Institutional Scholarship Links!

See below for links to scholarships from YESS' most attended colleges! 

Colorado State University

Community College of Denver 

Arapahoe Community College 

Metropolitan State University of Denver 

University of Colorado- Denver 

University of Colorado at Colorado Springs 

University of Northern Colorado

CU Boulder- DUE FEBRUARY 15TH

Remember to apply for scholarships at your Top 2 or 3 colleges!!!! This way, you'll receive a few options for Financial Aid Awards...you never know which school will offer you the best award! You have to have been admitted to the school and set up your portal/email with the college to complete the scholarship applications. Most of schools have a March 1 Deadline for institutional scholarships. Be sure to check and plan accordingly. To Sign In to most of the schools above, you'll have to activate your account with the school. Search your personal email for information from each school on how to log in! Make sure you are keeping track of usernames and passwords! 

Let me know if you have any questions. 

I've applied to college(s). Now what?!

Hi Fives, Seniors! 

You've submitted college applications and are opening doors for your future....It's important to have a few choices and there is still plenty of time to apply to other schools. But what else can you be working on?

1. Fill out the FAFSA! Most of you have done this but if you haven't THE TIME IS NOW! Let's set up an appointment to get this done! 

2. Keep your grades up. I know it's hard as you get further along in your Senior Year. Senioritis is REAL! But your grades STILL matter. Your colleges will get your Final Transcript and they can 'un-admit' you. 

3. Check your COLLEGE email! Make sure the admissions office has all of your application pieces. Your colleges will send you information about establishing an email account with them. YOU HAVE TO CHECK THIS REGULARLY! If you don't, you could miss out on deadlines, $cholarship opportunities, and other important information. If you have trouble remembering user names and passwords, make sure to make a note in your phone so you can log in!

4. Apply for ALL of the $cholar$hips! Seriously, apply for as many as you can. Use the Scholarship List on the right side of this page and consider setting up a Fastweb.com search that will email you scholarships you are eligible to receive! 

It's Essay Time!

Hey, Juniors! You've done an amazing job so far of working on your YESS College Research sheets. They are filling up with great info about post-secondary programs you are interested in and ALL of the scholarships you are eligible to receive. Well done! 

Now it's time to take the NEXT STEP! The majority of college and scholarship applications require an essay or two. We'll start on those NOW so that you go into your Senior Year with a solid groundwork! Sure, you'll have to edit and update these essays. But you'll have a step ahead when you walk in for your Senior Year in 5 short months! 

A great place to start is with the Common Application Essay Prompts. Review the questions below. We'll work on answers to each of these prompts. Trust me, these will ALL be valuable to you next year as you apply for various programs and scholarships!

Once you've read over the prompts below, please email me and let me know which one you will BEGIN working on this week! Check out this post for some tips!

2017-2018 Common Application Essay Prompts

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. 

6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. 

$$ Scholarships $$

Hey, Seniors! I know we talk A LOT about scholarships...but you won't get them by talking! 

 YOU HAVE TO PUT IN WORK!

What's your game plan? How are you tackling this MAJOR PROJECT? 

Here are some ideas for managing all of the details, planning your timeline and WINNING! 

• Set aside time every week to work on scholarships. Add it to your calendar and COMMIT to making it happen!
• Start by searching for scholarships. Use the resources here! As you find scholarships you are eligible for, make a list in a spreadsheet! Prioritize! NOTE DEADLINES and Total $$$ you can earn! 
• Once you have a list, get started on the applications. You'll be applying for many so set up a system for tracking which ones you are applying for, your log in info, what paper work you may need to send or upload (ie ACT Score Sheet, your Transcript). 
• REMEMBER THE DEADLINES! Set reminders in your phone WELL BEFORE the scholarships are due. DON'T PROCRASTINATE. 
• Ask for Letters of Recommendation ASAP!!! (See here for info on how to best do this!)
• Have people you know well read your essay(s) AND have people you don't know so well help you too! Different perspectives and feedback will only strengthen your work!
• SUBMIT! SUBMIT! SUBMIT! Remember, you can't be awarded scholarships if you don't apply! 

