| PARENT/GUARDIAN
CORNER |
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| This section provides Web site links to
topics relevant to parents/guardians of Ventures Scholars. |
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| ASK THE
EXPERTS |
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The Answers from the Experts section provides
for Ventures Scholars to learn new information from other
Ventures Scholars and VSP Consortium members. Ventures
Scholars can submit articles that provide helpful information
to other Ventures Scholars. Ventures Scholars can also
ask questions to member
institutions. Articles, questions and answers are posted
in the biweekly e-newsletter and then placed on the VSP
Web site (www.venturescholar.org/hs/answers/experts.html).
To submit an article, go to http://www.venturescholar.org/hs/answers/submission.asp.
If you would like
to ask a question to member institutions, please email
the question to webmaster@ventures.org.
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Ventures Scholars are invited to ask questions and
obtain answers to the questions. Questions and answers
will appear in the biweekly e-newsletter and on the
Ventures Scholars Program Web site. To read questions
posed by other Ventures Scholars, please go to www.venturescholar.org/hs/answers/experts.html.
If you would like to submit a question, please email
questions to webmaster@ventures.org.
This week's questions:
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Lack
of Transportation Limiting Community Service –
Can't Apply for Scholarships
I have been really taking time and trying
hard to apply for as many scholarships that I can.
Most of the scholarships want to know about your
community service but I don't really have community
service because I don't drive yet or have a car
and it's my senior year and I can't participate
in many things because of a lack of transportation.
It's not easy for my parents to take me everywhere
so they don't want me getting involved in anything
if I can't be committed to it because of no transportation.
I don't know what else to do. How can I apply for
scholarships that ask for community service and
hours spent a week if I don't have any? It's not
that I don't want to be involved in my community,
it is just that I can't be involved. I do as many
service projects as I can through clubs at school
but I want to be involved in a long-term volunteer
activity. I am going to miss out on a lot of scholarship
opportunities because of that. Do you have any advice?
Click here to view responses.
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Accessing
Summer Science and Research Opportunities for Graduating
Seniors
I'm at a cross roads. Since, I was eight, I knew
that I wanted to work with the animals, study plants
for healing and herbs, and travel the world. I also
knew that I wanted to be able to speak several languages.
As I got older, I thought the closest college course
to attain any of the above was zoology. The botany
part I had to omit because I was not aware that
one could design their own major. Now, I don't know
whether I want to be a translator for a while in
be a language major in college, only to go to a
special liberal environmental college like Northland
University to get degrees that embrace my thirst
for helping/ studying animals and plant life. I'd
much appreciate any advice you have to offer.
Click here to view responses.
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Scholarship
Opportunities for North American Indian
My daughter is a registered North American
Indian. We are trying to locate specific information
on scholarships and/or other financial aid programs
specifically available to help out students of native
Indian ancestry. Can you help?
Click here to view responses.
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Sports
An Important Factor in College Decision
I'm a Ventures Scholar, but also a serious
competitive athlete. I play tennis everyday, usually
at least two times a day and travel within the country
for tournaments. If tennis will one of my top priorities
in college (I graduate 2006), yet I'm getting college
letters mostly for academics, how do I go about
making sure they know I'm still interested, but
my acceptance to the team is the biggest factor
of my decision?
Click here to view responses.
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Taking
SAT Multiple Times
Is there any downside to taking the SATs
multiple times? Is there any
downside to taking the SATII subject tests multiple
times? If I ask the College Board to send you my
scores, will you get every SAT I and II that I have
ever taken? Will you really ignore the low scores?
Click here to view responses.
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Moving
and Concern about the Academic Consequences
By unfortunate economic reasons, a family
has to relocate to another state and our high school
junior with an accumulated GPA 4.0/4.0 and SAT over
1500 will have to attend another school, how will
that be accepted by the colleges and future application?
How can the parents minimize the impact of such
events?
Click here to view responses.
