Dear College-Bound Teens (and Parents & Guardians)...
CONGRATULATIONS on your decision to explore one of the most thrilling and rewarding
journeys in self-discovery you'll ever take! The world is filled with young people with a desire to
accomplish great things, but far fewer with the drive and determination needed to make their
dreams a reality. Your curiosity about Great Expectations and the fact you've arrived at this
page on our website suggests to us you're among the relative few with both a dream and the
required drive; and that you truly believe in your capacity to grow and improve in the areas
dealt with in this program.
If you think we've described you well, we hope you'll continue reading.
WHO TENDS TO DO THE BEST IN THE PROGRAM?
The best prospects for Great Expectations are mature, serious-minded teenagers with a genuine
interest in speeding their development in the 10 focus areas of the program. Most are average
or above average students with varied interests. Most also participate in extracurricular
activities, and about one-half have taken advanced placement courses and/or are members of
the honor roll or honor society. Over 60% plan to attend college immediately following high
school.
In addition, nearly all class members come from families that strongly support their
participation in the process and view the 10 focus areas as extremely relevant and important to
their future goals. A significant percentage also know someone who has participated in a
leadership process or curriculum designed by Dr. Ashby and Dr. Pell, or someone familiar with
their books.
WHO IS PERHAPS BEST SERVED BY A PROCESS OTHER THAN GREAT EXPECTATIONS?
Great Expectations is a developmental process, not a remedial or corrective process. It builds
on strengths and attracts motivated young people anxious to experience an age-appropriate
version of a corporate leadership process. Classes are properly focused and challenging, and
there is very little tolerance for bad or disruptive behavior.
Those wishing additional advice on this subject are advised to speak with their school or
organization counselor or advisor.
WHAT MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED TO STUDENTS?
All Great Expectations class members receive a comprehensive Student Guide covering the
twenty-four (24) core program sessions, up to 3 leadership textbooks, supplemental materials
prepared by the program instructor, and a handful of neat surprises.
Click HERE for a peek at the Student Guide Table of Contents.
WHAT IS THE COST OF THE STUDENT MATERIALS?
The "tuition" for the Great Expectations process is set locally by school officials, and is typically
higher than the fee charged by The Leadership Capital Group LLC for the courseware and
other services it provides. Information about local tuition prices may be obtained by contacting
your local school or youth organization representative.
Great Expectations courseware fees are typically financed in one of several ways:
1) By the family of each student,
2) Via corporate or community contributions (sponsors),
3) Via a student fundraising effort,
4) By the host school or youth organization, or
5) By some combination of the above (i.e. a shared expense).
Great Expectations materials are available only to registered class members via an approved
school, school district or youth organization. Program materials are not sold to individual
students or consumers, or distributed by any organization other than The Leadership Capital
Group LLC.
IS SATISFACTION GUARANTEED?
The Great Expectations Program for High-Potential Teenagers is sold and delivered to class
members by authorized representatives of accredited secondary schools and youth
organizations, not members of The Leadership Capital Group LLC or its affiliates. Because of
this, all registration, customer satisfaction and tuition policies are decided-upon and
administered locally by school or organization officials.
Happily, experience has shown that many service-related policies adopted by schools and
youth organizations are less restrictive and more student-friendly than similar policies adopted
by large for-profit organizations. Parents and students interested in more information about
policies and guarantees related to Great Expectations classes in their area are asked to kindly
contact their local school or youth organization representative(s).
HOW LARGE ARE THE CLASSES?
Up to 40 class members may be enrolled in each Great Expectations class, although the ideal
number is between 30 and 35. The minimum number is 20.
WHAT ARE THE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS?
In order to earn a certificate of completion, Great Expectations class members must:
1) Attend 20 of the 24 core sessions,
2) Satisfy all tuition obligations,
3) Earn a passing grade on the final examination, and
4) Be deemed by the instructor to have made progress worthy of a Great Expectations
graduate.
WITH WHOM ARE PARENTS & STUDENTS CONTRACTING WHEN ENROLLING IN A
GREAT EXPECTATIONS CLASS?
It's important to keep in mind that The Leadership Capital Group LLC and its members serve
only as a provider of courseware to Great Expectations classes. Host schools and organizations
accept full responsibility for all aspects of the organizing and presenting of Great Expectations
programs, including, but not limited to, the safety of participants, the assuring of quality and
the resolving of any difficulties or conflicts.
HOW CAN WE FIND OUT IF OUR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT IS AN AUTHORIZED GREAT
EXPECTATIONS PROVIDER?
