Tutoring | Workshop

We're having a problem with tomorrow's in-office workshop:  out of the 25 people registered, we've gotten confirms for only eight.   So I have no idea who's coming to our office (not a webinar) tomorrow night.

If you're the parent of a 9th, 10th or 11th grader, I'd like to invite you to come to our brand spanking new office.  I'll do whatever it takes to make room for you.  

I'll even give you a gift for coming, a copy of one of my latest books.    Maybe I'll even sign It for you!   Ooooo!

 Here's the syllabus for tomorrow's class (in office, not a webinar):

*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")

*Financial Aid "Loopholes" - how to legally "hide" your money from the financial aid office

*How to avoid Admissions...

Tutoring | Workshop

Announcing:   "Secrets" of How to Triple Odds of Acceptance to Your Dream College...

...and how to comfortably afford tuition...

...even if you think there's no way your family can possibly qualify for any type of financial aid.

This coming Wednesday June 26th, we're conducting our maiden voyage college planning workshop in our brand spanking new offices, live!  (Not a webinar).

If you're the parent of a 9th, 10th or 11th grader with dreams of attending a top college, I created this presentation EXACTLY for you!    Here's a closer look at what's on tap:

*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")

*Financial Aid "Loopholes" - how to legally "hide" your money from the financial aid office

*How to avoid Admissions Armageddon and build a balanced,...

Happy Friday to all of you who celebrate the days of the week.

Last night's webinar on the digital SAT was a big hit, judging from the 5 star reviews and comments in the chat log.  Nice!

We had 70+  people sign up but NOT attend, so we decided to run a replay, which you can access here.

I'll keep that recording up all weekend for your viewing pleasure.

Also note on that page that we're running a $100 off, "Early Action Scholarship" for all of our classes, whether in-person or online (coupon code CRUSH2024).

And if you want to chat about college advising or financial aid stuff, you can book a College Strategy Session with me and my team on that page or here.

Have a great weekend.

-Andy

Hot off the presses:

Our head tutor, Marissa U, is fresh off a conference w/ one of the big wigs at the College Board, who shared information (some good, some vague) about the new digital SAT that came out earlier this year. 

Tonight, she will share her newfound insight in a brand new webinar.  

If you're wondering about how the College Board "adjusts" the test based on how a student does in the first section (it's weird), you should tune in. 

Marissa will also share 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:

Register Here...

- Andy Lockwood

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

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.

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 to Ruin a Financial Aid Appeal

*The "Secret" Skills College Kids Need (but don't get)

Tune In!

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

- Andy Lockwood

Let me get right down to business.  We're closing out registration for our Get College Ready Bootcamp tonight, midnight.

COUPON CODES BOOT-10 / BOOT-10EZ for the one-pay and payment plan options.

If your son or daughter is struggling with the answer to the question, "Why should a college accept YOU?", this opportunity is for you.  And her.

Most kids can't answer this question. 

Or they come up with a non-answer that sounds like something they think admissions officers want to hear (but could pertain to every college applicant):

"I have a 94 GPA."  

"I'm in National Honor Society."

It's not their fault.  High school students have zero training on how to capture admissions officers' attention, hearts and minds and PERSUADE them why they should be admitted to the school of their dreams!

That goes double for parents, who are even more in the dark than their kids. 

You can get the full workup on this summer-long event...

Summer is a good time for rising seniors to finalize their college list.  But this is easier said than done.

Most kids are in the dark about how to create a BALANCED list of colleges.  This happens for two reasons:

1. Kids and guidance counselors rely on misleading software like Naviance or SCOIR, neither of which take into account the 20-25 factors admissions officers consider beyond GPA and standardized test scores (and compare you only to others in your high school, when your TRUE competition is across the country, even out of the country)

2. Kids and parents typically aim high, filling their list with Ivy League and near Ivy colleges, without understanding their TRUE chances of acceptance, when compared to actual data based on ALL of the students admitted in the previous year, across 25 academic and non-academic factors.

Related:  there's an assumption that, if your son or daughter manages to get into an Ivy or equivalent, they're all set and the rest of their...

Top of the morning!  

I'll be quicker than a Maryland felony gun charge jury today, because I know you're busy.

I just talked the lovely Pearl Lockwood into offering a Fast  -- Early -- Action bonus for anyone enrolled in our Get College Ready Bootcamp that runs all summer:

FREE preparation of your FAFSA!

(That's the financial aid application required by all colleges.)

This past year's "simplified" FAFSA overhaul and rollout was anything but simplified...

It was one giant pile of horse poop.  So much so that the bureaucrat in charge, Richard Cordray, lost his job over it.

I hope and pray that next year's FAFSA isn't beset by the same or new problems, or "glitches" as the Department of Education called them.  But I wouldn't bet the farm on it.

That's why this Early Action bonus is so valuable - you'll avoid costly mistakes, and save time and stress by having the Financial Aid Warrior herself, Pearl Lockwood, in your corner, walking you through all...

Six or seven years ago, I was having a sit down in the old office with my bootcamp student.  We'll call him Eddie (not his real name).

Eddie (still not his real name), his mom and I were discussing his college list, which was full of competitive colleges, including two or three Ivies.  Eddie was that type of student:  super high academic credentials and very, very strong, atypical extracurricular activities throughout his high school career.

We arrived at the topic of which college he wanted to apply Early Decision to (that's the binding one, although it's not truly binding.  That's a discussion for another day.).  Eddie had decided on Penn, which, according to our software, estimated his chances of acceptance at 50%.  Not bad.

"Hold on," I said.  "What's the latest thinking on what you'll major in?"  Eddie had been waffling between two.

"Computer Science," he said.  

"OK, that might change things a bit," I replied, plugging...