12th Grade Is Here.

Every Deadline Matters.

This is it. The applications. The essays. The recommendations. The financial aid forms. The early deadlines. The decisions that will determine where your student spends the next four years. For many families, senior year feels overwhelming. There are dozens of deadlines, countless decisions, and constant questions about whether everything is being done correctly.


The biggest mistake families make isn't starting too late. It's trying to figure everything out alone. The 12th Grade High School to College Success System gives your family personalized expert guidance through every step of the college application process so you can move through senior year with confidence instead of stress. Because once a deadline passes... there are no do-overs.

Join Today →

Here's What You'll Receive

Everything You Need From August Through College Decisions
You Ask, We Answer. In 72 Hours or Less.

Questions don't stop once applications begin. In fact, that's when they multiply.

  • Should we apply Early Decision?
  • Should this application be submitted now?
  • How do we answer this supplemental essay?
  • Should we send updated test scores?
  • What happens after we submit?

As a member, you'll receive personalized answers to your questions within 72 hours, giving your family peace of mind throughout the admissions process.

Monthly Live Q&A Sessions

Join live Q&A sessions every month during application season to receive expert guidance on deadlines, admissions strategy, essays, financial aid, and everything else happening in real time.

You'll never feel like you're navigating senior year alone.

6 Months of Guided Lessons and Action Steps

From August through January, you'll receive step-by-step guidance aligned with the college admissions calendar. Topics include:

  • Application timelines
  • Personal statements
  • Supplemental essays
  • Early Action and Early Decision strategies
  • Recommendation letters
  • FAFSA and financial aid
  • Scholarship planning
  • Decision-making after acceptances

Every lesson arrives exactly when your family needs it.

6 Bonus Lessons From February Through July

College admissions doesn't end when applications are submitted. Your membership continues with bonus lessons at no additional cost covering:

  • Admissions decisions
  • Financial aid offers
  • Appeal strategies
  • Making the final college decision
  • Preparing for the transition to college

We'll stay with your family long after the "Submit" button has been clicked.

Included With Your Membership
College List Builder™

If your student's college list isn't finalized, we'll help. Our signature College List Builder™ program is designed to help families develop a balanced college list based on:

Cost
Location
Major
Career

A smart application strategy starts with the right college list.

Discounted Strategy Sessions

Need individualized guidance? A full review of the application and college list strategies? Let's meet 1-on-1 for 60 minutes.

Members receive discounted 1-on-1 Strategy Sessions whenever additional guidance is needed throughout the admissions season. Whether you're making a final college choice, reviewing admissions offers, or discussing financial aid, we're here to help.

Personal Essay Course Plus Personalized Feedback

Your membership includes our How to Write an Awesome College Essay course, along with personalized feedback on your student's personal statement.

Students receive expert guidance to strengthen one of the most important pieces of their application.

Supplemental Essay Course Plus Personalized Feedback

Many colleges care just as much about supplemental essays as they do the personal statement.

We'll show your student how to approach these school-specific essays and provide personalized feedback to help strengthen every submission.

Join the 12th Grade Success System Today →

$99 per month. For 6 months. Cancel anytime.

Is This Program Right for Your Family?

This program is designed for families who:

  • Want expert personalized guidance through every stage of the application process with an experienced admissions expert
  • Need help managing essays, deadlines, and admissions requirements
  • Want confidence that nothing important is being overlooked
  • Want support navigating financial aid and admissions decisions
  • Prefer having a personal and experienced admissions expert available when questions arise

If your student is entering senior year, this is the support designed for your family's most important admissions season.

How It Works

3 Steps to a Real Plan
1
Enroll

You enroll as the parent and get your own login and parent track. Your student automatically gets their own separate login and student track.

2
Your Content Unlocks Monthly

Guided lessons run monthly from August 2026 through January 2027, covering the full application season. Bonus lessons then continue February through July, through final college decisions. A new module opens on the 1st, with a bonus resource around the 15th.

