In this Facebook Live session, Shellee Howard, founder of College Ready, announces a 12‑day giveaway of free resources designed to simplify college admissions and help families graduate debt‑free. She outlines each daily "gift": 1. Over 100 at‑home community‑service project ideas. 2. FAFSA strategies to lower Expected Family Contribution, even for high‑income families. 3. A FAFSA Data Organizer to keep financial information orderly. 4. A vetted list of colleges that offer free tuition. 5. A 4‑year academic plan showing which classes make a student competitive. 6. A sample, keyword‑rich student resume template. 7. Information on which colleges and scholarships use the CSS Profile. 8. Tools for comparing award packages, negotiating with schools, and maximizing return on investment. 9. "10 Secrets to Scholarships" guide. 10. Advice on avoiding debt traps and becoming a financial statistic. 11. Guidance for family conversations about college costs before applying. 12. A free one‑on‑one strategy session with Howard. Throughout, she emphasizes that these resources have already saved families over $500,000 and urges viewers to sign up quickly because the gifts are limited. The presentation blends promotional enthusiasm with practical, actionable tools for students and parents navigating college admissions and financing.
Chapters
Hello and thank you so much for joining our Facebook Live today. My name is Shellee Howard and I am the founder and owner of College Ready, where we help students not only get into college but graduate debt-free. So far this year, we've saved our families over half a million dollars in free money, scholarships, merit money, grants, you name it, we get it. So Thank you so much for joining us today. Today is all about giving. We are giving away 10— no, 12! 12 free gifts today to make your college admissions planning a lot less stressful. So what are those 12 items, you may ask? Well, I'm happy to share that on day 1 of the 12 Gifts of Christmas, We are going to share 100+ community service projects that you can do safely from home. Passion projects that are successful, that are more than just show up and sign up. These are things that our students have done or are in the process of doing. This is priceless for anybody who needs community service. On day number 2, we're going after the financials. Everybody asks me, how did my students, my own children, get into college and graduate debt-free? I am super happy to share with you because return on investment is huge, and it's very important for the students and the families to not sacrifice. So on day 2, I'm going to be giving away FAFSA strategies, what will be considered, what you need to know, and how to bring down your expected family contribution even if you're a millionaire. So it's called FAFSA Need to Know. So that's day 2. On day 3, we'll be giving away Preparing for College Admission Does Not Have to Be Stressful. It's all about planning. And on day 3, we're going to be giving away the FAFSA Data Organizer. This is going to help you put everything everything in order in a simple process and procedure to make life so much simpler. On day 4, we are going to be giving away, do you know what colleges offer free college tuition? Yes, there are several of them. Just because you don't know that they're, they're there, I promise they are, and I'm giving you the list. So when somebody says, "I can't afford to go to college," I simply give them that list and say, "College can be for free." That is a really big one. I've done the research, I've vetted it, and it is real. On day 5, learn what classes your student should take to be competitive in their college application. So a 4-year academic plan. Everything you need to know, it's all right there for you. No more guessing, keeping it simple. All right, then after day 4, day 5. All right, learn what classes— oh, that was day 5. Day 6, how to put together a powerful student resume. Not just I did this, I did this, I did this, but truly a sample resume demonstrating How to use common words to stand out in the crowd of building resumes. This is the kind of stuff that is going to get you noticed. On day 7, which colleges, universities, and scholarships use the CSS Profile? This is critical because the CSS Profile is even harder than the FAFSA. And we want you to know before you apply. Make sure you understand before you apply. On day 8, college is an investment. Know all the details before you accept any offer. I'm going to be sharing with you comparing awards and how you too can make a good return on investment, how you can negotiate with colleges and get that high return on investment. This is something you won't want to miss. On day 9, 10 Secrets to Scholarships. Shh, Santa doesn't even know. The gift is 10 Secrets to Scholarships and Everything You Need to Know, truly given away to you at no charge. On day 10, our secrets to not becoming a statistic. I don't want you to figure it out after your student gets in, or use your retirement, or get a second mortgage on your home, or pay full price. It's not necessary. Don't be a statistic. On day 11, have this conversation before you apply to college. Talking real with your student, helping them understand how much debt they will go into if they pick the wrong college. It doesn't have to be that way. It can be a really productive conversation. And finally, on day 12, to bring in the thank you for being a College Ready Facebook page guest, The ultimate gift, a free strategy session with myself and answering your questions. So if any of those sound like something that would make your life easier, I'm going to be sharing the link to this Facebook Live in just a few minutes. Do not wait because these will not be mass-produced. You must sign up or you will not, you will not see them. So thank you so much, and I hope you and your family are safe and enjoying the holidays. Have a wonderful afternoon.