For information about the availability and cost of Great Expectations programs in your area
please contact your local school or school district. The Leadership Capital Group LLC does not
maintain a list of individual providers, or attempt to influence local decisions or school policies
on behalf of prospective students.
Individuals wishing to arrange for the local offering of Great Expectations classes are asked to
contact their local school district or PTA.
HOW QUICKLY DO MOST CLASS MEMBERS BEGIN TO SHOW IMPROVEMENT?
It happens incredibly fast for some and a bit more slowly for others but class member growth
and improvement always happens and it's always remarkable! In fact, even our most capable
graduates will tell you that they never dreamed they'd make so much progress in so many
development areas in a scant 12 weeks.
In most class members the positive changes start getting obvious by the second week of
sessions, but parents and instructors are urged not to show concern if it takes others a little
longer. The growth trajectory in LCG training processes is rarely straight-up and linear; and
there's even some reverse movement along the way in most cases. Our advice to all class
members at Session #1 is to be patient and give things a little time to develop. After more than
twenty-five years of industry experience, we know they'll start seeing soon enough why so
many tough-minded executives are such strong believers in LCG's comprehensive leadership
training processes.
WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY TEACHING TECHNIQUES?
One very important distinction between Great Expectations and a typical high school or middle
school course is the amount of student activity and participation involved each session. Good
training programs keep students actively involved throughout the majority of most meetings.
There is much less emphasis on note-taking and far less lecturing and explaining of things by
facilitators. LCG programs are known for sweeping people into action early at every session
and keeping them positive, involved and enthusiastic (P-I-E) pretty much continuously. It's very
important that all Great Expectations students truly embrace this approach.
Those participating in Great Expectations classes are asked to keep clearly in mind that the
core program is first and foremost a training process designed to build and practice new skills,
not an educational process designed to provide new knowledge. Some compare our teaching
techniques to those of a baseball or basketball coach at a team practice. The emphasis is on
"doing" and practicing in a laboratory-like setting. There's a lot of activity, and very little
passive listening, note-taking and test-taking. Both approaches have their place, of course. And
one is no better than the other. But in a training program like Great Expectations instructors
view themselves more as coaches and less as teachers. On average, Great Expectations
instructors do far less talking and explaining than most outstanding high school and middle
school teachers, and far more interactive facilitating, encouraging and coaching.
Class members will find a good deal of detail about the very special learning environment
created in Great Expectations classrooms in their student materials. Among other things, they'll
find that everything we do in every session of the process is positive, not negative or even
constructively critical. We build exclusively on strengths, not weaknesses, and use heavy doses
of appreciation and applause to motivate and inspire. The uplifting, confidence-producing
building-block techniques LCG members have been using for nearly thirty years have
stimulated transformations and break-throughs in hundreds of thousands of adult class
members. And they'll do precisely the same thing for serious-minded teenagers. All it takes is an
appreciation for the very special training techniques employed in this program, and a
willingness to let the process unfold over time.
HOW DOES ONE BECOME A CLASS ASSISTANT?
Selection and service as a Class Assistant is a distinct honor afforded a very small percentage of
Great Expectations graduates. "CA's" are typically outstanding teen role models with strong
speaking and interpersonal skills, high levels of self-confidence and self-esteem, and a sincere
desire to help future Great Expectations class members realize more of their latent leadership
potential.
Those selected as class assistants go through the Great Expectations process a second time in
an elevated "leadership capacity." Each also earns impressive community service experience
that will likely be viewed very favorably by college and university admissions officers.
ARE THERE ANY WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS?
The final examination given at Session #23 is the only mandatory test in the program. However,
instructors are free to use their discretion should additional tests or quizzes seem necessary or
of benefit.
DO STUDENTS RECEIVE A GRADE?
Yes. All students receive a letter grade (A,B,C,D,F) at the end of the core program. An
"incomplete" (INC) is typically given only to those needing to make-up additional sessions in
order to satisfy the minimum attendance requirement (20 of 24 sessions) and those who failed
to take the final examination due to illness or other acceptable reason. Once the graduation
requirements are satisfied, students receiving an INC are given a letter grade, with the change
noted on the student's Progress Report.
Most instructors use a combination of factors to determine the grade for each class member,
and details about this are provided at the first session of the process.
Given the highly participatory nature of Great Expectations and its tendency to attract
outstanding students, grades have historically been higher on average than that of a typical
middle school or high school class. Having said that, all grading decisions are the sole province
of the program instructor.
WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF RECEIVING COLLEGE TRANSFER CREDIT?