3
Show Up and Get Support

Join the live monthly Q&A sessions with Shereem, and email a college planning coach anytime with questions about your student.

Choose Your Path

The Right Level of Support for Your Family

From going it alone to real expert support every month, here is where the 12th Grade Success System fits.

Do It Yourself
Free
but you are on your own
  • No expert to ask when deadlines are closing in
  • No system and no month-by-month plan
  • Piecing it together from conflicting advice online
What most families default to.
Recommended
The 12th Grade Success System
$99
per month, for 6 months only, cancel anytime
  • Personalized answers within 72 hours, all season long.
  • Monthly modules for you and your student.
  • Essay courses plus personalized feedback.
  • Live monthly Q&A with Shereem.
Enroll Now →

About Strategic Admissions Advice

Strategic Admissions Advice was created to help families move through the college admissions process with clarity and confidence.
Led by author, admissions expert and father of teens, Shereem Herndon-Brown, Strategic Admissions Advice brings nearly two decades of experience guiding students and parents from high school planning through college acceptance. Shereem is a former school counselor, former English teacher, speaker, and author who understands the college process from every angle: the student's story, the parent's concern, the school's role, and the college's evaluation process.
His work is grounded in one belief: families deserve clear, timely, expert guidance before the process becomes overwhelming. Shereem is the co-author of Powerful College Admission Essays: A Guide to Telling Your Story, and his approach combines deep admissions knowledge with practical, parent and student friendly direction.
 

The 12th Grade Success System gives expert advice on:

  • How to build an application timeline that stays ahead of every deadline.
  • How to write a personal statement that actually sounds like your student.
  • How to approach the supplemental essays each school asks for.
  • How to decide between Early Action, Early Decision, and Regular Decision.
  • How to secure recommendation letters that carry real weight.
  • How to navigate FAFSA, financial aid, and scholarship planning.
  • How to compare offers and make the final college decision with confidence.
Featured In

NYT, Washington Post & Chicago Tribune

Published Author

on college admissions

Nearly 25 Years

as an educator

Georgetown

Former Admissions Officer

Former School Counselor

Testimonials

Real Families. Real Results.

We used Shereem's services to guide our three daughters through the college application process, and his expertise was absolutely invaluable.

Parent of Lehigh, Tulane & Vanderbilt students

What would we do without Shereem! He provided support every step of the way, from discussing compelling essay ideas to selecting the right schools and navigating the various portals.

Parent of Northwestern & Spelman students

Without their game changing guidance, we would have been lost. Now, my son has a list, an essay, and a plan. [He] is on his way to a fantastic university, with scholarships in hand!

Michael T. · Pomona College

The High School to College Success System

A Four-Year Journey. You Are Finishing with Success.
9th Grade
Build the Foundation
10th Grade
Gain Momentum
11th Grade
Understand Peak Strategy
You Are Here
12th Grade
Finish with Success and Make the Best College Decision

Your Investment 

$99 per month

For 6 months (August - January) of personalized expert admissions guidance during the most deadline-driven season of high school.

Plus bonus support February through July at no additional cost.

Billed monthly. For 6 Months. Cancel anytime.

Monthly Subscription

$99

Best Value

  • 6 monthly student modules, August through January.
  • 6 monthly parent modules, August through January.
  • Live monthly Q&A for students and parents.
  • Mid-month bonus resources.
  • Bonus lessons February through July at no additional cost, through final college decisions.

Join families moving through application season with a real system instead of guesswork.

Join the 12th Grade Success System Today: $99/Month →

Frequently Asked Questions:

Applications Are Temporary.

Regret Can Last Much Longer.

Every year we meet families who say: "I wish we'd known that sooner"; "I didn't realize that deadline mattered"; "I wish someone had told us". Our goal is to make sure your family never has to say those words.

With personalized, expert guidance, a proven month-by-month roadmap, and ongoing access to an experienced admissions professional, you'll move through senior year knowing exactly what comes next.

Join the 12th Grade Success System Today