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Scholarships
for VS Interested in Pharmacy
I have recently been admitted to the Pharmacy
college and also been selected as a finalist for
their leadership scholarship. Any award amount I
receive will be much appreciated, but I will need
more financial assistance. Do you know of any other
scholarship or grant opportunities for students
interested in studying pharmacy?
Click here to view responses.
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Majoring
in Business
Since I plan on majoring in business (most
likely marketing), what can I do to prepare myself?
(curriculum, etc.)
Click here to view responses.
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Interested
in Becoming a Bilingual School Psychologist
I am interested in becoming a bilingual
school psychologist. A school psychologist requires
3 years of graduate school after college. Should
my college undergraduate major be in Spanish with
a minor in psychology or the other way around? Are
dual majors an option or do they take forever to
graduate?
Click here to view responses.
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Looking
for Certified Library Science School
Looking for a certified school for library
science which also has degree in publishing and
editing Does such a college exist. Prefer undergraduate
to graduate program combination. And if at all possible
in Pennsylvania. Asking for a lot. Appreciate your
help.
Click here to view responses.
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| "I have been really taking
time and trying hard to apply for as many scholarships
that I can. Most of the scholarships want to know about
your community service but I don't really have community
service because I don't drive yet or have a car and
it's my senior year and I can't participate in many
things because of a lack of transportation. It's not
easy for my parents to take me everywhere so they don't
want me getting involved in anything if I can't be committed
to it because of no transportation. I don't know what
else to do. How can I apply for scholarships that ask
for community service and hours spent a week if I don't
have any? It's not that I don't want to be involved
in my community, it is just that I can't be involved.
I do as many service projects as I can through clubs
at school but I want to be involved in a long-term volunteer
activity. I am going to miss out on a lot of scholarship
opportunities because of that. Do you have any advice?"
Responses were sent from:
Texas State University-San Marcos, and Juniata College.
Member Institution and Association Answers
In applying for the scholarship, write an explanation
for your lack of community service. Also, be positive
about what you have done via your school clubs that
falls in the area of service. You also need to realize,
that many scholarship committees are looking for the
depth of your commitment. Senior year is late to start
thinking about community service. My advice to younger
Venture Scholars is to find an area of community service
that fits your passion and give it your all.
Christie Kangas
Director of Admissions
Texas State University-San Marcos
P: 512-245-2803
F: 512-245-8044
E: ck10@txstate.edu
Many schools offer scholarships that are based entirely
on merit. For example, Juniata College awards scholarships
based solely on students' high school transcript and
standardized test scores in addition to some of our
more competitive scholarships that take extra-curricular
activities into account. Also, think about the things
that you do outside of the classroom that don't require
you to travel. Are you an artist or musician? Are
you involved in youth groups or other activities within
your place of worship? You may find that expanding
your own definition of what constitutes an extra-curricular
activity or community involvement may help you to
find more scholarships for which you may be eligible.
Heather R. Doyle
Admission Counselor
Multicultural Recruitment
Juniata College
Huntingdon, PA
814-641-3430
doyleh@juniata.edu
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| "First, I want to thank
you for all the help you have been. The Ventures Scholars
Program has made the guidance I needed available. I
am very grateful and honored to be a part of this program.
Reading about the summer opportunities in the newsletter,
I noticed many of the programs are for high school students
or students that have already completed college courses.
I will be graduating this June, and I was curious if
you can offer any guidance on programs available to
rising college freshmen this summer. I am particularly
interested in science and research programs. Music programs
will also help. Thank you very much."
Responses were sent from:
Juniata College.
Member Institution and Association Answers
I'd recommend looking into schools that have ongoing
research programs. Contact the departments directly
to talk about opportunities for summer internships.
