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 

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...

 12 Deadly Mistakes Webinar

Hey now,

Quickie reminder about tonight's webinar, which will help you avoid screwing up your kid's college admissions chances...

...and your eligibility for the financial aid and scholarships you deserve, so that you can comfortably afford college without scrimping on your lifestyle, mortgaging your home or retirement up to the eyeballs...

...or selling a vital organ on the Dark Web!

It's called A Dirty Dozen Deadly College Planning Mistakes...and how to avoid them.  It's free.  And tonight, live! 

Topics include:

• College application mistakes
• College essay mistakes
• Financial aid mistakes
• Scholarships mistakes
• College list mistakes
• Guidance counselor mistakes
• "Big Picture" mistakes
• More

I'm trying to keep the whole class to about an hour.  We'll see, there's a lot I'm trying to dump out of my brain. Nothing will be held back, but I'll be moving fast and trying to cram in about 22 years of college advising experience into 60...

It's ironic that one of the biggest, most important questions admissions officers at competitive colleges have,  is one that is actually NOT on the Common Application.

The Common App asks a bunch of questions such as name, address, to list your extracurricular activities (10 of them) and a personal statement (what we in the biz call a "Personal Statement.") 

(Hah.  The main essay, ok?  Plus other, supplemental essays.)

When you're applying to college, you're also providing transcripts, teacher recommendations, a recommendation from your guidance counselor (hah, also), and a few other items.

But the REAL question, though actually nowhere on the Common App, lies in the hearts and minds of admissions officers. That question:

Why Should We Take YOU Instead of Your 50,000 Other Competitor-Applicants? 

The question is invisible, but the most important question you must answer.

But here's the thing...

You cannot begin thinking about this question when you sit down...

Getting into a great college at a great price has a lot to do with what you do, years ahead of the actual college applications.

But it's also largely about what you DON'T DO.  As in, staying away from self-inflicted, self-sabotaging mistakes along the way.

There are two types of mistakes that families make: 1. mistakes of commission and 2. mistakes of omission.

The first category is more active.  You do the wrong thing.  Example, you focus on the standardized test that is wrong for you, such as the ACT instead of the SAT.  Or, you start prepping for the SAT too late, which puts pressure on you because of the delay, and you can't get your best scores.  

The second category, omission, is when your error is based on something you didn't do.  Example:  failing to strategically shelter your savings to avoid getting unnecessarily penalized in the financial aid formulas, thereby losing out on grants or scholarships that you could have...

Turns out I may have gotten it wrong last week when I said test scores (SAT and ACT) weren't as good of a predictor of college success than GPA.

Two days ago, The New York Times cited the president of Brown University, who wrote "Standardized test scores are a much better predictor of academic success than high school grades."

Much better, not "somewhat" better.  Why?

The main reason is that -- counterintuitively -- standardized test scores are LESS biased than other parts of the college application process, including essays and extracurricular activities.

Google it yourself if curious.  In the meantime, I'll say again what I've been yammering on about for more than two years...

...There's a difference between APPLYING test-optional and getting ADMITTED test-optional.

Make it easy on your admissions officers - get your SAT or ACT score as high as possible, then prove to them why you will kick *ass at that college.

Carpe college, babe.

-Andy Lockwood

...

Quick quiz:  what are the three most important academic components of a college application?

I won't tease you. The answer:

1. GPA
2. Rigor (typically AP or IB courses)
3. Standardized testing

Yep.  The ACT or SAT is important. Still.

Why?

Because performance on the ACT or SAT is highly predictive of how well a student will do in college.

Note that I didn't say "perfectly predictive."  Nothing is a failsafe predictor.

But, given a choice, an admissions officer would rather see an ACT or SAT score than not.

But what about applying test optional, you inquire.

Harken unto me, and harken closely.  There Is a difference between APPLYING test-optional and being ACCEPTED test-optional. That not-so-subtle distinction gets glossed over more often than not.

If your standardized test scores don't cut the mustard, you shouldn't send 'em.  

But if the REST of your academic credentials  -- the aforementioned GPA and rigor -- are also relatively weak compared to your...

Good morning from overcast New York.

Over the past week we received 4-5 questions about the new, digital SAT as well as the upcoming ACT. That's why we ran a class walking you through each section (briefly), to highlight the differences and similarities, all with the goal of helping you figure out which exam to focus on.

Best news eva:  we recorded it! You can watch it here:

SAT v ACT

Our prep class for the ACT starts next week, the class for the SAT starts right after that.

Take $100 off either as a special New Year's promo!  Enter coupon code CRUSH2024 (wait for the price to update in the shopping cart), here:

TEST PREP CLASS INFO

- Andy Lockwood

P.S.  Yep.  The SAT and ACT still matter.  Strong scores help you get in and win fat, juicy scholarships. :)

P.P.S.  Please share this with other parents if they need this info.

Hidey ho, two brief notes this morning:

1. We had a bunch of people ask about a replay of yesterday's walk through of the new "improved", glitchy, hard-to-access FAFSA by financial aid expert (and dark horse Harvard University presidential candidate front-runner) Pearl Lockwood.  That recording is is posted here, hot off the presses.
2. Our ACT prep class for the February exam starts next week.  Our SAT prep class for the march exam starts later this month.  Sign up now and we'll knock off $100 -- use coupon code CRUSH2024 on this page

Let me know if you have any questions!

-Andy Lockwood

Hi, a quickie reminder:  we're about to go live with a new free class,, SAT vs ACT - Which Test is Best?

This is a section-by-section, brief walk-through to help you discover which is the "right" one for your child. 

It's about to start:  8:15pm EST! 

If you have a child who is strong in math...

...or one who Is weak in science...

...or one who is a slow-ish test taker...

...or have general questions the new digital SAT, the differences between the SAT and ACT, which one should your child take, etc., you'd be silly not to show up!  

Don't be silly, here's where to go:

Which Test is Best

-Andy Lockwood