Are you rolling the dice on your child’s college future?

Be honest.

Because right now, some parents are making the fatal mistake of “waiting to see how things go.” They think:

"We’ll just see how junior year plays out…”

"Maybe we’ll get our guidance counselor to help in the fall…”

"We’ll worry about scholarships later…”

And then suddenly, it’s October. Deadlines are weeks away. Their child’s essays are a disaster.  Or, worse: unwritten.

And by then? It’s too late.

Every year, I get panicked emails from parents BEGGING me to step in at the last minute.

"Andy, is there ANY way we can get help now?? I should have called you last spring."

And I have to say no—because at that point, there’s only so much we can do: we're maxed out with students, unable to squeeze anyone else in, at any price (oh, the stories I could tell.  Such entitlement out there! :)

You can prevent this easily avoidable, self-sabotaging situation RIGHT NOW.. And pat yourself on the back for taking care of this...

Every year, parents come out of the word work and call the office in full-blown panic mode, after their child gets rejected from every single college they dreamed of.

They're stunned, because at the time they applied, hey thought: "Our kid has great grades! Wonderful extracurriculars! Leadership! They’ll be fine!"

They weren’t fine.

Because good grades, good scores and being secretary of National Honor Society aren’t enough, these days.

The game has changed since you and I applied to college. The college admissions process is barely recognizable, compared to the way things were in ancient times (the Eighties and Nineties). Unrecognizable and ridiculous.

If you want your child to:

Get into a top-tier and "best fit" school, not just settle for any college that takes her

Unlock massive amounts of merit scholarships that other families never even hear about

Avoid the stress, the scrambling, the last-minute disasters in the college application process

…then they need a bulletpro...

Let’s cut to the quick.

Admissions officers barely read your child’s application.

I know, that sounds harsh. But let’s get real:

Your child is just one of maybe 50,000 applicants—all with great grades, strong test scores, and leadership positions.  And “Passion Projects” (possibly the most annoying term in college admissions today – yuck!)

Admissions officers are drowning. They have thousands of essays and applications to get through on an aggressive timeline.

They spend an average of six minutes on each application before making a decision.

Six. Freaking. Minutes.

That’s how long they’ll spend analyzIng:
The transcript
Recommendation letters
The personal statement
The supplemental essays
Extracurriculars

And if your child’s application doesn’t immediately stand out, and telegraph the VALUE that she will bring to the college community...

It’s GAME OVER.

So, let me ask you…

If I sat your child down right now and asked, “Why should a college choose YOU?”...

…Could the...

Admissions "Cheat Code" Webinar

Whoopsies.

I meant to tell you about the webinar I'm running tomorrow (Wednesday 2/5), not the one in November (also scheduled but too early for registrations).

The sign up page is correct, but this morning's email mentioned the future, November event instead of tomorrow's.

My mistake!

But you can sign up for tomorrow's webinar here:

Admissions "Cheat Code"

- Andy "2nd Time's The Charm" Lockwood

P.S.   Topics for tomorrow's presentation include:

 The shocking percentage of families who pay full price for college—and how to avoid becoming one of them
 Why students with weaker GPAs and lower SAT scores STILL get into elite schools
 The hidden factors that REALLY matter in admissions (it’s not what they tell you and they’re not all politically correct)
 How financial aid is designed to punish families who saved—and how to fight back and beat the colleges at their own game
 How to negotiate for MORE money after your so-called “Final Offer” (yes, it...

If you’re relying on your school’s guidance counselor to help your son or daughter get into a top college and figure out how to get financial aid… you’re making a BIG mistake.

I’m not bashing school counselors.  They’re well-intentioned. But they’re undertrained and overworked, juggling hundreds of students.

They don’t have the time or the wherewithal to give you the "hidden," real playbook.

But I’ve got great news for you…

In tomorrow afternoon’s brand new free webinar, The College Admissions “Cheat Code”, you will discover rarely-disclosed tips and strategies to multiply your child’s odds of acceptance to her Dream School…

…and five plus “hacks” and “loopholes” that will help you SLASH college costs, even if you (mistakenly) think you’d get BUPKIS if you applied for aid!

Here are some of the “burning” questions and topics on tap tomorrow afternoon:

The shocking percentage of families who pay full price for college—and how to avoid becoming one of them
Why students with weake...

You may have heard the whispers:  the college admissions system isn’t fair.

Perfect grades? High SAT scores? Hard work? That’s NOT what gets students into top schools.

It's not a meritocracy. Colleges have their own agenda. They don’t care how much you think your child deserves a spot.

And when it comes to financial aid? The families who saved responsibly and lived within their means get punished the most.

But here’s the good news...

You can level the playing field.

I’m busting out a brand new training class, “The College Admissions Cheat Code” just for you.  You will discover rarely-to-never discussed strategies, tips and tactics that your guidance counselor is not permitted to share...

...or doesn’t even know about in the first place, including:

Why “Test-Optional” isn’t always optional—and how to decide whether to submit scores
The oddball reason why students with lower GPAs and weaker SAT and ACT scores get into elite schools, while stronger students get rejected
How to a...

Good morning!

We're 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:

A case study where my little feisty Pearl went up against the advice of a school counselor at an elite NYC high school.  

This one's good, you won't want to miss it!

Tune In!

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

- Andy Lockwood

Last Thursday I conducted a college admissions and financial aid workshop at a local library.  Among the (small) audience:

A mom. And her 2nd grader. 

Her only child.

(Insert punch line here.)

Obviously, I told her she was late to the party and should have started planning for college while her daughter was in utero.

No, I didn't.  But I did attempt to keep a straight face the entire night, which is typically not in my skill set. 

On a serious note, even though I'm the guy who sends emails like "Don't start too late" or "You better do this now, or else," I have my limits. 

God, that was hard to write. 

Yet, therapeutic, because sometimes Pearl and I can't believe what we actually do for a living.  Thursday night was one of those times.   

If you're worried about being That Mom or That Dad, this should help.  

If your kid tells you that you're nuts, neurotic or taking the college thing too seriously, feel free to share this example with them. 

You'll be able to point out that...

The College Board reported that college tuition isn't as expensive as we think, which I'm betting is surprising to you.  It sure doesn't feel right to me (we have three kids in college), but why shouldn't we trust everything in the news these days?

According to a recent study, in-state public university tuition dropped 40% in the last decade, accounting for inflation (hmmm). And private college tuition increased by only 4%, inflation-adjusted, compared to 58% two decades ago.

What does this mean for you (families with college-bound teens?

The short answer:  Maybe nothing.  

Costs at competitive private universities are in the mid 90K per year range. And out-of-state public universities still charge a hefty amount to non-residents, overall.

If you're looking for merit aid or other financial aid, it's critically important to fish in the right pond.  Not to rely on some academic study that contradicts common sense.

That means focusing on 1. colleges that are historically generous an...

Good morning,

Quick announcement for local (NY area) parents of kids in grades 9-11:  I'm running two "College Admissions and Scholarships Secrets" live, in-person workshops (not webinars) next week, on Wednesday,January 15 and Thursday, January 16.

The gist, short and sweet:

You will discover tested and proven strategies and tips to help your child get into their "dream college" and how to win tens of thousands of merit scholarships, even if you think "no way do families like us ever qualify for anything!"

We're nearing the tail-end of another wild and wacky admissions cycle for class of 2025 kiddos, so this workshop will give families with younger children the current, real-time lay of the land from inside the trenches.

Just the stone-cold, politically incorrect truth about what it REALLY takes to get into a top college, today.

You won't get this information from your guidance counselor, either. Unlike This Guy, they're bound by traditional constraints such as "professionalism"...