Colorado Free College Application Day

Are you ready for FREE College App Day on 

Tuesday, October 15th?! 

Not sure? 

Are the following statements TRUE FOR YOU?

1) I've started all of the applications I want to submit on Tuesday! 

(This means you've gone to the college's web pages and created your application profile by clicking APPLY NOW! and creating a username and password)

2) I know what is required to submit my applications! 

(This means you've read through each application and know what information you'll have to provide from letters of recommendation to social security # to GPA to the date your parent/s/guardian/s moved to Colorado AND MORE!) 

3) I've prepared my personal statement and/or essay answers FOR EACH COLLEGE! 

(You have google docs ready to cut and paste into the applications for the WIN!) 

YES! to all three?  Let me know! And HIGH FIVE for your hard work. 

If you did NOT, you still have time to prepare. Check out the attached document for keeping track of some of the information you need to gather.

Application Links! If you don't see what you are looking for, let me know!

MSU Denver application
DU application 

CU Denver application

Front Range CC application link 

Mesa application link

UNC application link 

CSU application link 

Click here to start the CCD app! -Community College of Denver 

CCA - Community College Aurora 

Red Rocks Community College 

YESS Post-Secondary Success 2019-2020!

We're thrilled to kick off the 4th year of the YESS Post-Secondary Success program serving more students than ever!

Thus far, we are working with over 130 high school Seniors from Adams City, North, West Leadership and Westminster High Schools in the Denver metro area. Hopefully we'll add a few more Seniors when programming at Lincoln gets started.

#yesscollegebound #yesssuperstars #thefutureisSObright

We are also supporting almost 170 YESS High School graduates from the Classes of 2017, 2018 and 2019. What a difference a few years makes!

YESS Alumni are making the world a better place through their preparation for work as Certified Nurses Assistants, educators, mental health professionals, musicians, lawyers, Emergency Medical Technicians, computer scientists, nurses and more.

Check out the YESS Post-Secondary Success video for a glimpse at what we do! 

Senior Fall Checklist!

Senior Fall Post-Secondary Planning Checklist!

September

Identify 3-5 post-secondary education options (college, trade school, apprenticeship, etc)

Identify 3-5 scholarship opportunities that YOU are eligible to receive.

Create your FSAID if you are eligible. Have a parent create one too if they are eligible!

Register for an SAT retake if needed. Talk to your school counselor. 

Mark your calendar for FAFSA Night/Day at your school. Let your parents know in advance!

Gather documents needed to complete FAFSA and/or other financial aid forms.

Ask questions! Yess.emily@gmail.com (720) 446 9688

October

Start your college/post-secondary applications. Keep in mind Colorado FREE App day on October 15^th!

Share your Personal Statement and/or Common Application Essay response(s) as google docs with yess.emily@gmail.com

Attend FAFSA Night/Day. Be sure to bring ALL needed documents!

Request AT LEAST 2 Letters of Recommendation.

Submit at least 1 college application and 1 scholarship application.

Ask questions! Yess.emily@gmail.com (720) 446 9688

November and December

Complete your COF (Colorado Opportunity Fund) application. If you have a social security number, be sure to enter it on this application!

Identify Institutional Scholarships at the colleges you are interested in attending. Note deadlines! Start these applications as soon as you are able to do so.  

Continue completing and submitting college and scholarship applications.

Prepare for your Semester 1 Exams!

Ask questions! Yess.emily@gmail.com (720) 446 9688

Senior Fall!

Hey Seniors! I know you have A LOT going on...SAT prep and testing, homecoming, sports, clubs, enjoying the last year of high school, work, AP/Honors classes, concurrent enrollment, etc, etc.

Don't forget your Post-Secondary Planning! Check out the tasks below to help guide your planning, application and access process. As always, let me know if you have ANY questions!

FALL OF SENIOR YEAR! 

