What’s the difference between a kid who gets into an Ivy or other top 25 college…

 …and an equally strong student, who gets ghosted by their “dream school”?

It’s NOT grades.
It’s NOT SAT scores.
It’s NOT 400 hours of “community service” bagging groceries for retirees.

It’s STRATEGY.

Here’s the inconvenient, brutal truth: college admissions is a game, and it’s not fair.

But here’s the thing…

It’s not DESIGNED to be fair.

The winners aren’t necessarily the smartest and best students.

The ones who get the brass ring are those who know how to play the game.

Which is exactly what I'll be breaking down—step by step—at our upcoming free workshop:

College Admissions Cheat Code
Wednesday, May 21
Register now → https://collegeplanningedge.com/

Here’s a mere spattering of what's on tap Wednesday night:

The 60-40 method of how to get into Ivy/elite/competitive colleges (without lying, bribing or photoshopping)
How to write a college essay that sells (not bores)
How to slash college c...

Let me be blunt.

If your son or daughter is applying to college anytime soon… they’re up against a tsunami of near-identical applicants who all look the same on paper:

Good grades
Decent test scores
Solid extracurriculars
Pretty little essay about “growth”

Guess what?

That’s exactly why most of them will get tossed into the reject pile without a second glance.

But not your kid.
Not if you join us TONIGHT at our no-fluff, no-BS college admissions workshop.

Here’s what we’re laying out:

Tested and proven strategies (not the usual counselor "advice") to help your teen rise above 30,000+ other “well-rounded” applicants.
The Edge that makes admissions officers perk up, lean in and say “this one’s different.”
How families—yes, even families who “make too much”—are legally and ethically stacking $20,000… $40,000… even $80,000+ in fat, juicy scholarships.
What to do right now to avoid financial aid mistakes that cost families tens of thousands every year.

I'm not giving vague inspi...

I'll cut to the quick because I respect your time:

College admissions for the Class of 2025 was a bloodbath.  So many qualified kids who "deserved" better, tossed into the Reject Pile without rhyme or reason.

Correction: APPARENT rhyme or reason.

It doesn't have to be a bloodbath for your kiddo, if he's a class of 2026, 2027 or younger.

First, you have to learn the rules of The Game.  If you don't know what it takes to get into an Ivy or other competitive college, I want you to know one thing:

It's not your fault.

You're not taught the "secrets" (a/k/a non-politically correct factors hiding in plain sight) that admissions committees look for.

Some of these considerations are out of your kid's control.  But many aren't.

Either way, college acceptance success starts with College Knowledge.  The good news is that I'm running a free webinar tomorrow night, The College Application Edge System.

At this workshop, we'll cover actual, tested and proven strategies and tips that -- if im...

The ACT is "transitioning," and the SAT just changed a few months back.

What do these changes mean for your kiddo?

Tonight we're running a free class to help you figure out Which Test is Best...

...so that your son or daughter can CRUSH the test, get into his Dream College and win an unconscionable amount of fat, juicy scholarships. :)

Here's where to go:

Learn more...

- Andy "Test Not Optional" Lockwood

P.S.  Many colleges are still Test Optional, but that number is on the decline.

The SAT and ACT still matter, because they are good -- not perfect -- predictors of how well a student will perform in college. 

P.P.S.  Questions you might have:

Is the SAT or ACT best for strong math students?

Which test is best for Sciencey kids?

For slow test takers?

For ast test takers?

For "Bad" test takers?

That's just a few snippets of what you will discover, tonight!

How do you figure out whether your kiddo should take the SAT or *new* (improved?) ACT?

Which one's best for strong math students?

Sciencey kids?

Slow test takers?

Fast test takers?

"Bad" test takers?

Tomorrow night, our Chief Standardized Test Officer Marissa U will help you figure out Which Test Is Best...

...so that your young 'un can crush the test, and get into her Dream School...

...and win bucketloads of merit scholarships!

Here's where to get more details about tomorrow's web class:

Learn more...

- Andy "Testing, Testing" Lockwood

P.S.  Many colleges are still Test Optional, but that number is on the decline.

The SAT and ACT still matter, because they are good -- not perfect -- predictors of how well a student will perform in college.  Admissions officers would rather see scores than not.

Applying Test Optional is not the same thing as GETTING IN Test Optional.

From the Never a Dull Moment Department:

Last week the big news was about the horrible glitches on the most recent SAT.

That was last week.  As of yesterday, we're dealing with close to 2,000 layoffs at the Department of Edumacation and what they mean for you if you're looking for financial aid.

Tonight, we're running an open Q&A about the SAT debacle, but anything goes, so bring ANY of your test prep, college admissions, financial aid or other related Q's about what this means for your kiddos, and we'll do our darndest to provide A's.

Here's the sign up info:

Live Q&A Registration

- Andy "Breaking College News" Lockwood

P.S.  Please feel free to pass along this invitation.

Have you heard about the recent disaster with the SAT?  (Answers being submitted before the student was ready, more.)

We're also hearing about problems with the rollout of new digital ACT.  The fun never stops.

Join me and our head tutor, Marissa U, for a brief overview, discussion and plenty of advice about how to cope with these issues.

It's tomorrow, Thursday, May 13. Details here:

Learn more...

- Andy "College 911" Lockwood

P.S.  Please feel free to pass this invitation onto any of your friends who could use this information.

Just when you thought test-optional was here to stay… colleges are FLIPPING THE SCRIPT.

Top universities are REINSTATING SAT & ACT requirements.
Merit scholarships? You'll NEED high test scores to get your hands on that lettuce!
Numerous state programs are demanding scores for merit aid.

Bottom line? You can't blow off the SAT or ACT.

If your teen doesn’t take these tests seriously, they’re falling behind. And let’s be real—college admissions is only getting MORE competitive.

Tomorrow, Thursday, February 20 at 8PM EST, we’re hosting a LIVE, no-cost, peel-back-the-curtain and tell-all webinar on the latest SAT & ACT changes and how to "weaponize" high scores for college acceptances and BIG TIME scholarship money.

It's called The Future of the SAT and ACT - What You Need to Know Now.

Spots are limited – don’t let your kid be left in the dust.

 Reserve your spot NOW before it’s too late!

ENROLL

- Andy "Don''t Test Me" Lockwood

P.S.  Please pass this along to anybody who cou...

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...

Hi, I'll be quicker than a squirrel after a double espresso.

Tonight, our head tutor Marissa and I are doing a short, live, "Town Hall" on the recent changes to the SAT and ACT, and what they mean for you and your kiddos.

The SAT and ACT matter much, much more than last year or the year before, so if you have an 11th or 10th grader, definitely do whatever it takes to tune in.  Here's the information you need:

SAT/ACT Town Hall

See you later!

- Andy "Townie" Lockwood

P.S. Feel free to pass this around to your friends like the latest flu (Influenza A or B),  norovirus or whatever. 

P.P.S. On the signup page, you can pre-submit your "burning question," in order to get it answered, live, tonight!