Good morning!

Two non-political announcements today:

1 .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!  

Today's topic:  "Hidden" Common Application Tips.  Here's where to join us at 10am EST (recorded if you can't make it).

2. Tonight, our head tutor Marissa is conducting a live test prep strategies presentation, 5 Score-Killing SAT and ACT Prep Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.  Here's where to sign up for tonight's free class

Grab a cup of joe and we'll see you at one or both events today (each will be recorded)

- Andy "Two Times the Fun" Lockwood

Hi there,

I'll be quick like a vanishing apparition you thought you saw out of the corner of your eye...

Right now -- until midnight, tonight -- you can hire us to help you complete the FAFSA, CSS Profile and all financial aid applications...

...ACCURATELY, on-time and STRATEGICALLY....

...so that you can get the MOST money for your own Children of the Night, and comfortably afford their college tuition...

For a Whopping 10% Off

Plus, there's an EZ Payment Plan, as well as a discounted 1-Pay plan.

I don't want to make this email too long, because we're about to put this promotion back into the crypt when the clock striketh 12 of the clock, tonight, Hallow's Eve.

In a nutshell, here's what you get when you enroll before DEADline:

• Expert help avoiding all DEADLY, money-losing mistakes on the FAFSA, CSS Profile and all other ghastly, gruesome financial aid applications (we prepare them for you)
• Strategies to maximize your eligibility for need-based and merit-based aid
• Assista...

Tutoring | Financial Aid Consulting

Big news in California, where Governor Gavin signed a law that bans the consideration of legacy In college admissions for all colleges in Cali, whether public or private.  The law is slated to go into effect in Fall 2025.

It's clearly a reaction to the Varsity Blues scandal of 2017, which featured celebrity and wealthy parents bending and breaking rules to get their kids into California colleges USC and Stanford, among others. But how much will change?

I was interviewed on NewsNation in the wee small hours of the morning today and, as usual, didn't have time to spit out all my talking points that I'd like you to know. So here's an abridged version:

How big a "problem" is legacy admissions?.  At Stanford and USC, approximately 14% of the class admitted in 2024 were legacies.  Apparently most of them were within the academic range of the entire admitted class.

Point #2.  There are no penalties for violating the ...

Summer's unofficially over, and if you have a high school junior, sophomore or younger, you might feel like reality has slapped you in the kisser harder than an Emma Navarro backhand.

Yep, the college process is coming atcha, like a fast approaching train.

And like a train, it arrives on its own schedule, and departs on its own schedule -- whether or not you are "ready".

This past year was, hands down, the CRAY-ZEE-IST year in my 22+ as a college advisor, between the Supreme Court declaring affirmative action in college admissions to be unconstitutional, campus protests after the October 7 attack on Israel, increased college applications and dropping admissions rates, huuuuuuge problems with FAFSA and getting financial aid into the hands of families who qualify for it, and uncertainty about test-optional policies as they started to lose favor.

Other than that, things went pretty smoothly!

That's why I'm holding a free online class this Thursday night, called "Late Stage College Pl...

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!  

Today I'll be answering an oft-asked question, "What are the key factors that colleges look for in applicants?"

Join us this morning (or on replay) to get a little bit of college clarity out of chaos! :)

Tune In!

Please feel free to share this with anyone who could use this information.  You and they will not get it anywhere else, promise!

- Andy Lockwood

What goes into a "good" college essay, anyway?

Does it have to be about some enormously dramatic, Lifetime Move-quality event that occurred in a young lad's or lass's life?

Some gigantic, breathtaking obstacle that the young chap or damsel overcame before going onto accomplish scholastic glory?

Or an abundance of wicked smaht-sounding, multi-syllabic words such as "myriad" and "plethora" stuffed into every sentence?

I bet you know the answers to those questions.

What about "good" and "bad" essay topics?

Getting cut from a team, then working out extra hard over the summer in Rocky's old gym, coming back, making the team and kicking the winning goal or making a buzzer beater from half court?

Writing about grandpa's words of wisdom?

Or oing political?

This Thursday night, I'm conducting a free online class to answer all of these questions. Some of my answers should confirm what you knew or suspected, but then again, some may surprise you, come to think of it.,

The class is calle...

Free SAT or ACT Class Promo 

Good morning - two quickie announcements.

1. A Few Financial Aid and Essay Faux Pas - Live at 10 AM

Join me and Pearl for our weekly program, College Coffee Talk, live on our Facebook page.

Today's topic:  

A Few Financial Aid and Essay Faux Pas

2. FREE SAT or ACT Class Promo Expires Today

Announcing:  a free, no-obligation "test drive" of ANY of our upcoming SAT or ACT prep classes, either in-person or online.  Here's how it works:

1. Check out our schedule in July and August.

2. Pick the class you want to sample, for free.

3. After the class, our head tutor, Marissa will offer our absolute best deal we can give and still keep the lights on and landlord happy.  This is a one-time, "exploding" offer that expires 24 hours after class.

4. There is no obligation or pressure to buy anything, just the forthcoming incentive to enroll with us.

Enrollment expires at 5pm today.  I'm not sure we'll try this again.

Why are we doing this?

We just moved in...

I'm going to go a bit negative this morning, if you'll indulge me.

This time of year, it's rare for a day to go by without having to break bad news.  We get several calls and emails per week from Class of 2024, high school senior families, looking for help with appealing wait lists or rejections from colleges.  And more requests for help negotiating financial aid and merit aid offers.

We have to turn down 9 out of 10 of these requests.

The worst part is that an alarmingly high percentage of inquiries come from moms or dads who have followed us -- reading these emails, attending our webinars and in-person workshops, even speaking to us 1:1 -- since last year, or longer.  Had they retained us a year or two earlier, we could have helped them avoid the pickles they're currently in.

It all could have been avoided.

Tonight, I'm doing one of my last presentations of the year for Rising Seniors -- yes, that means current 11th graders, but not for long -- to help you avoid these highly avo...

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:

*How college protests affect families' decisions

F*AFSA mistakes continue

Tune In!

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

- Andy Lockwood

Tutoring | Appeal Your Award

I never do this, but I wanted you to look over my shoulder for this client conversation about the anti-Israel protests.  Actually, this is a mash up of three-four similar conversations I've had in the past few days with Class of 2024 families.

The gist of the conversations:  I'm reluctant to put down a housing deposit at [college] because of the out-of-control, anti-Israel, antisemitic protests.  What do you think?

Obviously this is guesswork, but I'll share my thoughts.

First, I hope and suspect that, as the academic year winds down and ends and college kids return home, the protests at most colleges will organically peter out.   I would guess that the summer reprieve will give college administrations time to discuss and implement actions to ensure order on campus in the fall, unlike what's happening at Columbia.

This may be a bit of a leap, but I don't think we'll see as much strife on campus next year. But of course a lot could happen to make things...