FREE LIVE MASTER CLASS · SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 · 2:30 PM PT

Date:Sunday, September 13, 2026

Time: 2:30 – 4:00 PM Pacific (Q&A after — stay as long as you like)

Where: Live on Zoom

Cost: Free

Replay: Sent to everyone who registers, whether you attend or not

Workbook: Emailed on registration

The Fall Advantage

What successful college applicants are doing right now — and the fall deadlines most families don’t know exist

Between today and January 1st, there are more than 40 dates that affect your student’s college options. Your high school counselor has 400 students. Nobody is going to hand you the calendar.

So we made one. Grade by grade, 9th through 12th.

SAVE MY SEAT — IT'S FREE

90 minutes · Live on Zoom · Includes The Fall Advantage Workbook · Replay sent to all registrants

If you’re not sure what your student should be doing this fall, you are in the overwhelming majority.

Here’s what happens to most families — including organized, involved, deeply committed ones:

9th grade: “There’s plenty of time.” 10th grade: “We should probably start thinking about this.” 11th grade: “Okay, we really need to figure this out.” Summer before senior year: “Oh no.” 12th grade: Everything is urgent and nothing is ready.

Nothing went wrong. Nobody was negligent. That’s simply what happens when four years of small decisions get made without a sequence.

The Fall Advantage exists to give you the sequence.

What you’ll leave with

In 90 minutes, you’ll walk away with:

◆ The F.A.L.L. Framework™ — the four pillars every college plan rests on, and how to tell which two you’ve been neglecting

◆ Your grade’s exact fall calendar — five dated actions between September 13 and December 1, specific to 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade

◆ The testing answer for 2026 — why the UC’s test-free policy and the return of test requirements at selective privates mean the question is no longer “should we test?”

◆ What UC’s policy review means for your grade — currently under active review, with a decision expected in 2027. If you have a freshman or sophomore, this changes your planning.

◆ Your Fall Advantage Score — a 10-point self-assessment you complete live, that shows you your own biggest gap

◆ A written 30-day action plan — three priorities, dated, before you close the laptop

◆ The Fall Advantage Workbook — filled in during the session, not downloaded and forgotten

Who this is for

This Master Class is built for:

• Parents of students in grades 9 through 12(students are welcome and encouraged — especially juniors and seniors)

• Families targeting UC, Cal State, and selective private universities

• Families who feel like they’re doing a lot without a plan

• Families who haven’t started and aren’t sure whether they’re behind

• Families with a college list but no strategy

• Seniors who need a 78-day execution plan, starting now

It is not for:

• Anyone looking for a prediction of where their student will get in. We don’t do that, and we’ll say so during the class.

• Anyone looking for a shortcut. There isn’t one. There’s a sequence.

Your presenter

Roman Bernard Fernando

Founder & Lead Advisor, Stepping Stones College Educational Advisors

30+ years in education. Featured in Insider Weekly, the International Business Journal, and Marquis Who’s Who. Roman works with families across Los Angeles, Orange County, Phoenix, and nationally.

“I’m not going to tell you what your student’s chances are. Nobody honest can. I’m going to tell you what’s on the calendar and what it means.”

FAQ

Is this really free? Yes. No credit card, no upsell during registration. At the end I mention two things, both free: a 45-minute strategy call, and the free College Readiness Assessment on our website. That is the whole of it.

My student is only in 9th grade. Is this too early? No — and this year specifically, it may be the most important year to attend. UC’s testing policy is under active review, with implications that fall hardest on current freshmen and sophomores. We cover exactly what that means by grade.

We’re seniors and applications are already open. Is it too late? No. Roughly 15 minutes of the class is a dated, senior-specific execution plan running from September 20 through the UC deadline on November 30. If you’re a senior family, come for that.

Should my student attend, or just me? Both, ideally — especially juniors and seniors. Several exercises are written for the student to answer, not the parent. If your student can’t make it, the workbook is designed to be walked through together afterward.

Will I get the recording? Yes. Everyone who registers gets the replay, attended or not.

What if I can only stay for part of it? Come for what you can. We finish at 4:00 sharp, and the grade-by-grade calendar — the piece most people say is the most useful — is at 3:45.

Is this a sales pitch? Ninety minutes of teaching, three minutes of offer, and I tell you exactly what happens on a strategy call before you book one. If you leave with just the workbook and never speak to me again, that is a completely fine outcome and I mean it.

Sunday, June 28, 2026 at 2:00 PM (PST)

If Your Student Is a Junior Right Now,
The Clock Is Already Running.

Most families don't realize how much is decided — and how little time is left — until it's too late to change the outcome. Junior year is the most consequential year in the college admissions process. These are the moments that determine acceptance letters.

01

The Testing Window Is Closing Fast

Most juniors have only 2–3 remaining testing opportunities before college applications are due. Choosing the wrong strategy — or choosing nothing — costs real acceptance at competitive schools.

02

The Essay Is Not About Writing

Admissions readers spend 6–8 minutes on an application. The personal statement is your student's one chance to be remembered — and most families don't start thinking about it until summer is half over.

03

Early Decision Can Move the Odds Dramatically

At many top universities, Early Decision acceptance rates are 2–3x higher than regular decision. Most families don't know the strategy — or which schools have binding early programs.

Webinar Dates:

Thursday, April 2, 2026 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM (PST)

Thursday April 23, 2026 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM (PST)

Is your student accidentally making one of these 7 costly college admissions mistakes? Even strong students are rejected every year. The admissions landscape has changed.

What You’ll Learn

✔ The 7 mistakes families don’t realize they’re making
✔ What selective colleges truly evaluate
✔ How to strategically position a student
✔ How to use summer for competitive advantage
✔ A step-by-step prevention blueprint

Who Should Attend

8th–11th grade families

High-achieving students

Parents aiming for Top 50 / UC / TX / selective schools

Bonus Live Give Away: College Admissions Mistake PreventionToolkit ($450 Gift Value: Toolkit and 1:1 Private Session With an Advisor)

Webinar Date:

Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 6:00 PM-7:00 PM (PST) Zoom

Parents and students will learn the importance of summer programs, extra curricular activities, and more which contribute as a vital part in the application process apart from academics.

Summer programs and summer camps expand identity as much as resumes do. Parents often notice changes after one summer (teachers, too): greater confidence in decision-making, improved social comfort, newly discovered (or more refined) career interests, and even greater motivation during the school year. Meanwhile, students learn that the best kind of education doesn’t end when summer starts — it merely changes shape. 

The school year teaches you how to learn. Summer programs show you why it matters.

March Webinar TBD

Parent information Night is an opportunity to begin the college application process for your child by gaining critical information for your child’s success in secondary education. Topics covered will be the parents’ roll, student’s roll, advisors’ roll, financial aid, due dates for applications, and more. This is a free event for parents; however students are welcomed as well.

March Webinar TBD

An essay bootcamp is an intensive, short-term program that helps students write compelling college application essays. These bootcamps guide students through brainstorming, drafting, revising, and editing their essays, which can include the Common Application essay, UC Personal Insight Questions, and supplemental essays. Sessions can be live or online and vary in length from a single day to several weeks, often with expert coaching and peer feedback. 

Next Webinar TBD

Your comprehensive guide to unlocking federal and state financial aid opportunities. Learn about eligibility requirements, essential documents, key deadlines, and expert tips to maximize your financial aid package.