The odds are quite good actually in most cases as Great Expectations contains all of the
required components of a quality college-level experience. A lot depends on the institution
involved, however, and there are no guarantees of any kind. An explanation of how program
graduates might best pursue transfer credit is provided in the section entitled COLLEGE
CREDITS and during several sessions of the core program.
_________________________________________________________________________________



FAQ's: Parents & Students

DID YOU KNOW...?
... that the vast majority of what
most people learn in Grades 6-12
is completely forgotten by age
30, and that only about half of
what remains has any real
day-to-day value to most adults.
Surprised?
By contrast, the value of the 10
skills and attitudes developed in
Great Expectations actually keeps
increasing as people age to a
point where by age 30 they're of
dramatically greater day-to-day
value to most adults than
anything retained from middle
school or high school.
That's why American companies
invest $20 billion every year in
leadership training,
communications training and
interpersonal skills training. And
next-to-nothing by comparison
helping high-potential workers
recapture the things they forgot
from middle school and high
school.
There is no substitute for a solid
secondary school education.
But it's also true that the
acquiring of a solid set of life and
leadership
skills at the same time in life is
equally important.
One without the other just isn't
enough in my opinion.
Franklin C. Ashby, Ph.D.
GET the Edge!
greatexpectationsforteens.com
TRULY THE PERFECT
TIME IN LIFE
The perfect time in life for a
person to engage in a
comprehensive process like Great
Expectations is during his or her
teen years when related habits
are still developing, important
mistakes have yet to be made,
and enough time is available to
build and reinforce critical life
skills properly.
The Leadership Capital Group LLC
*******
IT LOOKS GREAT ON A
COLLEGE APPLICATION!
Having successfully completed a
college-level leadership process
comparable to anything offered
by any Fortune 500 company
speaks volumes about the
maturity level, ability and
commitment level of a college-
bound teen.
Beyond that, class assistants
have the added distinction of
helping teach a college-level
program.
With AP classes and evidence of
community service increasingly
important to college admission
decisions, what better way to add
an impressive set of credentials
to a college or university
application!
*******
A RICH SMORGASBORD OF
SUGGESTIONS & ADVICE
The Great Expectations Student
Guide is a rich smorgasbord of
time-tested suggestions and
advice. With over 200
developmental tactics and
principles, and over 300
developmental recommendations,
it's clearly one of the most
comprehensive leadership
guidebooks in the industry today.
Among the content segments:
The 12 Best Ways to Boost
Self-Confidence & Self-Esteem
The 3 Super Secrets of
Every Super-Achiever
The 8 Best Ways to Build
Positive Relationships
38 Time-Tested Ways to
Manage Stress
7 Simple Secrets for Making
a Terrific Talk
The 10 Best Ways to Earn
Trust & Respect
The 2 Seldom-Recognized
Secrets of Success
12 Terrific Ways to
Get Organized
The 3 Great Strengths of
Every Truly Great Leader
The 9 Key Goal-Setting Areas
The 13 Secrets of Poise
& Social Grace
5 Quick & Easy Steps to a
More Positive Attitude
How to Avoid the 10 Most
Dangerous Teen Derailers
The 5 Keys to Dealing with
Adversity & Disappointment
The 6 Things Great
Speakers NEVER Do!
The 10 Critical Skills of
World-Class Leaders
The 4 Secrets to Getting
Things Done Quickly,
Well and On-Time
Your Personal 10-Step
Planning Process
14 Time-Tested Ways to
Impress an Audience
12 Terrific Tips for Leading
a Group Meeting
*******
A PARENTS PERSPECTIVE
We're parents, too. Great
Expectations is the program
we always envisioned
building for our own kids.
The Leadership Capital Group LLC
*******
4 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
FOR PARENTS & GUARDIANS
1. Would a Comprehensive Effort
to Build & Reinforce the 10 Skills
in Great Expectations Help My
Teenager?
2. Is This Something I Believe
My Local School(s) Should
Be Providing?
3. What Related Programs Are
Available Now At My Local Middle
School & High School?
4. How Do the Existing
Program(s) Compare to Great
Expectations?
*******
LEADERSHIP SKILLS A BETTER
PREDICTOR OF COLLEGE
SUCCESS THAN THE SAT?
A New "Eye-Popping" Report
Says It's TRUE!
According to award-winning
education reporter, Peter Sacks,
the recent "eye-popping" report
by Harvard University Dean
William Fitzsimmons and the
National Association of College
Admission Counseling (NACAC),
spells trouble for the
venerated SAT test.
The report shows compelling
evidence that "non-cognitive
traits" like leadership skills, drive
and student motivation are
actually as good or better a
predictor of success in college
than the SAT!
Click HERE for details!
*******