Also, many larger universities have summer camp programs
in the sciences available to students between HS and
college, though they can be a bit pricey. You could
also try contacting the school you are planning to
attend next year to ask if they have any summer research
opportunities available. (Terri Bollman, Director
of Admission)
Heather R. Doyle
Admission Counselor
Multicultural Recruitment
Juniata College
Huntingdon, PA
814-641-3430
doyleh@juniata.edu
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| "My daughter is a registered
North American Indian. We are trying to locate specific
information on scholarships and/or other financial aid
programs specifically available to help out students
of native Indian ancestry. Can you help?"
Responses were sent from:
Whitman College, and Juniata College.
Member Institution and Association Answers
Whitman College has a generous Diversity Scholarship
program. These scholarships meet between 80 and 90
percent of a student’s demonstrated financial
need with gift aid (minimizing the need for loan or
student employment). Students who do not demonstrate
financial need are eligible for our non-need based
scholarships ranging from $2,000-$25,000 per year.
Diversity scholarships are renewable for a student’s
full career at Whitman College. Admitted students
are selected based upon their experience with and
willingness to contribute to the discussion of issues
in our multicultural world. Ideal candidates are students
who come from families in which no one has attended
college, students with multicultural backgrounds,
and/or students who have been active in issues regarding
multiculturalism.
If you are interested in learning more about Whitman's
financial aid opportunities, please visit our website
at http://www.whitman.edu/financial_aid/.
Lori Hunt
Admission Officer
Multicultural Recruitment Coordinator
Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA
(877) 462-9448
huntlo@whitman.edu
While there are many scholarships out there specifically
for students of Native American Ancestry, remember
not to overlook more generalized scholarship programs
for multicultural students. Many schools, Juniata
included, have scholarships for students who are dedicated
to promoting multiculturalism on their campuses and/or
are members of traditionally underrepresented ethnic
groups.
Heather R. Doyle
Admission Counselor
Multicultural Recruitment
Juniata College
Huntingdon, PA
814-641-3430
doyleh@juniata.edu
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| "I'm a Ventures Scholar,
but also a serious competitive athlete. I play tennis
everyday, usually at least two times a day and travel
within the country for tournaments. If tennis will one
of my top priorities in college (I graduate 2006), yet
I'm getting college letters mostly for academics, how
do I go about making sure they know I'm still interested,
but my acceptance to the team is the biggest factor
of my decision?"
Responses were sent from:
Whitman College, Texas State University-San Marcos,
Juniata College, and Union College.
Member Institution and Association Answers
If you are interested in attending a college with
the intentions of playing on a varsity team, the best
way to get recognized by an athletic department is
to contact the coach at the school. In doing so you
can begin a relationship, learn more about the schools
program and let the coaches know of your interest.
After a coach is aware that you are interested in
playing for their school, they can begin requesting
your athletic résumé.
If you are interested in Tennis at a Division III
school, contact Jeff Northam, Director of Tennis at
northajw@whitman.edu.
You can also visit the Whitman College athletic website
at www.whitman.edu/athletics/sport_pages.
Lori Hunt
Admission Officer
Multicultural Recruitment Coordinator
Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA
(877) 462-9448
huntlo@whitman.edu
We would advise anyone interested in a sport to have
their current coach contact the coach at the college
or university where you have interest. The coach is
in a good position to answer questions the college
coach needs to know before they will try to recruit
you. It's great that you have the academic profile
too. After all you want be a STUDENT-athlete--the
emphasis is intentional.
Christie Kangas
Director of Admissions
Texas State University-San Marcos
P: 512-245-2803
F: 512-245-8044
E: ck10@txstate.edu
You can let colleges know that sports are a major
part of your college search in a number of ways: You
can include it in your application essay, talk about
it during an interview, contact a coach (which you
should already be doing if playing a sport in college
is important to you), or just contact your enrollment
counselor individually and let him/her know where
you stand on this issue. There's no reason to hide
your interest; most counselors know that college is
about more than just academics; after all, it's 4
years of your life! Make sure to send the coaches
a tape of you playing the sport in question-that way
they'll be able to make an accurate assessment of
your skill and let you know if you have what it takes
to play at their institutions.
