Now that you have graduated, make a list of people who have helped you along the way. Of course, you must write thank you notes for any scholarship you have received, but it is also an excellent practice to always thank anyone and everyone who has encouraged you. At the very least, write email appreciations, but it is even more thoughtful to take the time to buy a box of blank cards (they don't have to be expensive or fancy) and write a thoughtful note. Be specific about what you most appreciated about have this person on your support team. Continue this practice throughout your life. Thank people who give you gifts as well as their time and expertise. Not only is this a gesture of respect, it will help people remember you in the future. It may be a thank you note
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The Carpe Diem Foundation is offering a great scholarship for their gap year programs to a low-income, first generation student. The student must be admitted to Portland State University, awarded a Pell grant and be a first generation college student. Click here for the application process. This is a great opportunity to travel internationally, earn credit and serve your community. The application deadline is June 1. Ask for an deadline extension if you need it! Let them know you just found out about the program.
Clackamas Community College is offering a free creative writing workshop on Saturday, June 1, 2013. Register soon. This is a great opportunity to improve your writing skills. Trust me: everyone needs to learn new writing techniques. This is a low-stress event (no grade), but attending indicates to colleges that you are interested in taking the initiative to grow and learn. You can use your new information for improving your college application essays, not to mention improving your work i
If you are looking to apply for a structured summer program, there are still some programs whose deadlines have not passed. I will list a few here. Most are relatively local.
The University of Oregon is offering an arts, architecture, and design camp at their Portland campus. Oregon State and the University of Portland are hosting Business Week camps. Oregon Tradeswomen is offering camps for middle school (wait list) and high school girls who are interested in learning skills in the building construction field. (This could also be useful information to understand in the field of engineering). This is a very inexpensive program: $25. The Oregon Writing Project is offering a workshop on writing college application essays. This is a bargain for the amount of help you will receive. The University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus has extended the deadline for their environmental summer program until May 31. Remember, you need a passport or an enhanced driver's license to go to Canada. Many of these programs are first-come, first-served. Apply now if you are interested. The Common Application is the most used application in applying to private colleges (and now a few public universities). Please do not use the fast applications that some colleges will send you. If they have offered the fast app to you as a free option, they also have to let you submit the Common Application (CA) without any cost to you. Ask the college admissions representative at that particular college how you can do that or write to me and I will give you the information. The fast apps shortchange your application and could affect your admission qualifications or the amount of scholarships you may be offered. The CA goes live on August 1 each year for the upcoming application season, but you can begin working on your essays before then. The new prompts are outlined below. Remember, applying to college is like adding another AP or IB course to your schedule. Get as much done in the summer as possible! Don't forget to check each college's website for early scholarship application deadlines. If you do not apply by these deadlines, you will not be offered any scholarships. Not all schools have early deadlines, but you don't want to miss those that do. Here are the new essay questions. You should write around 500 words, but no more than 650 words and no fewer than 250 will be accepted.
Here's the official link to this page on the common application website. Dear Juniors and Seniors,
As you are applying for colleges, please check your email regularly and read it! Maybe someday colleges will text you your admission decision or reminders to complete forms, but at the moment, they expect you to read your email. Huge problems occur when you do not read your email carefully. I know that the colleges send many emails that just remind you about how great their programs are, but there are key emails that remind you of scholarship deadlines, set up interview times, let you know that your application is not complete. If you are not sure if an email is important, ask a parent or mentor if you can forward puzzling emails to them, so they can support you in making sure everything gets done on time. May send you login information to the college system which allows you to see what needs to be completed. You might want to create a folder in your email where you store this important information. Missing an important email can cost you your admission or a scholarship. It can delay your financial aid award to a later time when there is less money available to award. Please find an organized adult who will support you in this process! The New York Times (NYT) and National Public Radio (NPR) recently featured stories about highly selective colleges failing to find or meet the needs of low-income, high-achieving students. These students have generally received a different kind of support in their homes and communities than middle-class or upper-class students. Many of these students will be the first in their family to attend college. Some of the parents speak little English. Most attend large public high schools where budget cuts have been deeply implemented for years. Most school counselors in Portland have a caseload of 400 students or more.
