Why I turned down a $25K coaching gig

I just got back from a mastermind weekend with a few business associates where we exchanged ideas about our business prospects, challenges, and best practices.

I had a chance to introduce PrepWell Academy to the group. Needless to say, they were very excited, as many of them have children in 6th - 11th grade.

One particular participant, however, took me by surprise.

He told me he had a 9th-grade son who would be thrilled to do any one of the things I've done in my life.

This guy absolutely loved the idea of PrepWell and having me as a role model for his son; however, he wanted more. He wanted me to be his son's full-time college coach.

"I'll pay you $25,000 to coach him over the next 3 years," he told me.

Wow! I wasn't expecting that.

We spent the next 15 minutes chatting about his son, his $25,000 offer, and what type of coaching I thought would be most useful to him and his son.

By the end of the conversation, I had talked him out of spending $25,000 and into enrolling in PrepWell Academy for $20/month.

And here's why:

The college admissions process is not something that can be hacked, bypassed, or bought. And it's not something that starts in 11th grade. It is a multi-year process that requires student engagement.

The steps in the process are the same ones that will help students find success even after high school. If they are spoon-fed the tasks (or worse, someone does them for them), they will be ill-equipped for college and for life.

Here are a few skills that must be learned during the process:

1. organization
2. time management
3. communication with adults
4. personal reflection
5. research
6. attention-to-detail
7. interview skills
8. test preparation
9. writing skills
10. filling out applications

These repeatable skills will be needed during and after college to get a job, secure an internship, apply to graduate school, win a scholarship, or join a co-op program.

I hear many stories from families whose children struggled in college because they were either unengaged or overly coached in this process during high school.

PrepWell Academy strikes a balance. It is designed to help students (and parents) engage in the process without actually doing the work for them. Of course, we are here to support them along the way, but the process should be student-driven.

Yes, I could have agreed to be the on-demand $25K college coach that solves every problem and spoon feeds this 9th-grader everything he needs to know. If this resulted in the student getting into the college of his dreams, but without putting in the work - it would be a complete failure.

In the end, I care more about the child than the cash.

I send my congratulations to the PrepWellers around the country engaging in this process and learning these repeatable skills that will last them a lifetime.

If you have a son or daughter who is looking for a program that provides the framework for success (in the college process and in life), enroll in PrepWell Academy today.

Prep On,

Author: PrepWell Academy's Founder, Phil Black, has spent a lifetime cracking the code on the world's most competitive programs: Yale University, Harvard Business School, Navy SEALs, Goldman Sachs, Entrepreneurship, Shark Tank, etc.

Inside PrepWell Academy, Black teaches students everything they need to know about the college admissions process in a series of expertly-timed, 3-5-minute, weekly training videos starting in 9^th grade and continuing through 12^th grade [Note: this program can only be joined in 9^th or 10^th grade]. My specialties include military service academies, ROTC scholarships, Ivy League, and student-athletes.