Heather R. Doyle
Admission Counselor
Multicultural Recruitment
Juniata College
Huntingdon, PA
814-641-3430
doyleh@juniata.edu
I advise you to look for colleges offering the academics
and sports that match your abilities and interests.
When you have found the colleges you prefer, write
to the tennis coach to mention your interest. Remember,
if tennis doesn’t work out, you want to be at
a place where you can be happy without it.
Diane Crozier
Union College
Schenectady, NY
crozierd@union.edu
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| "Is there any downside
to taking the SATs multiple times? Is there any downside
to taking the SAT II subject tests multiple times? If
I ask the College Board to send you my scores, will
you get every SAT I and II that I have ever taken? Will
you really ignore the low scores?"
Responses were sent from:
Whitman College, Juniata College, Union College, Cooper
Union, and Rochester Institute of Technology.
Member Institution and Association Answers
Whitman College requires that students complete the
SAT I or the ACT for admission to the college. If
a student takes the SAT I multiple times, we will
consider the best verbal, math and writing scores
out of all tests as your final score. When reviewing
the ACT, we look at the best composite score. Whitman
College does not require the SAT II but would recommend
a student take the subject test if their SAT I testing
was below average. When the College Board sends your
scores to the college, all test dates and scores become
a part of your record.
Lori Hunt
Admission Officer
Multicultural Recruitment Coordinator
Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA
(877) 462-9448
huntlo@whitman.edu
There's no drawback to taking the SAT multiple times
(at least not as far as Juniata College is concerned).
We'll actually look at your best verbal and your best
math - even if they are not on the same test! It can,
however, be expensive and unnecessary to take the
test multiple times. My advice is to take the test
as many times as you need to, keeping in mind that
few students change their scores very much when taking
the test multiple times within the same school year.
I also recommend taking the ACT. It's a different
kind of test, and some students find that they'll
score better on one than the other. Most colleges
and Universities will accept either test. If, after
all of that, you still feel that your scores might
hinder you from getting into a good college, check
out schools that have SAT optional programs. More
and more schools offering students who are academically
excellent, but who's standardized test scores may
not be accurately representing their potential, the
opportunity to apply without submitting those scores.
Heather R. Doyle
Admission Counselor
Multicultural Recruitment
Juniata College
Huntingdon, PA
814-641-3430
doyleh@juniata.edu
We will see all the scores for every test you take.
Taking the test multiple times is expensive and stressful.
I think you can definitely overdo it, especially if
you are not seeing great differences after a few testings.
Diane Crozier
Union College
Schenectady, NY
crozierd@union.edu
At Cooper Union, we do not penalize the student for
taking the SAT 1 and 2 multiple times. My recommendation
is to take the SAT 1 no more than three times and
the SAT 2 no more than two times per subject. There
comes a point where taking the test becomes detrimental
to your overall health!
Because most colleges report the highest combined
SAT 1 score and highest earned SAT 2 to boost their
first year profile, it will certainly not adversely
affect your application review by taking the test
more than once.
Also, most colleges understand that there sometimes
a student has an "off-day". Students can
be ill and experience other factors that may lower
the overall score on a given test date.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate
to contact me at lipton@cooper.edu
Mitchell Lipton
Associate Dean of Admissions and Records
Cooper Union
lipton@cooper.edu
AT RIT, we encourage students to take the SAT or
ACT at least twice. Studies show that students increase
their scores the second time and for some students,
it is a pretty significant increase. However, studies
also show that after taking them multiple times, the
scores do not really increase that much and it begins
to become expensive for the student. We use the best
combined SAT or ACT score. If a student takes both
exams, we will use the better test. When the scores
come directly from the testing service, they provide
us with all test dates and scores. If a student is
satisfied with their test score, we will not force
them to take them over.
Sally Douglas
Rochester Institute of Technology
smdadm@rit.edu
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| "By unfortunate economic
reasons, a family has to relocate to another state and
our high school junior with an accumulated GPA 4.0/4.0
and SAT over 1500 will have to attend another school,
how will that be accepted by the colleges and future
application? How can the parents minimize the impact
of such events?"
