart to update before checking out:

ACT Crusher Class

Alrighty, speak soon.

-Andy

- Andy Lockwood 
Lockwood College Prep  
516-882-5464

Tonight's webinar, Finally!  Your Financial Aid Questions, Answered is for families with class of 2024, 2025 and younger kids who are tossing and turning at night over how the bejeesus they'll afford college tuition for their kids without selling a vital organ or plundering their retirement.

If you have questions about how to get your mitts on the scholarships and grants you need in order to pay for college --  comfortably, without changing your lifestyle-- consider this your Last Call.

We're assembling pre-submitted questions from everyone who registered, and there's a LOT of 'em already in the cue (we're currently at 153 registrants if you must know).

But if you sign up and submit your Q now, we can use our best efforts to deliver an A, live, tonight!  Here's where to sign up:

REGISTER FOR LIVE Q&A

Carpe college :)

- Andy Lockwood

P.S.  I bet you have friends and family who need this information.  Please share this invitation with them.

P.P.S.  We won't be able to answer e...

Yesterday I threw out an email about tomorrow's webinar, asking you what questions you wanted answered.

The webinar, cleverly enough, is called, Finally!  Your Financial Aid Questions, Answered.

...and said questions have come in, fast and furious.  (Well, not "furious." "Inquisitive" is more like it.")

But that's a good thing, for two reasons:

1. We know that we'll be delivering information that YOU want (not what Pearl or I think you want);  and

2. We don't have to do anything to prepare!  I can just sit back on my tush and watch 'em come in.

Some of the pre-submitted questions are really good, and definitely not the same-old, same-old you'd hear from your guidance counselor.  I've reviewed questions about the CSS Profile, 529 accounts in grandparents' names, the accuracy of those Net Price calculators and a lot more.  I'm tingly with excitement! 

Seriously, I am excited, because I love hearing how we can help you demystify the process of getting money for college.

I hope you...

Top of the morning:

I speak publicly about college-related topics 15-20 times per year, but this Wednesday, I'm doing something different.

Instead of moi deciding what you need to know, I'm putting YOU in the driver's seat with a live Q&A:

Finally!  Your Financial Aid Questions, Answered

i may think that I know what YOU should know when I'm prepping for a "normal" talk, but I'm frequently dead wrong, and leave out important information.  So I'm doing something about it.

This Wednesday, it's your chance to ask me and/or Pearl, our resident Financial Aid Maven, any of your questions about paying for college, including but not limited to:

• How do you apply?
• When do you apply?
• What are the big changes this year?
• Is it worth my time to apply for those random scholarships for left-handed oboists of Viking descent with spastic colons?
• What's the deal with the 529?
• How do I know if I'll qualify?
• What is the maximum income you can have and still qualify?
• I heard from my guidance c...

There's a lot of chit chat about applying Early Decision, the "binding" (not) way to apply to college, versus all of the other 47 ways to apply (Regular.  Early. Restricted Early. Direct.  Double-Secret Platinum VIP, to name a few.)

I \recorded a quick podcast episode on this topic, because I know, from past and present experience, that your guidance counselor will never, ever, never ever never tell you what I'm about to learn ya.

It's less than 10 minutes long, I think you need to hear it if you are wondering if you/your kiddo should apply ED:

PODCAST EPISODE

Happy listening,

- Andy Lockwood

P.S.  Yeah, I have a podcast.  I'm that cool.  I thought the world needed one the way it needs another lawyer (I'm one of them too, but in remission).

If you are part of podcast culture, you can subscribe to it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don't miss this type of information.

And you can see if you agree with the mediocre 3.7 rating, brought down by two harsh reviews, one from a ...

Last night, at a workshop I conducted down the road at the Manhasset Library, a mom asked me a simple question that I hadn't heard in a while:

Do colleges prefer that you take the SAT or ACT?

I suppose that I hadn't heard this question recently because of the temporary test-optional fad that we're currently experiencing, like Pickle Ball.  Here is a quickie summary of my answer:

• College are agnostic, they accept either the SAT or ACT
• Figure out which test is best -- for your child -- and get that score as high as possible
• There is a difference between APPLYING test-optional and getting ADMITTED test optional
• SAT and ACT scores are still very good predictors of academic performance in college
• Good, not "perfect" predictors.   Almost as good as a student's high school academic record
• The phenomenon of "Great grades, poor test-taker" can be partially explained by rampant grade inflation across the country.  I can't remember the last time I met a kid with a C average.  (An 84 GPA
...

From the desk of Renfield
Personal assistant to Count Andrew Von Fafsala Lockwuud

Hello. I don’t have much time, so I’ll cut to the chase while Count Von Fafsala Lockwuud and Countess Pearlticia are slumbering in their coffins. They're pretty heavy sleepers, but the sun will set shortly and I’ll be busy tending to their sick needs the same way I've been doing for the last three centuries...

I didn’t see your name (or even your soul) on the list of victims, um, “people” signing up for the 10% off Financial Aid Consulting promo that ended last night, midnight.

But come a little closer, so I can whisper something in your ear (sorry about my breath, big breakfast of insects today):

I can still get you in for the same deal that expired yesterday.  You just have to sign up before the Count and Countess rise again.  If you keep this between us, they won’t know anything about it, so they won’t punish me. 

Which is a bit disappointing, come to think of it.

Never mind.  Here’s the secret "t...