In a few hours, our head tutor Marissa is conducting a live test prep strategies presentation, 5 Score-Killing SAT and ACT Prep Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. 

The next ACT registration deadline is in four days (for the exam on 11/22), and the one for the SAT is later this month (see below).

Our next (guaranteed) ACT prep course starts tomorrow. Marissa will be offering a special discount coupon code on tonight's free workshop!  

Here's where to sign up for tonight's class

Drop whatever you're doing if you have a young-un taking the SAT or ACT in the near future.  Don't miss this class, who cares about the polling data, anyway! 

I'm Andy Lockwood and i approve of this message, mostly.

Tutoring | Financial Aid Apps Prep

I want to tell you about our guaranteed SAT and ACT prep courses, but first, I'd like to address a commonly asked question:

Should My Kid Bother to Take the SAT or ACT?

Let me lay it out for you, because I seriously doubt you'll get this information from your guidance counselor or any other "expert."

60% of a college application is based on academic credentials:

*GPA

*Rigor of course load

*Standardized testing

(I'll cover the 40% some other time.)

If you take away one of the Big Three academic components, then the other two take on more weight.  Simple logic.

So my first point is that there's a difference between applying test-optional and GETTING ACCEPTED test-optional.  If your scores are too low to submit, AND your GPA and rigor is also lacking, you're not competitive and merely wasting your application fee.

What about the "High GPA, Bad Test Taker Phenomenon?"

Not that unusual, thanks in large part to rampant grade...

Tutoring | Financial Aid Consulting

Average ACT and SAT scores dropped in 2024 compared to 2023.  What does this mean for 11th grade and younger kids who are headed to college?

1.4 million kids took the ACT in 2024, the average score:  19.4, down from 19.5 in 2023.  Big whoop.

1.97 million kids took the SAT or PSAT in 2024, the average score:  1024, down from 1028 the previous year.  Big whoop number two.

The party line among test professionals is not that our kids are dumber, but that more kids are taking the tests.

My hunch is the opposite, lower scores are part of the overall decline in education, achievement and accountability that keeps me up at night.  A topic for another day, or never (publicly).

Let's turn to some specific advice for college-bound 11th graders and younger.

Prep hard and take the tests, either the SAT or ACT.  Start before you're "ready," so you don't run out of time.

Take a diagnostic exam first, to determine...

The SAT and ACT have each changed formats recently, leaving many parents and kids wondering, "Which Test is Best...for me?"

We'll help you answer that question, tonight, in a free online class.

Topics to be covered:

• The new ACT Changes and how they affect your child
• Which test - SAT or ACT -- is best for strong math students?
• Which one is best for weaker math students?
• Which test is best for slow test takers?
• The "High GPA, Bad Test-Taker" phenomenon
• How to combat test anxiety

More, including your questions!

The whole kit and kaboodle will run 60 minutes or less.  If you're around tonight, it will definitely be worth your while to attend, so you can discover the key differences between the SAT and ACT...

...so that your kiddo can CRUSH the test, get into the college of their dreams and win tons of fat, juicy scholarships along the way!

Learn more...

See you in class!

- Andy Lockwood

P.S. Results not guaranteed. Batteries not included.  Some assembly required....

I messed up last night.

Based on the 5 star reviews and the comments and questions in the chat , it looked like last night's "Late Stage" College Planning webinar went over well.

However, at the end, I learned that I did something pretty stupid.  

When I mentioned that if anyone wanted a free College Strategy Session, all they had to do was click the green button, a couple of people replied:

"Where's the green button"

I didn't post it, somehow.  Impressive!

To make things right in the world again, I'm publishing a recording of the webinar momentarily, and will keep it up all weekend.  If you want to chat about our college advising services, there will be a button under the video recording.  (I mean it this time. :)

Here's where to go: 

Watch Replay

- Andy "Not That Tech Savvy"  Lockwood

P.S.  The topics on the webinar were...

*The Inconvenient, Politically Incorrect Truth About What It Takes to Get Into an Ivy or...

Hi there,

If you have questions about the brand spanking new SAT, and/or the brand newer/spanking-er ACT that JUST came out three weeks ago. tune in for tonight's impromptu, live SAT- ACT Preview class.  

It starts at 8pm EST.

Here's the classroom link, no registration necessary.  Just show up at 8pm (bookmark the link so you don't forget):

FREE Preview Class

- Andy"At the Test Prep Movies" Lockwood

P.S.  Please share this with anyone you think could use this info.

P.P.S. One more no-risk, freebie for you:  a "Test Drive", Try Before You Buy actual free SAT or ACT Class.

(This is an actual class, totally different than tonight's walkthrough of both tests.)

College Coffee Talk | Free SAT & ACT Class

Good morning!

Two announcements:

1. 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, it's a real doozy, bound to make some parents a little miffed:

How can parents support their children in the application process without overstepping?

In other words...

How not to be a helicopter parent even if you think nothing will get done if you don't micromanage your child until they're 35 years old.

2. Today's the last day for our Free SAT and ACT class promo, a/k/a Try Before You Buy.  Here's where to sign up.

Marissa will be doing a live Q&A tonight at 8pm EST. I'll send out the link for that session this afternoon.

Here's where to join us live on College Coffee Talk, in a few minutes, 10am sharp! 

Tune In!

- Andy "Caffeine Addict" Lockwood

Free SAT and ACT Class | Last Minute College Advising

 You may have heard, more and more colleges are abandoning their test-optional policies.   And for the colleges that still let you conceal your SAT and ACT scores, there's more to the story.

Plain and simple...

There's a difference between APPLYING test optional versus being ACCEPTED test optional

The three most important academic components of a college application are 1. GPA, 2. rigor of course load and 3. standardized test scores.  These three factors comprise approximately 60% of the entire college application.

Simple logic:  if you remove one of these three academic components -- test scores -- the other two factors take  on greater weight.  So do the non-academic ones (40% of the application).

Mass marketing by colleges has created a tsunami of applications, year after year.  But are those applicants from QUALIFIED students?

Or is a huge chunk of them from kids who think,...

The College Essay Lab | ACT Update

Here's a big hangup I hear from our college advisory students, year after year: 

"I can't come up with anything original."

To that I say, "Balderdash!"

Because that's not THE THING.  Not your job.   

A college essay writer's task is not to be "original." 

Think about it, the average admissions officer reviews 1,000 applications each year.  Some applications have two-five supplemental essays, each.

If the admissions officer has three years' career experience, that amounts to at least 3,000 essays, perhaps triple or quadruple that amount when supplemental essays are part of the equation.

Your chances of surprising your admissions officer?

Approximately the same as Joe Biden pulling a Tom Brady, "un-retiring" and winning the presidency.

That is to say, zero.

Ah, so what IS your task?

To write something fresh.  Unusual.  Something INTERESTING.

How do you do this? 

Generally speaking, an interesting...

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.