Good morning!

Today at 10:00am EST on College Coffee Talk, join us for a discussion of how to appeal your financial aid award due to natural disaster.

This episode will be recorded if you can't make it live.  Here's the page for both the live and recorded versions:

College Coffee Talk

 - Andy Lockwood

The College Board reported that college tuition isn't as expensive as we think, which I'm betting is surprising to you.  It sure doesn't feel right to me (we have three kids in college), but why shouldn't we trust everything in the news these days?

According to a recent study, in-state public university tuition dropped 40% in the last decade, accounting for inflation (hmmm). And private college tuition increased by only 4%, inflation-adjusted, compared to 58% two decades ago.

What does this mean for you (families with college-bound teens?

The short answer:  Maybe nothing.  

Costs at competitive private universities are in the mid 90K per year range. And out-of-state public universities still charge a hefty amount to non-residents, overall.

If you're looking for merit aid or other financial aid, it's critically important to fish in the right pond.  Not to rely on some academic study that contradicts common sense.

That means focusing on 1. colleges that are historically generous an...

Good morning,

Quick announcement for local (NY area) parents of kids in grades 9-11:  I'm running two "College Admissions and Scholarships Secrets" live, in-person workshops (not webinars) next week, on Wednesday,January 15 and Thursday, January 16.

The gist, short and sweet:

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!"

We're nearing the tail-end of another wild and wacky admissions cycle for class of 2025 kiddos, so this workshop will give families with younger children the current, real-time lay of the land from inside the trenches.

Just the stone-cold, politically incorrect truth about what it REALLY takes to get into a top college, today.

You won't get this information from your guidance counselor, either. Unlike This Guy, they're bound by traditional constraints such as "professionalism"...

Tutoring | Student/Parent Loan Relief

There are a few reasons why a child can achieve a high GPA but you-know-what the bed on the SAT or ACT.

It could be test anxiety.

It could be lack of preparation.

It could be lack of PROPER preparation (we see this with high school teachers who tutor on the side. Frequently these teachers cover the semester's worth of content, instead of focusing on the material that's actually tested on the SAT and ACT).

Or, it could be the widespread phenomenon of grade inflation.  More than 92% of students in high school have A averages today.  Where are the C students of yesteryear?

(Answer: they have 84 averages now.)

Regardless of the answer, there is a small, growing movement away from test-optional college applications that started two years ago, initially by Ivy League and comparable colleges (like MIT), but slowly spreading to other competitive colleges.  

To be clee-ah, as we say up in Beantown, test-optional is not dead.  But given the choice, a...

Tutoring | Student/Parent Loan Relief

Good morning!  We're delighted to start off 2025 with a banger of an offer for you, a big discount off our SAT and ACT Crusher small group tutoring classes:

125 bucks off, coupon code NEWYEAR.

Almost every one of our clients who got into Ivy and near-Ivy colleges submitted their scores, proffering evidence that "test-optional" is not everything that it was cracked up to be.

Ditto for merit scholarships: as these offers roll in, it's becoming clear as glass that colleges strongly prefer to see an SAT or ACT in order to be considered for merit-based aid.

That's why I've been beating the drum with this tri-part message for the last four years:

*Figure out Which Test Is Best

*Get that test score as high as humanly possible

*Decide on a school-by-school, case-by-case basis, in the context of the TOTALITY of the application, whether or not to submit that SAT or ACT score

Our ACT prep small group class starts tomorrow and we have four spots avail...

Application Edge Bootcamp

Registration Closes in:

This morning I had a fun time interviewing a Class of 2025 student, Kate, who is currently 10-for-10 (with four to go) in college acceptances.  Plus she's received a healthy amount of merit scholarships. 

I'll post that interview on our podcast in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, I wanted to give you one last reminder about our 11th annual College Application Edge bootcamp, especially the Early Action Discount and super valuable bonus:

When you sign up now, before the ball drops, tonight, you'll 1. save 500 bucks and 2. we'll do your FAFSA, CSS Profile and all other financial aid forms (value:  $3,500).

Once we hit deadline,  the registration window slams shut.  Assuming we re-open it later this spring, the price will be higher, no ifs, ands or but-tocks.

If you want to give your kiddo The EDGE over his or her competitors, and position them to win tens of thousands in fat, juicy scholarships, this group coaching program ...

Good morning!  Three quick announcements today.

1. 10am EST:  live on our Facebook page:  Student loan forgiveness magician Pearl Lockwood walks you through how she saved a mom $270,000.

2. College Application Edge Bootcamp:  Early Action registration is open for one more day.  Save 500 bucks and get your FAFSA and other financial aid applications taken care of -- a 3,500 value -- if you sign up by deadline.

3. SAT and ACT "Crusher" classes start right after the New Year.  Keep an eye out for a promotional announcement after January 1.

Okie dokie, I'm headed over to College Coffee Talk now, hope you can stop by.

-Andy "Showtime" Lockwood

I was speaking with a mom of one of our students who got into an elite (6% acceptance rate) college this month.  She reminded me of a forgotten discussion over the past summer.

The topic:  to submit or not to submit?

As in, should we go test-optional or submit our ACT?

The guidance counselor at his private high school was firm.  Definitely submit it, you're in the 25-75% range.

"What do you think," the mom asked me in August.

I looked everything over, including the factors that guidance counselors frequently miss (but admissions officers don't):

Grades, scores, rigor, extracurriculars, race, ethnicity, how you're applying (ED, EA, etc.), parents' finances and another half dozen or so components of the application.

"Not so fast," I said.  I understood the counselor's advice, but it didn't sit right.  I chose my words carefully.

"Your counselor's an idiot.  Do NOT send your scores. The rest of his application is strong. It would be incredibly stupid to give the admissions committ...

If you're the parent of a high school class of 2026 grad, I have a very, very nice Festivus gift to share:

A discounted, and heavily bonused Early Action Registration ticket to our summer College Application Edge Bootcamp!

Plain and simple, this group coaching program is designed to help your child answer the question, 

Why Should We Admit YOU, Compared to Your 50,000 Competitors?

When you sign up now, before January 1, you'll 1. save 500 bucks and 2. receive a big bonus:  we'll do your FAFSA, CSS Profile and all other financial aid forms (value:  $3,500).

But I think there's a bigger, more important reason to take me up on this offer:

Peace of mind.  Because we, not you, will take over the deadline reminders, accountability and organization of the whole college application kit and kaboodle.  

You won't have to scream and threaten your kiddo all summer!

Unlike other summer bootcamps, this one lasts more than a week or two.  It runs  June-September, and includes

*Heavy essay ed...

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:

Deferred?  How to Screw Up Your Letter of Continued Interest

Tune In!

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

- Andy Lockwood