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:

College Essay Mistakes; and

The College List and Magical Thinking

Tune In!

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

- Andy Lockwood

Can your English teacher help you write a winning college essay?

On one hand, If your high school English teacher (or guidance counselor, for that matter) is a former college admissions officer, then he is absolutely qualified to help brainstorm, strategize and edit your son or daughter’s essay.

Otherwise, he's just guessing.

College essay writing is different than the expository or other type of (boring) papers students write in high school.

Which is why your typical, garden variety English teacher has NO CLUE what a winning college personal statement or supplemental essay should look like, because she's never been inside an admissions office, deliberating the pros and cons of thousands of applicants.

In my 20+ years of college advising experience, I’ve employed several former college admissions officers from the University of Chicago, known for its quirky supplemental college essay topics (“Define X”) and other competitive colleges.  Plus I’ve...

Tonight, if you asked your child  to answer the question, "Why should a college accept YOU?", how would they respond?

Most kids have no clue. 

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."

I'm an extremely "hard worker." 

And "passionate," of course.

Yeah.    

“Get me the hard working, passionate kid with the 94 average!” said no admissions officer, ever.

A average?  The A is officially now the most popular grade in high school.  Grade inflation is RAMPANT from coast to coast.  There are no C students anymore.

Honor Society?  Welcome to the top 70% of your class.  Can you say "Academic Participation Trophy?"

While I’m on this mini-rant, here’s my new pet theory:

EVERYONE applying to college is...

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:

Pearl describes yet even more, frustrating FAFSA glitches (unreported);  and

Child behavior we'd like to change (PSA)

Tune In!

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

- Andy Lockwood

P.S.  Class of 2025 Rising Seniors:  We have 5 spots left for our 10th annual Get College Ready Summer Bootcamp.  

If you don't want to be the one screaming at and threatening your child all summer to get their essays and applications done, the bootcamp is exactly what the doctor ordered.  Here's the page that describes it all.

GET 10% OFF

Coupon code BOOT-10 or BOOT-10EZ for the one-pay and payment plan options before we sell out.

LockwoodCollegepPep.com/bootcamp

Good morning!

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

Here's what's on tap for today:  

"Hidden" College Costs and How to Defend Yourself

This episode is worth thousands of dollars, even though it's free!  Here's where to join us...

Tune In!

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

Feel free to pass this invitation along as you see fit.

- Andy Lockwood

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...

Hidey-ho

I'll be quick as greased lightening because we don't have much time...

I'm running a brand new webinar tomorrow night for rising seniors, i.e. Class of 2025 families who have been putting off their college planning for months, perhaps years...

...and who feel like THEY are running out of time, have no clue about how to make a college list, write an essay, get scholarships or grants, whether to submit the SAT or ACT, whether to TAKE the SAT or ACT, pant, pant, pant...

If you're feeling under the gun, especially given the latest College Chaos to grip the land, then this webby is for YOU!

Sign up today, and I'll have you feeling better tomorrow night!  At least a little bit better.  Here's where to find all the deets:

Learn more...

- Andy "Calm Amidst Chaos" Lockwood

P.S.  Share this with anyone you know who is freaking out about college applications, essays, getting into college, etc. etc. etc.

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

For 2025 students: 

Our 10th annual summer Get College Ready Bootcamp is open for Early Action Registration.  I've been sending more emails about this than anyone wants to read. 

But the thing is, in college applications, you're either quick or you're dead. 

I don't really know what that means either, but tomorrow, I am ruthlessly and mercilessly jacking up the price of the Bootcamp. 

If you have rising high school senior, and you want to avoid the sh-t show that class of 2024 kids experienced this year with college acceptances (and denials and wait lists), I think you should hustle on over to the enrollment page while you can still save a few bucks, and whilst we still have room.

Here's where to learn more:

Bootcamp Details

You can attend the bootcamp live -- in our new office (yay)  -- or virtually.  

- Andy Lockwood

P.S.  Here's what you get, short and sweet:

*Help crafting killer essays that "sell," not bore (unlimited...

There's an "Invisible Question"  on the Common Application.   At least that's what I call it.

It's not written anywhere.  You can search high and low, but you'll never find it.

But if you FAIL to answer it, you might as well kiss dreams of acceptance to your Dream College goodbye.

Although it's not spelled out in black and white on the Common Application, this question is in the hearts and minds of every admissions officer pouring over your and the other 999 applications they're tasked to review.

See, when you submit your application - which contains your transcripts, SAT or ACT scores, letters of recommendation, list of extracurricular activities, etc. -- the plain fact is that you will look substantially THE SAME as 20,000, 50,000, 90,000 or more competitor-applicants vying for the same spot you're trying to win for yourself.

That's why you must do some hard THINKING about how you'll answer the Invisible Question...

Why should we take YOU, instead of tens of...