Find more helpful info on how to find and apply for scholarships here.

$$ Scholarships $$

Hey, Seniors! I know we talk A LOT about scholarships...but you won't get them by talking! 

 YOU HAVE TO PUT IN WORK!

What's your game plan? How are you tackling this MAJOR PROJECT? 

Here are some ideas for managing all of the details, planning your timeline and WINNING! 

• Set aside time every week to work on scholarships. Add it to your calendar and COMMIT to making it happen!
• Start by searching for scholarships. Use the resources here! As you find scholarships you are eligible for, make a list in a spreadsheet! Prioritize! NOTE DEADLINES and Total $$$ you can earn! 
• Once you have a list, get started on the applications. You'll be applying for many so set up a system for tracking which ones you are applying for, your log in info, what paper work you may need to send or upload (ie ACT Score Sheet, your Transcript). 
• REMEMBER THE DEADLINES! Set reminders in your phone WELL BEFORE the scholarships are due. DON'T PROCRASTINATE. 
• Ask for Letters of Recommendation ASAP!!! (See here for info on how to best do this!)
• Have people you know well read your essay(s) AND have people you don't know so well help you too! Different perspectives and feedback will only strengthen your work!
• SUBMIT! SUBMIT! SUBMIT! Remember, you can't be awarded scholarships if you don't apply! 

Find more helpful info on how to find and apply for scholarships here.

FAFSA Preparation!

Hey Seniors! Your FAFSA Nights are FAST approaching...

Are you ready?! 

Below you'll find some helpful information (click the links!) about how to prepare, what to expect and what happens AFTER you've completed your application. Make sure you've signed up for an appointment in YOUR Future Center! 

Gathering the Documents Needed to Apply
Getting Help
Starting Your FAFSA^® and Providing Your Basic Personal Information
Listing Colleges and/or Career Schools
Determining Your Dependency Status
Reporting Parents’ Information
         Automatically Filling in Your Tax Information Using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool
         Determining When Tax Information Will Be Available Via the IRS DRT
Providing Financial Information
Signing and Submitting the FAFSA^®
Taking the Next Steps

 FAFSA is a FREE Application 

The FAFSA is FREE, so if a website asks you to pay to fill it out, you’re not dealing with the official FAFSA site. Remember, the FAFSA comes from the government, so it’s on a .gov site: fafsa.gov.

Check out this video: "After the FAFSA, what happens next?"

https://youtu.be/1c1gNefSw78?list=PL23B9A23CD8DD82DD

Here's some great information about accepting aid and what kind to accept first! Be sure to talk with a trusted adult (or two) about your awards. Remember when we talked about LOANS? You'll want to be extra thoughtful when considering these! 

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/next-steps/accept-aid

SEE YOU AT YOUR FAFSA NIGHT! 

Scholarship Opportunity!

Hey Seniors!

Here's some info on one of the MAJOR Scholarship Opportunities available to you.

From the Daniels Scholarship page:

"The Daniels Scholarship Program provides a four-year annually-renewable college scholarship for graduating high school seniors who demonstrate exceptional character, leadership, and a commitment to serving their communities."

Here's the thing: As a Mentor, you've shown the qualities that Daniels wants! 

Have a look at the website and let's get started on your application. http://www.danielsfund.org/scholarships/

First things first:

PREPARE TO COMPLETE THE FAFSA ASAP! 

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Here are some other details:

To be eligible for the Daniels Scholarship Program, students must satisfy the following requirements at the time of application:

• Demonstrate financial need
• Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States
• Be a resident of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, or Wyoming
• Be a high school senior graduating from a school in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, or Wyoming
• Earn ACT scores of at least 17 in each category (Math, English, Reading, Science); or an SAT Math score of at least 400 and Critical Reading score of at least 440. Writing scores are not required. All test scores must come from a single test and must be submitted by the application deadline. Super scoring is not accepted.

To get scores in time to apply, applicants must take
the ACT or SAT on or before:
To get scores in time to apply, applicants must take
the ACT or SAT on or before:
- ACT: October 22, 2016
- SAT: November 5, 2016
- SAT: November 5, 2016