The College Playbook is a comprehensive, student-friendly guide to college admissions that schools can easily integrate into the classroom. Written by college admissions expert Lucas Spielfogel, it breaks the journey to college into manageable steps, supported by interactive worksheets, tools, and grade-by-grade timelines that keep students organized and on track.
Inside The College Playbook:
Designed to make the process less intimidating and more actionable, The College Playbook helps students understand what colleges look for and plan their high school years with purpose.
The Workshops:
In these engaging, interactive one-hour workshops, held in person or virtually, students and parents get the inside scoop on how to win in the college admissions process.
Why College
A high-energy, reality-based look at the lifelong value of higher education—economically, socially, and personally.
The Big Five
Students uncover what colleges truly value in applicants and how to begin building those traits now, in time for graduation.
You Need a Mentor
A practical guide to identifying mentors, asking for help, and sustaining relationships that shape success.
Get Involved
Helps students explore their passions, find meaningful opportunities, and strengthen their résumés.
About the Author:
About Lucas Spielfogel
Originally from New York City and raised in Boca Raton, Florida, Lucas Spielfogel earned his B.A. in History from Yale University in 2010, graduating with All-Ivy Academic Honors.
He began his career as a Teach For America–South Louisiana corps member, teaching social studies at Baker Middle School, where he was named Teacher of the Year in both of his two years.
In 2012, Lucas joined the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition (BRYC) as Executive Director Designate and became Executive Director the following January. Under his leadership, BRYC has quadrupled in size. During the 2019–2020 school year, the organization supported 250 high school students and nearly 400 college students and alumni on their paths to college success.
Author's Notes: "Why You Should Listen to Me"
“Don’t be alarmed: there are some reasons you should listen to me. Since 2013, I have worked as executive director of the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition (BRYC), an after-school program in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that helps high-achieving, under-resourced high school students get into, pay for, and succeed in college. Again, I haven’t walked my students’ paths, but I’ve walked arm in arm with hundreds of them through the college process: studying for the ACT, staying up all night writing essays, stressing over financial aid forms, picking the right school, and physically transitioning to college. It’s been a grind but, working together, we’ve seen huge success. Eighty percent of our 300 alumni have graduated, or are on track to graduate, from more than 50 colleges across more than 20 states. They’ve blazed a trail for our 200 high school students—and the many more to come—who are working toward similar and greater heights. Along the way, I’ve gotten good at this college process thing. It’s tough but beatable. Just ask my students. This book is a compilation of the information we at BRYC pester our students with daily. I’ll tell you what we tell them, a truth you may be tired of hearing: you’ll get out exactly what you put in.”
Author's Notes: "Why You Shouldn't Listen to Me"
“Let’s start with why you shouldn’t. When I was going through the college process, I had a lot of advantages most kids don’t. I went to a private high school with its own college counseling department. I’m also a third-generation college student, whereas many students— perhaps even you—are striving to be the first in their families to attend college. And while most American students and families are very concerned about how they’ll pay for college, my family could afford it without financial aid. There’s a good chance I haven’t walked in your shoes, and there will be times throughout this book when you’ll think, ‘Yah, easy for him to say.’ And you will be right. Why share all this? Because if I’m asking you to pour your heart and sweat into this process, the least I owe you is full honesty.”
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