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Here’s What You Should Be Doing Now

Uncategorized May 10, 2022
 

Each month we tell clients "Here's What You Should Be Doing Now," so that they never have to wonder about deadlines for applications, financial aid, when to visit colleges, more. I hope you take the advice to heart! -Andy Lockwood Links mentioned in this episode: facebook.com.lockwoodcollegeprep lockwoodcollegeprep.com/bootcamp www.LockwoodCollegePrep.com

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RIP Safety Schools?

Uncategorized Apr 13, 2022
 
College consultant Andy Lockwood shares admissions results from the Class of 2022 and what they mean for the Class of 2023
 
Links mentioned in this episode:
 
facebook.com.lockwoodcollegeprep
 
 
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When a college advisor visits her own kid

Uncategorized Apr 11, 2022
 
College advisors Pearl and Andy Lockwood talk about Pearl's visit to Ann Arbor to see their kid.  Andy gets all snarky and sarcastic about some of the people who go to UMICH

For more information visit lockwoodcollegeprep.com

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Admissions Results

Uncategorized Apr 07, 2022
 
College consultants Pearl and Andy Lockwood discuss this year's results for the Class of 2022 so far, and what they mean for families with Class of 2023 or younger kiddos headed to college!
 
For more information on the summer bootcamp program mentioned in this episode, visit LockwoodCollegePrep.com/bootcamp
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Sat changes, upcoming ACT and new last minute “cram” courses

Uncategorized Mar 17, 2022
 
Today college advisors Pearl and Andy Lockwood brought in Lockwood Test Prep head tutor, Marissa Uneberg to chat about the pending SAT changes, the upcoming ACT and our new last minute "cram" courses.
 
Also discussed:  when is the "right" time to negotiate financial aid and merit aid awards, current. changes to the College Board logins -- boring but important -- and answers to some live questions about the proper use of the 529 and more!
 
For more information see LockwoodTestPrep.com and LockwoodCollegePrep.com.
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College Coffee Talk: College Board changes, Student Loan interest suspension, more

Uncategorized Mar 07, 2022
 
College advisors Pearl and Andy Lockwood chat about:
 
*The annoying changes from the College Board and how it affects you and your CSS Profile
 
*Student Loan interest suspension, how long it will last and will loans be forgiven?
 
*College visit tips and recent observations of freaky tour goers by Andy and his daughter Sammy
 
*More, including some live Q&A
 
See LockwoodCollegePrep.com for more information
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College consultant Andy Lockwood gives a brief tour of how financial aid works, including:
 
*Need-based aid
 
* Merit aid
 
* "Tax Scholarships" for high income business owners
 
The discussion included common mistakes to avoid on the FAFSA and CSS Profile, what are the differences between the FAFSA and CSS Profile, pending financial aid changes for divorced families deadlines to file, what happens if you make a mistake on your FAFSA or another financial aid application, what if you don't qualify for financial aid, how to negotiate or appeal for more financial aid, more.
 
For more information, see How to Negotiate Your Crappy Financial Aid or Merit Aid Award on Amazon or visit LockwoodCollegePrep.com
 
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Why Some Kids Get In While Others Get "Dinged"

A sampling of recent questions and comments from parents of high school seniors:

Have you ever seen it THIS bad?

Our guidance counselor said [name of high school] is having the worst year EVER with colleges and doesn't know why! It's so unfair!

[So and so] had lower grades and SATs than my daughter but he got in and she didn't!

Here's the thing...

I hear these comments EVERY year!

Sure, when you look at raw stats, out of context like the number of applications colleges receive, you might get a lump in your throat, pit in your stomach and experience flop sweat.

But most of these symptoms are treatable and even preventable, at least when you consult with Dr. Lockwood, Fake MD.*

Here are a few of my diagnostic thoughts (not intended as medical advice. Consult a health professional if you experience swelling, nausea or persistent diarrhea from this letter):

One reason for the increase in applications is NOT because there are more kids applying to college. It's because there are...

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High GPA, Low SAT or ACT

Hi GPA, Low SAT/ACT
 
Even though more than a thousand colleges let you apply to them without submitting your SAT or ACT, you should be aware of a dirty little secret about admissions officers:
 
They'd PREFER to see standardized test scores!
 
Why?
 
Because, despite their flaws, the SAT and ACT are still helpful predictors of how well a student will do in college.
 
Before I continue, understand that I'm not here to defend either the College Board or the ACT. I'm well aware of the biases that affect kids' scores, especially financial means to take test prep or hire expensive tutors.
 
Side bar: I'm also old enough to remember the Party Line spoken by the College Board for years: that the SAT was so fair that there was zero advantage to studying for it or hiring a tutor!
 
Then one day they partnered with Khan Academy to provide classes and tutoring.
 
Weird.
 
Anyhoo, one of the most common...
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NYU's Eggsitential Crisis

Early this week the Wall Street Journal "exposed" New York University as being THE WORST college when it comes to financial aid generosity.

The piece painted a pretty bleak picture, pointing out that, for a college with an endowment north of 1 Billion, NYU ranked 1st in the ignominious category of parent loan (PLUS) debt per family and other related areas.

The article featured a grad student, a woman, who sold her eggs in order to pay for tuition.  Twice!

(No word on whether the eggs would receive favorable legacy status once fertilized into college applicants in the indeterminate future.)

We in the college advising biz have known NYU to be, again, THE WORST, stingiest college known to mankind for years, so this article was less than a surprise.

I've witnessed parents and kids tempted -- and sometime succumbing to that temptation despite my best efforts -- to blow 80K per year for a theater education at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

Three of my four kiddos did or do...

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