Responses were sent from:
Gettysburg College, Whitman College, Mary Baldwin College,
and Union College.
Member Institution and Association Answers
Colleges and universities receive several applications
each year from students who change schools for a variety
of reasons, but generally, our admissions staffs do
not penalize students who are facing situations that
are beyond their control. Family illnesses, relocations,
etc. fall into that category of events, so we just
ask that as your child adjusts to his/her new environment,
you should get to know the counselor and teachers
at the school as well as is possible so that recommendations
will continue to have substance, and you may look
into the possibility of securing a recommendation
from a current junior year teacher.
Getting involved in a few extracurricular activities
may help to ensure a smoother transition to your son's/daughter's
new environment as well. The most important priority
is that your child adjust to the new school intellectually,
which should not be a problem with someone who has
already accomplished as much as he/she has.
Darryl W. Jones
Senior Associate Director of Admission/
Coordinator for Multicultural Student Admission
Gettysburg College
300 N. Washington Street
Gettysburg, PA 17325
AIM: DWJGburgAdmiss
(717) 337-6100/(800) 431-0803
Most colleges would not penalize a student for relocating
schools due to a family move. If a student has to
move the best advice would be to take the most challenging
courses available at the new school. Whitman College
looks at the transcript for grades, course rigor and
trends. It may also be helpful when completing the
application to use any additional comment space to
notify the admission committee of the reason for the
switch in schools.
Lori Hunt
Admission Officer
Multicultural Recruitment Coordinator
Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA
(877) 462-9448
huntlo@whitman.edu
I don't see how that would be a problem for most
schools. The main focus is to make sure the student
stays on track with his/her course of study. If he/she
was taking honors, AP, or IB classes while attending
the previous high school make sure that he/she continues
to do the same at the new high school. Also once your
student has decided what colleges or universities
they are applying to you will need to obtain official
copies of their transcripts from the previous school.
Keep your child focused on academics, as well as extracurricular
activities that may have been of some importance in
their lives.
Drisana Garlington
Admissions Counselor for Minority Recruitment
Mary Baldwin College
Staunton, VA.24401
1-800-468-2262
dgarling@mbc.edu
These are circumstances beyond your control. When
your child is applying to colleges, it is important
for him/her to explain the circumstances in writing.
Colleges are usually very understanding about these
things.
Dianne Crozier
Union College
Schenectady, New York
crozierd@union.edu
518-388-6112
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| "I have recently been admitted
to the Pharmacy college and also been selected as a
finalist for their leadership scholarship. Any award
amount I receive will be much appreciated, but I will
need more financial assistance. Do you know of any other
scholarship or grant opportunities for students interested
in studying pharmacy?"
Responses were sent from:
Juniata College.
Member Institution and Association Answers
You might try looking into some sholarships offered
by "chain parmacies" like Rite Aid, Eckerd,
CVS, or Walgreens. Check out their websights or contact
them directly; tell them what scholarships you've
already earned and ask if they're willing to match
them. In any event, it can't hurt to try. (Terri Bollman,
Director of Admssion, Juniata College)
Heather R. Doyle
Admission Counselor
Multicultural Recruitment
Juniata College
Huntingdon, PA
814-641-3430
doyleh@juniata.edu
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| "Since I plan on majoring
in business (most likely marketing), what can I do to
prepare myself? (curriculum, etc.)"
Responses were sent from:
Texas State University-San Marcos, Juniata College,
and Union College.
Member Institution and Association Answers
Students preparing for a business degree need both
strong math and communication skills. In most university
business programs you'll be taking some level of calculus
and statistics so you need a strong
quantitative foundation. Business majors also need
strong writing and speaking skills. Look for opportunities
in your high school work to sharpen these skills.
