Hi, we're about to hit the air with our brand new workshop, The College Application Edge System!  Good news, you can still come on down to discover how to:

• Recognize the school that will position your child for the 40 year success goal, not merely the four
• Interrupt the application, college essay, and extracurricular activities to stand out to the admissions committee with more than the same old, same old typical activities that everyone else does
• Secure tens of thousands scholarships even if you think you can't possibly qualify for financial aid
• Enjoy seeing your child flourish not just in college...but the rest of their lives!

Here's where to join the fun:

Application Edge Workshop

See ya!

- Andy Lockwood

Look, I'm not going to try to convince you that getting into an Ivy League college is the ticket to fame and fortune.

But we work with plenty of kids who felt like getting into an Ivy or other elite college was a major game-changer for them.

But here's the thing...

Your idea of what it takes to get accepted to a top college does not resemble the real world truth of what admissions officers actually value. 

There's a lot going on behind the closed doors of the admissions committee, in secret.

Sure, a high GPA, perfect or near-perfect SAT or ACT scores and a ton of AP classes are important.  

But all in, those factors add up to only 60% of the equation, according to my ultimate insider business partner and friend, a former 30-year admissions committee member of Princeton University.

What's in the other 40% of the pie?

The short answer:  stuff that's in your control, and stuff that's OUT of your control.  

An example of the former:  impactful...

Most parents -- and kids for that matter -- make one grave, mistaken assumption about how the college admissions process works:

They think it's supposed to be "fair."

It's not.

Colleges are businesses. They have their own various and sundry agendas.  Those agendas frequently, but don't always, overlap yours and your child's.

Take, for example, last year's Supreme Court cases about the use of affirmative action in college admissions at UNC Chapel Hill and Harvard.  A chunk of Harvard's internal admissions officers' guide was entered into evidence, listing the criteria that Harvard deemed worthy of a special "tag" (boost) in the admissions process:

Underrepresented minorities, of course.  But also recruited athletes and children of alumni.

To those favored categories, I'd add international students, children of professors and staff and applicants from "feeder" high schools.

In other words, if you're not in one of these categories, it's harder to get in. That was the...

I was talking to a 10th grade student last week, when he asked me this doozy of a question:

"Are my extracurriculars good enough to get into an Ivy?"

My answer:

"Nope."  (A mere glimpse into the caring, sensitive college consulting style that made me famous.)

But there's good news, I told him.  "You're only in 10th grade.  You have the luxury of time to develop "killer" extracurricular activities that will separate you from tens of thousands of competitor-applicants."

Then we got to work, planning out the remainder of his year and the balance of his high school career.

I can't go into detail of what I specifically recommended for HIM, but I can offer you something better:

A ticket to my brand spanking new, online workshop this Tuesday evening, The College Application Edge System.  It's free, there's nothing to buy, and you will discover how to:

• Recognize the school that will position your child for the 40 year success goal, not merely the four
• Interrupt...

Good morning!

We're moments away from 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:

Surprising FAFSA Updates

Tune In!

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

- Andy Lockwood

Hi, I'll be quicker than a politician's backpedal, 'cause we're about to go live with our webinar,"The College Admissions Edge:  How to get an almost unfair advantage over tens of thousands of competitor-applicants...and win a TON of fat, juicy scholarships -- even if you think you'll never qualify for anything."

It's not too late for you to join us, here's where to go:

Get The Admissions Edge!

- Andy "Almost Ready for Prime Time" Lockwood

P.S.  Here's the tip of the iceberg of what's about to be covered on the webinar:

How to Construct a Strategic, Balanced College List

BREAKING non presidential cabinet-related news:

We managed to record last night's 5 Star webinar,  "The College Admissions Edge:  How to get an almost unfair advantage over tens of thousands of competitor-applicants...and win a TON of fat, juicy scholarships -- even if you think you'll never qualify for anything."

We'll keep the recording up all weekend, so that you can watch or rewatch, as the case may be.  Here's where to go:

College Admissions Edge Webinar

Enjoy!

- Andy "One More Time" Lockwood

P.S.  If you have a youngster in grades 8-11, gunning for an Ivy League or highly selective college, I highly recommend you carve out time to watch this presentation.  

C'mon, football can wait (esp. if you're a Jets or Giants victim, um, fan) and how much more political stuff can you stomach, anyway?

P.P.S.  Here are a few highlights of what I covered last night, see which ones you find tempting:

College Admissions Workshop | Financial Aid Consulting

A few recent questions from our clients:  which ones do you have?

*Is my kid doing enough volunteer hours?

*How important is "leadership?" - he doesn't have any.

*What extracurricular activities should she do?  She doesn't stand out.

*He wants to drop AP Spanish.  Is that OK or will it hurt his chances of getting accepted to a good college?

You might not be getting answers to these and similar questions from your guidance counselor, even if you're at a private high school.  But fear not, mon ami, I've got you covered!

Tonight, you're invited to attend a new, informative workshop for parents of 9-11th graders, especially if your kiddo is gunning to get into an Ivy or other super-competitive college.

It's called "The College Admissions Edge:  How to get an almost unfair advantage over tens of thousands of competitor-applicants...and win a TON of fat, juicy scholarships -- even...

What are admissions committees at Ivy League and other selective colleges looking for from applicants?

The answer may not be as random as you think.

Tomorrow night, you're invited to attend a new, informative workshop for parents of college-bound teens who are looking, hoping and dreaming of getting into an Ivy or other competitive college. 

It's called "The College Admissions Edge:  How to get an almost unfair advantage over tens of thousands of competitor-applicants...and win a TON of fat, juicy scholarships -- even if you think you'll never qualify for anything."

Here's a short list of what's on tap tomorrow night:  

How to Construct a Strategic, Balanced College List

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.