In my work with these students, most recently through Minds Matter, I find that these students each need a different kind of support. Some are fiercely independent, refusing help because they don't think they need it. They fill out the complicated FAFSA and CSS Profile forms, without asking what many of the financial terms mean. Others are amazing writers, but like to have a mentor always around throughout the writing process, with whom to discuss all the great thoughts and ideas emerging. As with all teenagers, some beat the deadlines easily, and have time to absorb lots of feedback about their work. Others wait until the last minute, and therefore receive little support in sharing their best work. The challenge for colleges and high school mentors is to get to know the students well enough to know how much and what kind of support is needed. It's hard to know someone well unless you have many hours of work with them and have the privilege of being with them both in hard times and relaxed times. If you are applying to Portland State University, please note that they have a February 1 scholarship deadline. While many colleges consider all students who apply to the colleges for all scholarships, many colleges require a separate scholarship application by a specific deadline. Find this information about each of your colleges by clicking on the scholarship tab on each school' website. Don't miss out on free money because you didn't do your research or because you ran out of time.
I hope you are all planning to attend the Financial Aid Information nights at your school or in your district. These nights typically go over the details of filing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which makes it much easier to fill out that application when January 1 comes around. The FAFSA can not be filed until January 1 for students entering college in the Fall, 2013. Please be sure to go to fafsa.ed.gov and NOT fafsa.com. The government site is free; the other site charges you money. You can get someone to help you for free.
A free FAFSA Information session is being sponsored by the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, January 12, from 11:00am-12:30pm and from 1:00pm-2:30pm. It will be held at the NELA Center for Student Success, 1500 NE Irving, near the Lloyd Center. Space is limited, so reserve your spot in advance. Call 503.222.0280 or email tsanchez@hmccoregon.com. Alex Gonzalez will be the very knowledgeable presenter. You can also get personal help with the FAFSA by attending College Goal Oregon (www.collegegoaloregon.gov). All the PCC campuses will be helping on January 5, from 9am until 12noon. There are other locations and dates listed on the website. Also, check the financial aid page for each college to which you are applying. Many of the small, selective colleges also require the CSS Profile to be completed. This is available through the College Board at www.collegeboard.org. This is not free to file (unless you are recognized as having a low income by the college board when the form is complete, in which case they will allow you to send the Profile to six colleges for free) and boasts many more questions. It is available now. Some colleges also have their own additional financial aid forms. I recommend that all financial aid forms be completed by January 30, at the absolute latest. These forms put you in line for money and colleges have limited funds. Get in line early, so you will be offered the best financial aid package each college can offer. Sometimes I take it for granted that students know how to advocate for themselves. I know this is not true, but I am remembering it anew. If you have a class with a teacher whose teaching style is not helping you learn, it is your right and your responsibility to make sure you let the teacher know what will help you. Get your counselor to help you articulate your needs and make a plan for conferencing with the teacher. Maybe your counselor will go with you.
Meet with your teacher and let her know what works well, and what other assistance you need. Be reasonable, but also be clear about what will help you. Be responsible in following through on your part: turn your assignments on time and keep all appointments you have made with the teacher. Do the best work you can and make sure it is your own work. If you do not feel listened to, it is time to talk to a school principal or vice-principal. Ask how you can communicate more clearly. Adults will let you know if what you are asking for is unreasonable or impossible to change. The most important point I want to make is that this is your education and you have a right to a good one. Please do not assume that you are not good at a particular subject because you have worked with a teacher whose teaching style does not match your learning style. Finally, if you have worked with a teacher for a year and continue to find that you do not work well together, insist on a different teacher the following year. |
AuthorKathy Garrett has been a school counselor for over 30 years, and a college counselor for well over a decade. Archives
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