Deadly Dastardly College Prep Mistakes
I'm going negative with this email. Apologies in advance.
I just tweaked my presentation for tonight's live, local (not live streamed) presentation I'm running at the Bryant Library in Roslyn NY. Most of the material, as it turns out, is about mistakes. Easily avoidable, self-sabotaging mistakes.
Some mistakes are of the commission variety -- things you affirmatively do -- that hurt odds of college acceptance or merit scholarships.
Some are mistakes of OMISSION, meaning things you do NOT do, but should.
If you're local to the Long Island area, and you want to avoid costly errors that can severely impact your/your children's chances of getting into competitive colleges...
...as well as gaffes that could hurt or eliminate your ability to get merit aid or financial aid, then tonight is a terrific, unprecedented opportunity to learn up on all this stuff -- for free --- for reelz...
...that you definitely will NOT ever, never ever hear a...
A Surprise 154K FAFSA Penalty
From the FAFSA Sh*t Storm Files:
Over coffee early this morning, Pearl told me a shocking story, one that we've experienced a few times already this year. Let me pass it along to you as a cautionary tale: it goes a little sumthin' like this:
Family files FAFSA. Family hears back from college financial aid office.
Message: no soup for you. Pay full price.
But here's the thing...
On a courtesy call with a financial aid office, the officer reveals that the FAFSA indicated that the family's income was more than $400,000.
But the family's actual income, filed with the IRS for 2022: $250,000 and change!
Why the 150K+ artificial penalty?
Just another glitch! Too bad, so sad.
Apparently 10% of all FAFSAs filed this year have inflated family's income, wiping out millions of potential eligibility.
This glitch is, of course, part of the FAFSA "simplification," designed to streamline the process. Nice job, guys.
The most...
Groveling Time
**No College Coffee Talk this morning: I'm on the road, depositing my daughter back in college after her break (public transportation is beneath her, apparently**
Well, it's that time of year when most colleges are issuing estimated financial aid awards. Many parents are staring at these offers and wondering, "Where's the beef?"
Here are the top three categories of appeal (I call it "negotiating", but that's definitely NOT the term used by financial aid officers). Note: no matter what your argument is, you must present new information that the college didn't have, previously.
1. Drop in income. Financial aid eligibility is heavily dependent on income. But that income is from two years ago. Example: if you have a Class of 2024 student, your 2022 Adjusted Gross Income is the most heavily weighted factor. But if your income dropped in 2023, maybe because of a layoff, or your business income...
Harvard: "Safety School?"
op of the morning!
We're hitting the airwaves in few moments -- 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 FAFSApocalypse: signs of relief?
Harvard: Safety School?
The First 100K per year college
More - we'll be live and chatting away with you if you have any "burning" questions you need answered...free!
Here's where to join me, Pearl and Zuck on our Facebook page:
Grab a cup of joe and we'll see you at 10am EST (recorded if you can't make it)
- Andy Lockwood
Financial Aid "Secrets" Revealed
Closely-Guarded "Secrets" Revealed - How any family...even six and seven-figure earners...can slash college costs by more than 56%
If you have a class of 2025 or younger child who is headed to college...
...and your stomach is in a knot and your hands clammier than on your first date, because you're just now realizing how freakin' much college will *actually cost* you...
....I've got GREAT NEWS! Tonight, we're walking you through all the ins and outs of how financial aid and merit aid works, in a brand new, free webinar! Yay.
On tonight's webinar, you will discover the (legal and ethical) ways to cut your college costs so that you can comfortably afford tuition without scrimping on your lifestyle, loading up your kid (or you) with high rate, high fee student debt or selling a vital organ on the dark web. Bold promises, but we will deliver.
Topics on tap:
- How six figure and seven-figure earning families can ...
Your "Burning Questions" About the SAT and ACT
Top of the morning,
Quick reminder that we're doing a live, unscripted Q&A tonight on everything you need to know about the SAT and ACT, especially in the face of the confusion, half-truths and urban legends about the world of test-optional policies.
Wondering which test is best? We'll help you figure that out tonight.
Wondering which test colleges prefer? Ditto.
Other issues on tap include:
*Are high school teachers who moonlight as SAT or ACT tutors best suited to help you "crush" the test?
*Should you allow the College Board to send your SAT score to colleges, no charge?
*Do colleges see how many times your kiddo took the SAT or ACT?
*Do colleges care how many times she took the SAT (or ACT)?
*How many times does he need to take the SAT or ACT?
Tonight, we will answer these and any of your "Burning Questions" about the SAT or ACT, when you join me and our head tutor, Marissa U, for our SAT and ACT Town Hall meeting.
You can pre-submit your...
SAT and ACT "Town Hall"
The latest ACT scores have started coming out, and the Internet is abuzz with questions and comments like:
*Why was her score so low? She's got a 94 average in school!
*Should we take the SAT instead?
*Which one do colleges want?
*Is there any point in taking the SAT or ACT? Aren't colleges test optional these days?
*How many times does he need to take the SAT or ACT?
*Do colleges see how many times he took it (SAT or ACT)?
*Is it OK to sing a sad song with an upbeat tempo?
*Do colleges care how many times she took the SAT (or ACT)?
Just kidding about that second to last one, I wanted to check if you were reading all the way down there.
Tomorrow night, we will answer these and any of your "Burning Questions" about the SAT or ACT, or college admissions, scholarships, financial aid if you insist. I'm hauling in our head tutor, Marissa U, for our first ever SAT and ACT Town Hall meeting.
You can pre-submit your questions ahead of time (as opposed to...
FAFSA Problems, Boston College Negotiation, More!
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:
*A long list of FAFSA problems
*Boston College Negotiation Case Study
*Your questions!
Join us on our Facebook page, Facebook.com/
Grab a cup of joe and we'll see you at 10am EST (recorded if you can't make it). This is a great opportunity for Q&A, live, free college coaching, anything goes!
- Andy "Java Jive" Lockwood
11th Graders' Workshop Starting Now
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About Tonight's Meeting for 11th graders
I just finished tweaking tonight's "encore" presentation, "Late Stage College Planning for Juniors" and have been patting myself on the back since, because of all of the clever phrases and analogies I came up with. Here's a few, submitted for your approval:
"The college process is like a train, it comes into the station and leaves the station, whether or not you are 'ready.'"
"There is life beyond the same Rear Window Sticker Colleges that everyone applies to"
"Each college application must have a 'Thread of Continuity' that runs through it, tying everything together"
There's a whole lot more where they came from, I'm merely scratching the surface (who's excited now????)!
If you're getting sick to your stomach about where to even get started in the process of making a list of colleges that your kiddo can even get into...
...i.e. are there any "Safety Schools" any more? Or...
Do I have a snowball's chance in hell at...
