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Join Us Monday Morning 10am (live)

Uncategorized Feb 03, 2024

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

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FAFSA and Housing Deposit High Jinks

Uncategorized Feb 01, 2024

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...

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EXPIRES tonight (Financial Aid Appeals)

Uncategorized Jan 30, 2024

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...

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Financial Aid Appeals Early Bird Discount

Uncategorized Jan 29, 2024

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...

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How to Negotiate a Financial Aid Award

Uncategorized Jan 27, 2024

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...

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Your College Future - Now!

Uncategorized Jan 24, 2024

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!

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Which Colleges Will Be "Hot;" Which Not?

Uncategorized Jan 23, 2024

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?

Pearl and I have thoughts about these questions, and we're not afraid to share them...

Tonight (Wednesday January 24), we are going to peer into the future and boldly issue our annual predictions!

 If you have Class of 2025 or younger kiddos and are wondering what things will be like for them re:  college admissions and financial aid, I recommend that you drop whatever else you have planned and join our little event tonight!

Here are the details:

Webinar Registration

 

Please pass this invitation along to anyone with high school juniors, sophomores or younger...

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Announcing: College Predictions Webinar

Uncategorized Jan 23, 2024

2024 is shaping up to be an extremely different, interesting year for college-bound teens, so tomorrow, Wednesday January 24, we are going to peer into the future and boldly issue our annual predictions!

Which Colleges Will Be "Hot"
Schools that are seeing an uptick in college applications

 

Which Colleges Will Be "Not"
Colleges that have fallen out of favor

 

Financial Aid 

How to cope with the "seismic" changes to the FAFSA rules

 

Test-Optional
Is test-optional here to stay?  It it helpful or hurtful to not submit your SAT or ACT score?

 

ChatGBT and AI
How has this technology impacted applications, essays or other aspects of college admissions?

 

The Supreme Court and College Admissions
What the Harvard and UNC Chapel Hill decisions could mean for your kids' ability to get admitted to a competitive college

 

More!
Including your questions! We'll be live on chat.

It all happens tomorrow night. If you have Class of 2025 or younger kiddos...

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Replay: SAT v ACT Preview Class

Uncategorized Jan 22, 2024

Hi there,

We recorded last night's SAT versus ACT preview class and posted it here.  Could be an Oscar winner (in the standardized test picture category)!

Watch this if you're unsure which standardized test is the best one for your kiddo...

...so that you don't waste time (and money) bopping back and forth from one to the other, which so many students do!  It's stressful and a huge squandering of your precious time and cashola.

Last Call for Tomorrow's (Tuesday's) SAT Prep Class

If you're looking to prep for the March SAT, we kick off our small group tutoring class tomorrow, January 23.  And we're still offering 100 bucks off for some reason, even though we're practically full.  Here's where to sign up - use the coupon code CRUSH2024 (works for any of the course on that page).

The class is guaranteed, btw.  All details written on that page.

Have a great week,

Andy "At the Movies" Lockwood 

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SAT v ACT: Which Test is Best?

Uncategorized Jan 21, 2024

Happy Sunday morn...

Tonight we're running a short but content-packed walkthrough of the SAT and ACT, to help you figure out which test is best for your son or daughter.  It's free and will run for about 50 minutes, give or take.  I smell "Emmy!"

Look, I'll be blunt:  with high school grade inflation even more rampant than actual inflation, it's harder than ever for admissions officers to figure out whether a kid is qualified to actually do the work at their respective colleges.

That's why there's been the makings of a quiet revolution AGAINST test-optional policies happening under our noses (recently, the president of Brown University praised the helpfulness of standardized testing).  Same with Georgetown University, MIT, the public universities in the state of Florida and many other colleges.

We recommend that every kid figure out which test to focus on -- SAT or ACT (colleges are agnostic, they'll accept either) and work their tushes off to CRUSH their...

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