Christie Kangas
Director of Admissions
Texas State University-San Marcos
P: 512-245-2803
F: 512-245-8044
E: ck10@txstate.edu
The best way to prepare yourself, regardless of
what you'll be studying in college, is to challenge
yourself as much as possible in high school. Take
honors and AP courses if they're available. If your
high school has classes that you can take for college
credit, great! If not, take some courses at your local
community college in the summer. The more you challenge
yourself in high school, the more prepared you will
be for the academic rigors of college, and the more
likely you are to be accepted into the school of your
choice!
Don't think that because you are interested in studying
business, you should be taking business and consumer
math courses in high school. Those courses could actually
hurt your chances of getting into a good school. Take
the usual college prep math courses (Algebra, Trigonometry,
Calculus, etc.), and if you want to get an idea of
what business courses are like at the college level,
take business courses at a local community college.
Heather R. Doyle
Admission Counselor
Multicultural Recruitment
Juniata College
Huntingdon, PA
814-641-3430
doyleh@juniata.edu
My advice is to take the solid academic courses
in math, science, English etc. You never know, you
may change your mind about your college major and
you want to have a sound foundation academically.
Most colleges will be looking at your performance
in major academic subjects.
Diane Crozier
Union College
Schenectady, NY
crozierd@union.edu
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| "I am interested in becoming
a bilingual school psychologist. A school psychologist
requires 3 years of graduate school after college. Should
my college undergraduate major be in Spanish with a
minor in psychology or the other way around? Are dual
majors an option or do they take forever to graduate?"
Responses were sent from:
Whitman College, Illinois College, Mary Baldwin College,
Juniata College, and Union College.
Member Institution and Association Answers
A student interesting in becoming a bilingual school
psychologist would major in Psychology and minor in
Spanish at Whitman College. A liberal arts and science
education allows a student to have a well rounded
college experience and might even allow for a double
psych-Spanish major.
Lori Hunt
Admission Officer
Multicultural Recruitment Coordinator
Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA
(877) 462-9448
huntlo@whitman.edu
I would encourage students to double major in Psychology
and Spanish.
It is very easy, at Illinois College, to double major
and still graduate in a total of 4 years.
The classes you would take for both Psychology and
Spanish will also count for many of our general education
requirements. The "liberal arts" philosophy
will allow students to have many of their Psychology
and Spanish courses satisfy the general education
requirements.
You would be able to mix in a semester of study abroad
in Spain and still graduate in four years. What a
better way to learn Spanish than by living in Spain
for a semester or a year!
Rick Bystry
Illinois College
rlbystry@hilltop.ic.edu
I would suggest trying a dual major, especially
if you plan to be a true bilingual professional. It
would also behoove you to do your internships in areas
of your city that require a bilingual school psychologist.
When applying for colleges you will need to do some
strong and concise research on what they offer for
both majors and how your college career will be affected
by completing a dual major. I strongly suggest looking
more towards small colleges with strong backgrounds
in foreign languages and sciences.
Smaller colleges will tend to offer more options
for dual majors as well as advising that allows the
student to complete his/her undergraduate degree in
four years. Also smaller colleges allow room for more
unique internships that are widely available. I hope
this helps!
Drisana Garlington
Admissions Counselor for Minority Recruitment
Mary Baldwin College
Staunton, VA 24401
1-800-468-2262
dgarling@mbc.edu
What you should study at the bachelor's level will
depend a great deal on where you decide to get that
degree. At Juniata College, for example, we allow
students to design their own program of study, so
a "double major" would be unnecessary. You
could actually design a program (with the help of
your two advisors, of course) that includes both Psychology
and Spanish, without taking any extra time to complete
your degree. Different colleges and universities offer
varying levels of flexibility in their programs. You
just have to choose the one that fits you best!
Heather R. Doyle
Admission Counselor
Multicultural Recruitment
Juniata College
Huntingdon, PA
814-641-3430
doyleh@juniata.edu
You may have a double major in Spanish and psychology
as an undergraduate and then pursue your graduate
degree in psychology. I would concentrate more on
Spanish as an undergraduate. Your graduate courses
are likely to give you the intensive training you
will need for becoming a school psychologist. If you
would like more information, you may contact graduate
programs in psychology.
