Scholarships! Private and Institutional!

Hey Seniors! If you've been slacking on scholarship applications, now is the time to ramp up your search and completion of apps.

Remember to look for Private AND Institutional scholarships. Private scholarships will be the ones offered by different businesses (McDonald's) and organizations (like YESS!). Institutional scholarships are offered by the schools you've been accepted to and are ONLY valid if you attend the school that awards you the scholarship. So, you can't use a scholarship from Metro to attend CCD!

Take some time to identify your top 2-3 colleges of choice and begin scholarship applications for EACH of these schools. Perhaps your 2nd choice school will give you a ton of scholarship $$$ and that may impact your decision on where to attend. We don't want to close any doors too soon!

You can usually find institutional scholarships by logging into your portal/dashboard for each school. Let me know if you have any questions! Some schools have built in search engines so you can enter your GPA, for example, and the search will identify which scholarships you can submit. Other schools will require more search time from you. Please remember you can share your essays for review with yess.emily@gmail.com as google docs!

Most institutional scholarships are due March 1st. Be sure to confirm deadlines for each of your top choice schools! This HAS to be something you set aside time for like homework or a part time job. Remember, the rewards for winning scholarships will PAY OFF next year!

I've done some college research but...

" I've done some college research but..." 

• I don't remember what schools I looked up.
• I liked some of the schools I looked at but forget why. 
• I researched so many schools, they are all running together.
• none of them are in a city. 
• etc, etc. 

Remember the research grid some of you completed last week? Well, here is something similar in digital form SO YOU WON'T LOSE IT and you can update it regularly. As you do your college (re)search, keep this document open in another window and ADD the answers as you look through college webpages. Then the info is ALWAYS available to you. Fill in as much info in each box as you can! 

Make sure that when you open this google sheet, you opt to make a copy of it and save it to your own drive. Once you open the document via the link below, click file and select "Make a copy..."
If you have questions on how to do this, just let me know! I'll check your "My College (re)Search" sheet next time I see you, so get started TODAY! 

Here's the link to the sheet.

I completed my FAFSA>>>Now what?

High five for completing your FAFSA! But that's just the beginning of your financial aid journey. Take a few minutes to watch the video below:

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

Keep an eye on emails from FAFSA. You'll receive one with a link to your SAR shortly after submitting your FAFSA application. You may want to search your inbox for FAFSA and/or SAR (student aid report) to be sure you haven't missed it! Some students didn't read the whole thing and never got to the link for the SAR!

If you've already been admitted to any colleges, follow the steps provided in your admission paperwork/email to access your account for that school. Some of them may also create an institutional email address for you. You'll want to check that regularly (at least once a week!) in case they send you information about financial aid and enrollment to that email address! Consider making a calendar reminder to check weekly!

Check out the info provided by FAFSA about Next Steps here. There's info about verification, your SAR, how to claim your award $, and some details about the loan process should you choose to accept a loan.

Always talk to a trusted adult or friend about financial aid decisions. Remember you'll get financial aid packages from all the schools for which you submitted an application. You'll want to compare these offers as you decide what school to attend! Don't commit to anything until you've considered your options from a financial perspective too!!!

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! 

Letters of Recommendation!

It's that time of year, Seniors! I hope you all are making use of a checklist like this one or this one!

Get in the habit of setting reminders on your phone or other calendar so that you don't miss any deadlines! 

I'm sure you are all ready for your FAFSA completion. So, let's talk about another important step!

Letters of Recommendation!

 Yes, you HAVE to ask a teacher or two, maybe a counselor as well to say nice things about you. Below are some helpful hints on how to ask, what to prepare for your teachers/counselors, and how to stand out!

How to Get a Great Letter of Recommendation

from: big future by College Board

Colleges often ask for two or three recommendation letters from people who know you well. These letters should be written by someone who can describe your skills, accomplishments and personality.

Colleges value recommendations because they:

• Reveal things about you that grades and test scores can’t
• Provide personal opinions of your character
• Show who is willing to speak on your behalf

Letters of recommendation work for you when they present you in the best possible light, showcasing your skills and abilities.