• Finalize your College/Post-Secondary Program Application List! Be sure to include some schools that may be harder to get in to as well as at least one school to which you will for sure be admitted. This list can include colleges, apprenticeships, military and/or technical schools. These are all GREAT post-secondary options. 

APPLY TO SCHOLARSHIPS! 

• Prepare for and complete the FAFSA. Use the search tool in the blog to find LOTS of information regarding what documents you need, creating a FSAID and other info about the process. The application opens October 1!

APPLY TO SCHOLARSHIPS! 

• Stay focused on your grades and extracurricular activities. These remain important parts of your resume. Finish strong! 

APPLY TO SCHOLARSHIPS! 

• Keep track of deadlines! Consider using calendar reminders on your phone to alert you well ahead of deadlines (so you take time to work on applications) as well as the day applications are due. 

APPLY TO SCHOLARSHIPS! 

• Meet with your School Counselor. They will need to know what schools/programs you are applying to so they can send Transcripts, Score Reports, and other application items. Be sure to give them access to the required forms WELL in advance. Be sure to THANK them for their help. 

APPLY TO SCHOLARSHIPS! 

• Continue researching scholarships, add them to your College Research Spreadsheet, and complete these applications! 

APPLY TO SCHOLARSHIPS! 

• Ask for Letters of Recommendation NOW! Be sure you are giving your teachers, counselors, etc enough time to write you an AWESOME letter. If you wrote one for yourself last year, you an share it with them along with your resume to help them out! 

APPLY TO SCHOLARSHIPS! 

• Complete your College/Post-Secondary Program applications as soon as possible. Even if a school has a deadline in the spring, aim to complete your application by Thanksgiving Break. Put yourself at the TOP of the pile! 

APPLY TO SCHOLARSHIPS! 

• ASK for help! If you have questions, ASK them! It's ok to not know everything about the post-secondary process. It's a whole new world. If something doesn't make sense, ASK! This is a good habit to get into as you'll have LOTS of questions once you get to college. ASKING for help is part of being an adult, trust me! 

Preparing for College!

Congratulations on your HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION! 

It's an amazing accomplishment and you should be SO proud of yourself. 

Next up, COLLEGE! 

Check out the links below for some ideas on how to prepare for the transitions. As always, let Angie or me know if you have ANY questions, need help on paperwork, and/or want to meet on your new campus to figure anything out.  We can visit financial aid with you, review your class schedule and find your classrooms, etc! 

What I found out as a College Freshman

What's Next: A To Do List 

What to Expect from Campus Life- whether or not you live on campus! 

RSVP TODAY for the YESS Summer Institute

Check out the YESS Post-Secondary Success Program Video!

Click here to view!

Scholarship Interview Prep!

Here are some things to consider when preparing for a Scholarship Interview! 

• Practice introducing yourself in front of a mirror. It'll feel weird but it's worth doing!
• Perfect your handshake! It should be firm- no flopping fish hands OR painful grips. 
• Choose your outfit AT LATEST the night before...dress professionally and make sure you are comfortable too. 
• If the interview is with an organization (like Daniels Fund) or a particular college, be sure to be well informed about the organization or school. Be able to talk about what the organization means to you or why you want to attend THAT school very specifically. Remember, you have to convince the committee that you are invested in their work as they are seeking to invest in you! 
• Make a BRAG SHEET in advance. What accomplishments are you most proud of thus far in your life? Be prepared to talk about them! 
• Also have a few failures in mind AND be able to describe what you learned from these. 
• Have a teacher, friend, or family member interview you. Even if this feels silly, it gets some of the nerves out. 
• Take your time. If you need to pause before answering a question to organize your thoughts, just do it! 
• Be sure to have a few questions in mind for the committee
• BE YOUR SUPER AWESOME SELF! 

Some common interview questions:

Tell us about yourself.

What are your greatest strengths?

What are your greatest weaknesses?

How has this organization impacted you?

Why do you want to attend this college/university?

Why should we give you this scholarship?

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10?

Who is your role model? Why?

Do you have any questions for us?