Diane Crozier
Union College
Schenectady, NY
crozierd@union.edu
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| "Looking for a certified
school for library science which also has degree in
publishing and editing Does such a college exist. Prefer
undergraduate to graduate program combination. And if
at all possible in Pennsylvania. Asking for a lot. Appreciate
your help."
Responses were sent from:
Juniata College.
Member Institution and Association Answers
We're not aware of any undergraduate Library Science
programs in PA, although there may be some schools
where you can get an undergraduate degree that would
allow you to be a school librarian at the elementary
or high school level. That being said, graduate programs
in Library Science are not hard to come by, and you
can often get your graduate degree in as little as
one year. (John Mumford, Library Direcotor, Juniata
College)
Heather R. Doyle
Admission Counselor
Multicultural Recruitment
Juniata College
Huntingdon, PA
814-641-3430
doyleh@juniata.edu
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| TIMELINE FOR VENTURES SCHOLARS |
[top of page] |
| (Thanks to NACAC and College Board for providing
this important information.) |
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| Juniors
- Meet with your guidance counselor to discuss your
preliminary list of colleges. Discuss whether your
initial list of colleges meets your needs and interests
(academic program, size, location, cost, etc.) and
whether you are considering colleges where you are
likely to be admitted. You should be optimistic and
realistic when applying to colleges.
- Register for the March SAT I if you have completed
the math courses covered on the SAT I. If not, plan
to take the SAT I in May or June. Prepare for the
SAT I or ACT by signing up for a prep course, using
computer software, or doing the SAT/ACT practice tests
available in the counseling office or at bookstores.
But don't spend so much time trying to improve standardized
test scores that grades and co-curricular involvement
suffer.
- Plan to keep your momentum going and avoid senioritis
next year by continuing to take challenging classes.
- Plan to visit colleges this spring while they're
in session. Be sure to schedule an interview with
admissions officers when you visit campuses.
Seniors
- Remember to monitor your applications to be sure
that all materials are sent and received on time and
that they are complete. Stay on top of things and
don't procrastinate; you can ruin your chances for
admission by missing a deadline.
- If you completed a FAFSA, you should receive your
Student Aid Report (SAR) within four weeks after submitting
the FAFSA. Review the SAR carefully and check for
any inaccuracies. If necessary, correct any items
on the SAR and return it to the FAFSA processor (if
a college transmitted your data directly, notify the
college of any change).
- If more than four weeks have passed after sending
in your FAFSA and you have not received an acknowledgment,
contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center
at (319) 337-5665. To identify you, they will need
your name, social security number, address, and date
of birth exactly as it was written on your FAFSA.
- Complete scholarship applications. You may be eligible
for more scholarships than you think, so apply for
as many as you can.
- Enjoy your final year in high school, but don't
catch senioritis!
- Attend a Financial Aid Night with your parents
at a school in your area.
- Continue to use Scholarship Search and ask your
counselor about local scholarships.
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| Juniors
- ·Write, telephone, or use the Internet to
request admission literature and financial aid information
from the colleges on your list. There is no charge
and no obligation to obtain general information about
admission and financial aid.
- Look for a great summer opportunity -- job, internship,
or volunteer position.
Find
the Perfect Summer Job
- Consider taking a course at a local college, especially
if you're thinking about majoring in a subject for
which your school doesn't offer AP courses.
- Start preparing for AP Exams in May.
AP
Preparation
- Many colleges require or recommend SAT Subject
Tests™ for admission or placement. Talk to your
counselor and teachers about taking Subject Tests
this spring.
SAT
Subject Tests
Seniors
- Visit the campuses of the schools on your list.
Spending time on a campus allows you to determine
if a school is a good match.
