Book
The Expanding College Opportunity book is a concise guide for parents and students that highlights the essential steps involved in the college admissions and financial aid processes. Author Stanley B. Lemons includes the best tips, strategies, and information from his highly regarded college admissions seminars and workshops. Stan also includes inspirational, real-life stories about the many challenges he faced on his journey from humble beginnings to graduating from some of the nation’s leading institutions of higher learning.
Here’s just some of what you’ll learn:
- Key considerations to help you choose the best college for you
- An insider’s look at what college admissions officers look for in an applicant
- Winning elements of a college admissions essay
- How to apply for financial aid and scholarships
- 5 principles to ensure success in high school and college
- A year-by-year admissions and financial aid preparation plan
- College applicant case studies
Student Workbook
The student workbook complements the Expanding College Opportunity book. We recommend you purchase the student workbook in order to record notes, ideas, and important facts about the college admissions and financial aid processes. The student workbook should ideally be purchased with the Expanding College Opportunity book.
Look inside: FREE – Samples Pages
- Expanding College Opportunity Sample Pages
- Expanding College Opportunity Student Workbook Sample Pages
Biography of the Author
Brochure
Why Expanding College Opportunity?
Promotional Video
Testimonials
“This book is a unique and personal explanation of the admissions process that will be helpful to students and parents in today’s charged environment. It is written in a style that is easy to understand. I like the honesty and thoughtfulness of the book. I remember reading Stan’s application to Amherst and am proud of what he has written here.”
Leonard Satterwhite, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Admissions
Duke University, Durham, NC
“Expanding College Opportunity provides an outstanding guide for high school students and their parents as they set out on the transition to college. Particularly for students and families with little prior exposure, the college search process can be daunting and confusing. Stanley Lemons breaks it all down into the key components and provides helpful explanations that make it much more understandable.”
John I. Williams, Jr., Higher education consultant and former president of Muhlenberg College
Jamaica Plain, MA
“I like the way you encourage students and families to start thinking early, in middle school, and to work hard in their academic classes, starting in 8th grade, especially those key core classes that involve reading, writing, analysis and math. That is great advice.
Finally, I like that you include your own story, including your college essay — it’s so compelling and, I imagine, inspiring for many students. You give great advice, also, based on your Amherst experience, on how to seek out help from others and to build relationships with professors and advisors.”
Jessica Lerner, Attorney and Yale Law School Graduate
Washington, D.C.
“In EXPANDING COLLEGE OPPORTUNITY, Stan Lemons draws on his own personal experiences as he guides high school students through the college search, application, scholarship and financial aid process. Through Lemons’ clarity and practicality, students will learn how to expand their college opportunities and overcome possible obstacles.”
Shenita Piper, Director of Admissions
Earlham College, Richmond, IN
“Expanding College Opportunity is a wonderful resource for high school students just beginning to think about going to college. The steps between researching schools and settling on where to attend college can be confusing and overwhelming; Mr. Lemons clarifies these processes. This book helps students know the right questions they should be asking to colleges, and to themselves. Simply put: if you are thinking about college but have no idea where to start, start here.”
Mandy Hart, Associate Dean of Admission, Coordinator of Diversity Outreach
Amherst College, Amherst, MA
“Stanley Lemons has assembled a useful and comprehensive guide to college that is reader friendly, and appropriate for the student and parent audience. His thoughtful insights paint a more nuanced understanding of college readiness, which can potentially improve high school and college success, particularly for first generation students. This important book will enable its readers to know that a college education is truly attainable.”
Michael Ford, Vice Provost for Academic Support and Retention
Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL
“Expanding College Opportunity: a roadmap to college for parents and students is a must-have resource for families that are seeking to learn more about the college application process. Stan Lemons accurately explains the process step-by-step. This quick read cuts straight to the chase and details everything from what 8th graders should focus on before matriculating into high school to what steps high school Juniors and Seniors should be taking to ensure that their college application process is successful.
As an Assistant Dean at a highly selective liberal arts college, I was impressed with the accuracy and the thought that was placed into each chapter. Mr. Lemons has clearly done his research! The “Case Studies” and “Lists of Things to Think About” within each chapter will provide the reader with practical examples that everyone can relate to.
Simply put: This book should be within every high school’s College Counseling office.”
Darren Morgan, Assistant Dean of Admission and Financial Aid
Davidson College, Davidson, NC
“If you are looking for a step-by-step guide for the college admissions process, this book is it! Expanding College Opportunity by Stanley Lemons provides an extraordinary explanation of the procedures students need to cover when applying to college. I love that the book is such an easy read and straight to the point. Mr. Lemons creates a personal touch with each case study in the book. After reading this book, I think each college counselor should have a copy in their school. This book is a small investment towards students who are applying to college. The information is rich in detail and covers the process completely from beginning to end.”
