Webinar | Tutoring 

This Thursday night, we're holding a brand spanking new webinar to cover "Late Stage College Planning" for families of Class of 2025 kids,who are getting closer and closer to Go Time for applications, essays, financial aid and scholarships...

...but are feeling anxious, overwhelmed and maybe even a smidge guilty that they're not even close to having a coherent, strategic College Game Plan.

If this sounds like you, you'll want to join the fun.  (If you have a 10th grader or younger child, not a terrible idea to attend either.)

Topics on tap:

• The inconvenient truth about what admissions officers at competitive and elite colleges  REALLY want to see beyond GPA and SAT/ACT scores (hint:  it’s not on Naviance, nor is it membership in National Honor Society, 25 clubs or a five day service trip/teen tour to a Third World country)
• The closely-guarded truth about test-optional policies and how to decide To Submit or Not to...

Good morning!

We're hitting the airwaves this morning -- 10:00am EST/7:00am PST--  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:

Case Studies

Parent Mistakes

Plus live Q&A and free college coaching!  Here's where to join us:

TUNE IN

Grab a cup of joe and we'll see you at 10am EST (recorded on that page for eternity if you can't make it live)!

- Andy Lockwood

ecause college admissions and financial aid has gotten crazier than ever, Pearl and I have dusted off our old show, College Coffee Talk!

It airs every Monday morning, 10:00-10:30am EST, live on our Facebook page, and covers the latest college admissions and financial aid news.  This week, the topics are:

1. Case studies
2. Parents mistakes to avoid

And, every show includes:

• Real-time, from the trenches college application and financial aid strategies and developments
• Free coaching
• Live Q&A

Come on by, Monday at 10am EST, to get the latest college news you can use, ask us your "burning" question, whatever. Bring your own coffee or other beverage.

Hope you can make it!

Facebook.com.lockwoodcollegeprep

(Recorded on that page if you can't make it live)

-Andy "Java Jive" Lockwood

P.S. I believe that, if you "like" that page you'll be notified by Zuck or one of the Facebook peeps when we go live.  So do that if you like it when your phone goes...

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:

TUNE IN

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

- Andy Lockwood

Because college admissions and financial aid has gotten crazier than ever, Pearl and I have dusted off our old show, College Coffee Talk!

It airs Monday mornings at 10:00-10:30am EST, live on our Facebook page, and covers the latest college admissions and financial aid news, plus:

• Real-time, from the trenches college application and financial aid strategies and developments
• Free coaching
• Live Q&A
• More

Come on by tomorrow at 10am EST, to get the latest college news you can use, ask us your "burning" question, whatever. Bring your own coffee or other beverage.

Hope you can make it!

Facebook.com.lockwoodcollegeprep

(Recorded on that page if you can't make it live)

-Andy "French Roast" Lockwood

In a development that surprised nobody I know, the Department of Edu-macation announced further delays with the new, improved FAFSA rollout.  The latest and greatest is that colleges can't get FAFSA data until March, no matter when you applied.

Net-net, I think everything will work out in terms of everyone getting the same types of financial aid awards as they would have in years past.  At least for 80-90% of filers.

But one overlooked consequence of this pushed back timeline has to be the deadline to submit your housing deposit, May 1, traditionally.  In past years, that time frame was already a toughie because most financial aid awards came in March-April, followed by a mad dash in April to visit colleges, negotiate financial aid and scholarship awards and related various and sundry activities.

Now, my best guess is that this can't happen, because financial aid awards will be delayed.  I believe the only thing colleges can do is push back the housing deposit...

Heads up:

When the countdown timer hits zero, the special 200-off promo to get my help appealing your financial aid or merit aid award bites the proverbial dust.

Look, colleges are businesses, they need your cashola. 

Even though they may claim that they're "on your side" (harumph), I don't know too many successful businesses that offer, "Hey, here's how you can pay me less!"

That's just not the way it is, Cronkite.

I'll be blunt:  the best defense is a good offense.

And I'm pretty offensive!  Wait, that's not what I mean.  I mean that I'm pretty, pretty good at negotiating with colleges.

I wrote a best seller on this topic, How to Negotiate Your Crappy Financial Aid and Merit Aid Offer (reviews were glowing, no word on whether Affleck is serious about optioning the movie rights).

Recently, my client Sandra Vallario wrote to tell us that Fordham gave her family an extra $5,500 above and beyond their initial offer, which wasn't bad...

If your kiddo just got into the college of their dreams but you finally took a look at the REAL cost of attendance --  and you're sweatier than a passenger in a window seat of a Boeing 737...

...If you're stressed and anxious about how on God's green earth you'll come up with the scratch to pay for college, THIS should cheer you up a wee bit: 

Your "final" offer may not actually be final!

Colleges have a little-known process -- little known because they don't want you to know about it -- to negotiate or appeal your financial aid or merit scholarship award.  And the more expensive the college, the more likely they are to bargain!

Why?  Simple.  They're businesses, and need to put paying customers in their empty seats.

Now that we're in the midst of yet another RECORD year of application volume, that injects more uncertainty and pressure into the process...for the COLLEGES.

They have to hit enrollment targets, which ain't easy.  This time of year, behind...

Lads and lasses

It's that time of year when colleges finish up sending out their admissions decisions...

...followed by offers of financial aid and merit scholarships.  Is yours a little bit on the "light" side?"

This may shock you, so I hope you're not operating any heavy machinery...did you know that sometimes -- SOMETIMES -- the financial aid and admissions offices don't give their "highest and best" offers?

Yes, it's true.   Colleges aren't always as generous as they might lead you to believe, readin' all that malarkey on their websites about making college "affordable for all" blah blah and BLAH.

Let me ask you another question, Snooki Lumps..  Did you know that you can actually APPEAL (negotiate) your offer? 

Yes, it's not a case of "You get what you get and you don't get upset."  You should always try to get more than their initial low-ball offer, because there's zero downside to asking!  They can't rescind their offer of...

Hi, we're about to go live but it's not too late to join us for our annual College Predictions Webinar!

*** Join College Predictions Webinar *** 

Tune in if you've got an 11th grader, 10th grader or younger, and want to know how hard it will be to get in, how much it will cost, how AI will impact admissions, financial aid and other related subjects...

...but only if you can handle the sooth!

-Soothsayin' Andy Lockwood

Webinar Registration

P.S.  Will it be harder or easier to get into college next year?

With the rise of ChatGPT and AI, will colleges scrap the essay altogether?

Will more colleges go "test-optional?"

What effect will the "seismic" changes to the FAFSA have on your ability to get financial aid?

How has the Supreme Court's decision to declare affirmative action in college admissions policies unconstitutional affected college acceptances?

These are some of the topics we're going to cover...NOW!