When to Ask for Recommendations

Make sure to give your references at least one month before your earliest deadline to complete and send your letters. The earlier you ask, the better. Many teachers like to write recommendations during the summer. If you apply under early decision or early action plans, you'll definitely need to ask for recommendations by the start of your senior year or before.

Remember that some teachers will be writing whole stacks of letters, which takes time. Your teachers will do a better job on your letter if they don’t have to rush.

Whom to Ask

It’s your job to find people to write letters of recommendation for you. Follow these steps to start the process:

• Read each of your college applications carefully. Schools often ask for letters of recommendation from an academic teacher — sometimes in a specific subject — or a school counselor or both.
• Ask a counselor, teachers and your family who they think would make good references.
• Choose one of your teachers from junior year or a current teacher who has known you for a while. Colleges want a current perspective on you, so a teacher from several years ago isn't the best choice.
• Consider asking a teacher who also knows you outside the classroom. For example, a teacher who directed you in a play or advised your debate club can make a great reference.
• Consider other adults — such as an employer, a coach or an adviser from an activity outside of school — who have a good understanding of you and your strengths.
• Perhaps most important, pick someone who will be enthusiastic about writing the letter for you.
• If you’re unsure about asking someone in particular, politely ask if he or she feels comfortable recommending you. That’s a good way to avoid weak letters.

How to Get the Best Recommendations

Some teachers write many recommendation letters each year. Even if they know you well, it’s a good idea to take some time to speak with them. Make it easy for them to give positive, detailed information about your achievements and your potential by refreshing their memory.

Here’s how:

• Talk to them about your class participation.
• Remind them of specific work or projects you’re proud of.
• Tell them what you learned in class.
• Mention any challenges you overcame.
• Give them the information they need to provide specific examples of your work.
• If you need a recommendation letter from a counselor or other school official, follow these guidelines:
• Make an appointment ahead of time.
• Talk about your accomplishments, hobbies and plans for college and the future.
• If you need to discuss part of your transcript — low grades during your sophomore year, for example — do so. Explain why you had difficulty and discuss how you've changed and improved since then.

Whether approaching teachers, a counselor or another reference, you may want to provide them with a resume that briefly outlines your activities, both in and outside the classroom, and your goals.

Final Tips

The following advice is easy to follow and can really pay off:

• Waive your right to view recommendation letters on your application forms. Admission officers will trust them more if you haven’t seen them.
• Give your references addressed and stamped envelopes for each college that requested a recommendation.
• Make sure your references know the deadlines for each college.
• Follow up with your references a week or so before recommendations are due to make sure your letters have been sent.
• Once you’ve decided which college to attend, write thank-you notes. Tell your references where you’re going and let them know how much you appreciate their support.

Find Your Top Colleges!

Find Your Top Colleges! 

Do you know you want to go to college but you aren't sure where? There are so many options out there to explore. A FUN way to do this is by taking quizzes online. Remember, these quizzes are for FUN but you can learn about schools, majors, and locations that you may not have considered or even knew existed. 

Have FUN exploring.

Answer some questions about what you are looking for in a college experience and get some new ideas! 

http://www.forbes.com/search/top-colleges/?result=smrrbls

Which Top College is right for you?

http://www.forbes.com/top-college-quiz/

Big Future will guide you.

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search

Things to Consider When Researching Colleges

like food....for example. :)

http://blog.quizbean.com/24-factors-to-make-your-college-decision-easier/

Not sure what you want to study? That's ok! But here's a QUICK quiz that may help narrow it down.

http://getcollegecredit.com/blog/article/which_major_is_right_for_you

*Remember, these are all for fun. They can expose you to new ideas for your college pathway for sure. But you decision should come after careful consideration and conversations with the people who know you the best! Ask lots of questions. Interview your favorite teacher on their college decision. Talk to friends and family who've gone to college. Talk to friends and family who haven't gone to college. Ask lots of questions!