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Do you have a high schooler, particularly one who is possibly interested in going to college? Are you wondering if it’s time to begin the college process and how to do it? Have you googled a few things about applying to college it’s information overload? Do you feel totally overwhelmed and confused about how to even START this process? If you answered yes to any of these, you don’t want to miss our Summer College Bootcamp! We’re partnering with the best in the college prep business to teach you all about the college search process. And it’s 100% FREE!
Who Should Attend?
Parents of college-bound students graduating in 2024, 2025, or 2026 who are looking to nail the college admission, financial aid, and scholarship process. Of course students are welcome, so parent’s feel free to invite your kids!
What is Summer College Bootcamp?
Don’t worry, there is NO physical activity or exercise involved! This is a FREE 4-day crash course covering the most critical steps when applying to and paying college. Each session includes a 60-minute webinar led by industry experts with live Q&A. We’ll cover everything from financial and scholarships, to building your college list, standardized test options, and how to actually apply to college!
We’ll set you up with a solid knowledge foundation and confidence to start moving forward in this college process. We’ll also arm you with a wealth of resources that you can turn to throughout this process. In addition we’ve got some great discounts that are exclusive to our bootcamp registrants. And on our last day of bootcamp we’ll be giving away a $1000 Scholarship to a live attendee! No strings attached- you just have to be at the live webinar on Thursday!
When is this Bootcamp?
Our Summer College Bootcamp is August 7th – August 10th, 2023.
Each day we will host a live session from 12-1pm ET. If you can’t attend live, we will record each session and send you the recording, IF YOU REGISTER ahead of time. And even if you are able to join us for the live session each day, you will also get the recorded version so you can go back and re-watch or even share with your high school student.
Why should I Sign up and Attend This Bootcamp?
The college process as a whole has changed dramatically over the past few decades. This is not like the “old days” when some of us went to college. I don’t want to date myself too much, but I remember sitting at my dining room table looking at the colorful brochures I got in the mail, picking a few that looked “pretty” and had some majors that sounded interesting, filling out paper applications in pencil, sticking them in large manilla envelopes with an application check my mom handed me, and dropping them in the mailbox.
About 4 years ago when I started the college search process with my oldest, I quickly realized NOTHING was the same, and I was completely blown away at how much I didn’t know. I was overwhelmed, lost, intimidated, and extremely confused. I’m so glad we can help make this process clearer, less complicated, and maybe even somewhat enjoyable for families by offering our college bootcamp.
You don’t need to be nervous and stressed about this like I was. Let’s get excited about your kid’s future opportunities and get educated on how to make it happen. Join us from August 7-10, 2023 to jumpstart your college search journey!
What am I Really Going to Learn?
Here’s our summer bootcamp schedule.
Session One: How to Maximize Financial Aid & Scholarships… Even if You’re Not Eligible
This session will be led by our very own College Aid Pro co-founder, Matt Carpenter and our Director of Education, AKA the Fairy Godmother of Financial Aid, Peg Keough.
We’ll discuss:
- How the new FAFSA changes from the FAFSA Simplification Act will impact your family’s eligibility. Specifically if you are
- A Divorced/Separated family
- A small business owner
- Families with multiple children
- How to increase your odds of getting more need-based aid
- What colleges give the biggest discounts
- Need-based aid & merit-based scholarships
- The mechanics of the financial aid process
- Why you need to complete the FAFSA even if you’re not eligible for aid
Session Two: Your College Essay & The Common App: What Colleges Really Look For
This session will be led by Brian Ford, the Dean of College Advisement at Archbishop Williams High School and an application reader for Boston University and University of California. Brian will be joined by Dan Bisig, one of our College Aid Pro Experts and the Founder of College and Beyond.
We’ll discuss:
- The College Essay
- How to get started and the various prompt topics.
- What makes a compelling personal statement?
- What subject matter should you avoid?
- How many essays do you have to write?
- The Common App
- Step by step guidelines and timetable
- What makes an application stand out?
- What are colleges really looking for?
- How to avoid common mistakes.
- The mechanics of completing and submitting your application.
Session Three: Nailing the ACT & SAT… or Test Optional?
This session will be led by Rob Franek, the Editor-in-Chief of The Princeton Review. As a national expert on colleges and higher education, Rob will walk you through all things test related.
We’ll discuss:
- Should students take the SAT and/or ACT even if they are not “good” test takers?
- Is the SAT or ACT “better?”
- Should you take both tests or just one?
- How do test scores impact scholarships?
- The latest hacks for taking the SAT and ACT
- Does it make sense to answer every question?
- Everything you need to know about the digital SAT
Session Four: Building an Academically & Financially Balanced College List
We’re bringing back Matt Carpenter (College Aid Pro Co-Founder) and Brian Ford (Dean of College Advisement and college application reader) to lead this presentation.
We’ll discuss:
- How many schools should you apply to?
- Learn what the labels “safety, target, and reach” mean and how to classify a school when building your college list
- Learn about the different application deadlines and what is right for you.
- When should you send test scores vs. when should you choose test optional?
- How do you know what schools will actually cost vs. our family’s budget?
- How much is too much to borrow?
Sounds Like I Should Come; Now What?
Now you need to make sure you’ve registered. If you haven’t registered, you can do that right now.
Next, make sure you put it on your calendar. Remember, if you can’t join us live, we’ll send you the recordings, just make sure you check your inbox and spam folder (just in case).
Anything Else I Need to Know?
We’ve put together a stellar line up of amazing professionals who are passionate about teaching families and students the BEST way to approach the college search and preparation process. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn. We’ve done the legwork for you and pulled all the resources into 4 days of learning.
You’ll walk away with tools, knowledge, resources, some exclusive discounts; and it’s all FREE! And don’t forget about the $1000 scholarship giveaway only open to those who attend live on Thursday!
We look forward to spending several hours with you in August. Get ready to jumpstart your college search experience with our Summer College Bootcamp. See you there!