Joia Patterson, Assistant Director of Admissions for Recruitment
University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
“If you want to be miles ahead in the college application process, read Stan Lemons’ great new book EXPANDING COLLEGE OPPORTUNITY. He writes from deep personal experience as well as years of professional expertise. This book has the critical techniques and tools you need!!”
Bruce Tulgan, best-selling author of many books including THE 27 CHALLENGES MANAGERS FACE, IT’S OKAY TO BE THE BOSS, and NOT EVERYONE GETS A TROPHY: HOW TO MANAGE GENERATION Y
RainmakerThinking, Inc., New Haven, CT
“The author of Expanding College Opportunity comes from a wide background of experience with public and private schools. As a former teacher and advisor to Stan and hundreds of college applicants, I can vouch for the accuracy of the help the book provides. The arrangement of information includes not only sections of overviews but also of topics directed specifically to parents and others to students. Lemons shows how to bring the applicant to life, one who stands out from the crowd as the living person behind the well-balanced information—one an admissions officer will remember.”
Barbara F. Graves, Ph.D., Retired Teacher
Greenhill School, Addison, TX
“Expanding College Opportunity is a trustworthy GPS to position students in the right direction by preparing them for every bump in the road or possible pothole to the college admissions process. Stan paves the way and creates a layout for a smooth cruise into higher education.”
Tosha L. Bussey, Director of Library Services
Atlanta Technical College, Atlanta, GA
“A great resource for students and their parents as they consider how to navigate the complex world of college-going decisions.”
Matthew Handelman, Superintendent
Coeur d’Alene Public Schools, Coeur d’Alene, ID
“Expanding College Opportunity is a smart approach to instructing families on where to begin the college thought process and leads into a direct path of showing students how to use their personal interests and skills to be viable candidates for admission into the college or university of their choice. Stan’s personal vignettes are applicable for anyone to use as a guide to be personally and professionally successful in any college or university environment.”
Dr. Anna L. Green, Project GRAD Atlanta
Atlanta, GA
“I think your book is truly phenomenal! I wish I had had this information when I was in junior high. Anyone who follows the advice you have laid out will surely achieve success.”
Judith Coleman, Mount Holyoke College Alumna and parent of a former student at the John Burroughs School
St. Louis, MO
“I have been a high school counselor for the past 27 years, and I had the chance to read a remarkable book by Stanley Lemons. The focus of Expanding College Opportunity is to help students prepare for college. It is written in a way that parents and students can understand. The book pushes students to create short-term and long-term plans to ultimately get them to college.”
Dan Higbie, Guidance Counselor, Coeur d’Alene High School, Coeur d’Alene, ID
“Stan’s (college admissions and financial aid processes) presentation is not only engaging but vey informative. His book is an excellent resource for parents and students interested in pursuing post secondary options. It is well organized and easy to understand.”
Cary Kennedy
Brookwood High School Counseling Office, Snellville, GA
“I finished your book! I cried at the part about your mama! That is so awesome! My favorite part about your book is how personal and real it is. Real language like people speak and think inside their heads! Bravo!”
Leslee Evans
North Atlanta High School Parent and PTSA Volunteer, Atlanta, GA
“If you haven’t gotten your copy of Expanding College Opportunity, you are in for a treat. The book is a great guide for students and parents to navigate the college waters. This is an easy guide to help get your child get on the college and career readiness track. The book includes topics such as choosing a college, filling out the FAFSA, taking the SAT and ACT, and the topics go on and on.”
Jeannette Glass, MS
Middle School Teacher, Dallas Independent School District, Dallas, TX
“A great eye opener into the college admissions process. A must read for students and parents alike…before and during the college process.”
Joy Mitchell, 10th Grade Boarding School Student
Middletown, RI
“This book has everything that a parent needs to guide their child through the college admissions process. It is easy to read, well written and includes actual experiences that help the reader understand the importance of all stages of the admissions process. Mr. Lemons’ background and college experience alone supports the testament that everyone should apply for college, whether it is a local community college or an ivy league institution. Once I’ve used this book to navigate our college admissions experience, I plan on passing this book along to friends with younger kids so that they too can be well-prepared to tackle the college admissions process!”
Ann Thaxton, Independent Marketing Consultant and President
Spyn Marketing, Aledo, TX
Product Details
Book
ISBN-10: 0990927806
Publisher: The Secret to Writing, LLC
Publication Date: 10/21/2014
Pages: 168
Binding: Paperback
Product Dimensions: 5 (w) x 8 (h)
Student Workbook
ISBN-13: 978-0-9909278-2-2
ISBN-10: 0990927822
Publisher: The Secret to Writing, LLC
Publication Date: 11/24/2014
Pages: 252
Binding: Paperback
Product Dimensions: 6 (w) x 9 (h)
