The ACT: Less White (and Other Changes)
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:
*Blockbuster Changes to the ACT...and how they affect your child
*Notes From Yesterday's College Essay Bootcamp
*Student Loan Repayment Program Tomfoolery
Grab a cup of joe and we'll see you at 10am EST (recorded if you can't make it)
- Andy Lockwood
Your Essay Doesn't Have to Be "This"
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...
Bombshell ACT Changes Announced
ACT Ch-Ch-Ch--Ch-Changes Webinar
The folks at the ACT just announced some pretty big ch-ch-changes!
I've been wondering why. But in lieu of sharing my (cynical) thoughts, let me tell you about tonight's webinar. (I'll probably blurt out my half-baked theories at some inopportune time, tonight):
I'm hauling in our expert, Lockwood Test Prep Head Tutor, Marissa U, to 'splain answers to questions such as:
What are the changes?
When will they go into effect?
Are they good for fast test takers?
Slow test takers?
Kids weak in science?
Kids who aren't strong writers?
And, overall...
What do they mean for your kiddo?
Tune in tonight, Wednesday July 17 -- Marissa will answer these questions and more, including your questions -- we'll be live in chat.
Here's where to sign up for ths one-time, breaking news event:
- Andy "Never a Dull College Planning Moment" Lockwood
P.S. Please share this invitation with anyone who could use this...
Heard About The New ACT Changes?
Hot off the presses:
The ACT is changing!
What are the changes?
When will they go into effect?
What do they mean for your kiddo?
Tune in tomorrow night, Wednesday July 17 -- our head tutor Marissa U will answer these questions and more, including your questions -- we'll be live in chat.
Here's where to sign up for tomorrow's event:
- Andy "Scoop" Lockwood
P.S. You are hereby requested to forward this valuable invitation to any and all of your pals who could use this information!
The Test Optional Lie
Although the numbers are slowly dwindling, approximately 75% of colleges allow applicants to apply without sharing their SAT or ACT.
Who benefits from this policy? The answer may surprise you.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: 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 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, "Princeton doesn't need test scores, so I'll throw in an...
Free SAT or ACT Class
We haven't done something like this in over a year, but I figured it was high time to dust if off and roll it out again. :)
Announcing: a free, no-obligation "test drive" of ANY of our upcoming SAT or ACT prep classes, either in-person or online. Here's how it works:
1. Check out our schedule in July and August.
2. Pick the class you want to sample, for free.
3. After the class, Marissa will offer our absolute best deal we can give and still keep the lights on and landlord happy. This is a one-time, "exploding" offer that expires 24 hours after class.
4. There is no obligation or pressure to buy anything, just the forthcoming incentive to enroll with us.
Why are we doing this?
We just moved into brand spanking new offices in June, and are excited to fill the space with eager young, fresh students who want to CRUSH the SAT or ACT!
(And our online classes. :)
Here's where to get all the details, and sign up. This no-rise, free test-drive...
Should You Take the SAT or ACT?
The new SAT caused a wee bit of a kerfuffle when it came out this year, but things seem to be in the process of stabilizing. However, there are still issues re: "adaptive testing," the availability of legitimate SAT practice questions from the College Board (there aren't so many...yet) and more.
The college application process is stressful and confusing enough, especially this past year with the Department of Education's financial aid fiasco, plus plummeting admissions rates, not to mention all the Israel-Palestine controversies raging on campuses coast to coast.
So yeah, you sure picked a great time to send your child to college! Jeez.
Permit me, if you will, Ito help you eliminate one source of stress: figuring out which test -- the SAT or ACT -- is best...for your son or daughter.
Tonight, our head tutor Marissa U will host a sneak preview class, online, that walks you through each section of each test, offering strategies and...
SAT v ACT - Which Is Best?
It seems like more colleges abandon their test-optional policies every week. Harvard and CalTech. Brown and Georgia Tech. I believe we're still in the beginning stages of a standardized testing comeback.
Why? Mostly because rampant grade inflation makes it super hard for admissions officers to gauge the college readiness of applicants. When everyone has a 94 average, how to you separate the wheat from the chaff?
A full discussion of that topic would take too long, but it appears that that the (new, digital) SAT and ACT are back to help resolve that issue.
The SAT changed formats earlier this year, switching from paper to digital. Reviews were mixed, to put it mildly, making it more confusing for students wondering which one to prep for, and take, in order to boost their chances of getting accepted to the colleges they want to attend...
...and clean up with fat, juicy scholarships :)
[Tonight] New Digital SAT
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:
- 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.
"Secrets" of the New Digital SAT
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:
- 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.
