How to Get Into College Today
Tutoring | Appeal Your Financial Aid | Applications Bootcamp
Have you seen how ridiculously hard it is to get into college today?
Harvard reportedly admitted 3.4% of its applicants. Penn: 6%. Cornell: 9%. Northeastern, 6.7%
Yes, Northeastern. I admit that I, despite 20+ years of college advisor experience, have a hard time swallowing that one. Back in the day when I was a high school senior, Northeastern was where kids went who couldn't otherwise get into college.
I know how snobby that sounds, but in 1986 the admit rate was NINETY-FREAKING PERCENT.
Stats and history aside, what does all of this mean if you have an 11th grader (Class of 2024) kiddo?
It means you better be on your game. Not only in terms of your application and essays, but more important, your college list.
Do not fall prey to the impulse to apply only to Rear Window Sticker Colleges, even if they are highly ranked, feature top football...
The Murdaugh Method of College Admissions
I wrote about this before but it's worth repeating: 61% of high school seniors surveyed recently admitted to lying on their college applications.
Lies about race and ethnicity, extracurricular activities, internships, made up stuff on their essays, you name it.
As a non-statistician, I don't know how accurate the study was, but I was comforted a bit by another finding:
30% of the liars were caught. Consequences included having their acceptances rescinded.
Putting aside my misgivings about the numbers in the survey, my main takeaway was this:
Now you know your competition!
It's not just celebrities, actors and ultra rich families who fabricate college applications. Apparently, there's a ton of "normies" who will say or do anything to get an edge over their competition.
Or, more accurately, what they THINK is an edge over their competition.
Getting into college is partially about grades, SATs or ACTs and other academic factors. But it's also about...
What High School Classes Look Good for College Admissions?
College advisor Andy Lockwood gives his thoughts on what classes kids should take to give themselves the best shot at getting into the colleges they're dreaming of.
What 11th graders, 10th graders and younger should do re: extracurricular activities, prepping for the SAT or ACT, college fairs, more!
Resource mentioned for appealing financial aid: https://www.lockwoodcollegeprep.com/appeals
Which extracurriculars "suck," which ones "sell?"
When I interview students for my private 1:1 college advisory program, I ask them which two-three extracurricular activities take up most of their time.
Frequently, the mom interjects (Red Flag Alert!) and launches into a recitation of 5-7 items, which typically include, at the top of the list, National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and sometimes another society.
Do you know how hard it is for a guy like me not to smirk at that? Probably not, so...
Here's a clue: when my daughter Lizzie was inducted into the National Honor Society a few years back, I not-so-silently took a quick headcount of the auditorium.
Then I turned to her, and said "Congratulations for making it into the top 70% of your high school!"
Now THAT's good parenting.
But she got the point and agreed: honor societies are participation trophies, designed to make everyone feel "included", and I guess, motivated. Although I don't understand how motivated or...
How to Appeal or Negotiate Financial Aid
Look over the shoulder of college advisor Andy Lockwood as he gives his monthly State of the Union workshop for his clients, so that they hever have to wonder, "What should I be doing now?" This month's topics include:
How to appeal or negotiate a financial aid and merit aid award
What a Letter of Continued Interest should tell an admissions officer if you were deferred
What 11th graders, 10th graders and younger should do re: extracurricular activities, prepping for the SAT or ACT, college fairs, more!
Resource mentioned for appealing financial aid: https://www.
Deferred?
More college admissions tips and info at LockwoodCollegePrep.com | [email protected] | 516-882-5464
***Our 2023 College Predictions: www.LockwoodCollegePrep.com/
College Financial Federal Student Aid FAQ Live Session (2022)
In this Episode:
College Financial Federal Student Aid. The day before the FAFSA's release, college advisors Pearl and Andy Lockwood field an hour's worth of questions about the FAFSA, CSS Profile, financial aid, merit aid, and more in this live, unscripted video.
ABOUT LOCKWOOD COLLEGE PLANNING
==================================
Award-winning college consultants Andy and Pearl Lockwood are leading experts at getting students into their dream school, college or university, at discount tuition prices. That includes financial aid, college applications & admissions, scholarships, merit scholarships, merit aid, FAFSA, Ivy League, the business of college, and well, you get the idea. Andy coaches college-bound teens in choosing majors & careers, planning into a college list, then strategizing how to maximize chances of admission. He also helps families eligible for financial aid or scholarships, and negotiates with colleges for more money. He's the author of...
Child Savings Account Penalized on FAFSA?
In this episode:
How our child savings accounts penalized on the FAFSA for Covid Widows and Survivors? College advisor Andy Lockwood recently gave a seminar for widows and survivors of spouses who passed away from Covid. This video summarizes some of the questions he received on how to treat life insurance proceeds sent to the child, how FAFSA treats them and strategies to legally "shelter" those proceeds from the FAFSA and CSS Profile
ABOUT LOCKWOOD COLLEGE PLANNING
==================================
Award-winning college consultants Andy and Pearl Lockwood are leading experts at getting students into their dream school, college or university, at discount tuition prices. That includes financial aid, college applications & admissions, scholarships, merit scholarships, merit aid, FAFSA, Ivy League, the business of college, and well, you get the idea. Andy coaches college-bound teens in choosing majors & careers, planning into a college list, then strategizing how...
The Inconvenient, Surprising Truth About the 529
FREE Guide at https://www.LockwoodCollegePrep.com/h... -
main keywords here
In This Video:
College advisor Andy Lockwood answers the question, "Is the 529 college savings account good or bad for financial aid?"
USEFUL RESOURCES:
https://www.LockwoodCollegePrep.com/
https://www.LockwoodCollegePrep.com/blog
https://www.youtube.com/c/AndyLockwood/
Want even more college admission tips? Subscribe to This Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/AndyLockwoo...
Get the best-selling book on financial aid for college planning:
https://amzn.to/3xSGc7V
ABOUT LOCKWOOD COLLEGE PLANNING
==================================
Award-winning college consultants Andy and Pearl Lockwood are leading experts at getting students into their dream school, college or university, at discount tuition prices. That includes financial aid, college applications & admissions, scholarships, merit scholarships, merit aid, FAFSA, Ivy League, the business of college, and well, you get the idea.
Andy coaches college-bound...
What to Do When The Financial Aid Office Gets it WRONG!
Originally an episode of College Coffee Talk (Mondays 9am EST, facebook.com/lockwoodcollegeprep), college consultants Pearl and Andy Lockwood discuss:
-What's happening with financial aid for Class of 2022 seniors
-When a financial aid office gets things wrong
-How to appeal/negotiate a financial aid and merit award
-Horrible screw up by a guidance counselor
-Strong advice for rising seniors (Class of 2023)
USEFUL RESOURCES:
https://www.LockwoodCollegePrep.com/
https://www.LockwoodCollegePrep.com/blog
https://www.youtube.com/c/AndyLockwood/
Want even more college admission tips? Subscribe to This Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/AndyLockwoo...
Get the best-selling book on financial aid for college planning:
https://amzn.to/3xSGc7V
ABOUT LOCKWOOD COLLEGE PLANNING
==================================
Award-winning college consultants Andy and Pearl Lockwood are leading experts at getting students into their dream school, college or university, at discount tuition prices. That...