Campus
Visit Checklist
- Apply for scholarships -- there's still time. Use
Scholarship Search to find awards whose application
deadlines have not yet passed.
Scholarship Search
- Study for May AP Exams. You'll find AP preparation
materials, such as previously administered free-response
questions, study skills and test-taking tips, and
APCDs at collegeboard.com.
AP
Preparation
- Look for a great summer opportunity -- job, internship,
or volunteer position.
Find
the Perfect Summer Job
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| ACHIEVING
ACADEMIC SUCCESS |
[top of page] |
This section provides links to Web sites
that offer tips about study skills and other topics that
will help you achieve academic success.
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|
In this essay we will take a constructive look
at math anxiety, its causes, its effects, and at how
you as a student can learn to manage this anxiety so
that it no longer hinders your study of mathematics.
Lastly, we will examine special strategies for studying
mathematics, doing homework, and taking exams.
Read more:
http://www.mathacademy.com/pr/minitext/anxiety/
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| SAT
AND ACT INFORMATION |
[top of page] |
This section provides links to Web sites
that offer information and resources for the SAT and ACT.
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| A fellow Ventures Scholar provided this site! You'll
find a lot of free resources and information about the
test preparation process.
Read more:
http://www.testprepreview.com/
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| FINANCIAL
AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS |
[top of page] |
| This section provides links to Web sites
that help you learn about financial aid and scholarship
resources. You can also link to personal finance resources.
To access additional information about financial aid and
scholarships, please go to www.venturescholar.org/resource/finaid-hs.html. |
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| A fellow Ventures Scholar provided this site! This
site explains how college funding works, the types of
scholarships available, how to find them and how to
apply for them.
Read more:
http://www.scholarshiphelp.org/
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| Please log on to www.grantsnet.org
to find the latest scholarships, summer research opportunities,
and internships at all levels of study. Just click on
"Go" to create your username
and password! Here are some programs listed on GrantsNet.
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| GETTING
FEEDBACK FROM MEMBER INSTITUTIONS |
[top of page] |
This section provides links to the Ventures
Scholars Program Consortium members. The Consortium includes
close to 225 undergraduate institutions, graduate and
professional schools, and professional association members.
You can complete an information questionnaire and share
your accomplishments with member undergraduate institutions
or ask questions about career pathways to member professional
association representatives.
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Ventures Scholars can complete a questionnaire
which will be submitted to member colleges, universities
and professional associations for feedback. Please remember
to use complete sentences, check your grammar and reread
your answers before submitting them. College and university
admissions personnel will notice your mistakes!
Please go to www.venturescholar.org/hs/hsquest.asp
and complete the questionnaire.
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| WHAT’S
GOING ON AT MEMBER INSTITUTIONS |
[top of page] |
This section shares information about the
VSP Consortium members' upcoming programs, events and
opportunities.
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| We hope you are planning to visit your favorite
member institutions. Open houses offer opportunities
for Ventures Scholars to visit a college campus and
learn about their programs. Some member institutions
provide a one-day open house, others offer overnight
programs. If your favorite member institution is not
listed in this section, please go to www.venturescholar.org/hs/undergradcontact.html
and locate the name of the admissions representative.
Call or email them to obtain information about the open
house at your favorite member institution. Below is
a list of schools hosting open houses in February, March,
and April.
| Month |
Member
College or University |
| February 2005 |
|
| March 2005 |
|
| April 2005 |
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| Greetings from Susquehanna University! Due to a
number of requests for an application deadline extension,
we will consider your application for our Class of 2009
if you apply by March 15, 2005. And, we'll be happy
to waive the $35 application fee if you apply online!
More than half of Susquehanna's students receive some
form of financial assistance. We also award scholarships,
regardless of need, to students with special academic
or musical talents. For example, the Richard R. Green
Memorial Scholarships are awarded to academically talented
students who are also within groups which are traditionally
underrepresented in higher education. These awards range
from $5,000 to $16,000 depending on academic ability.
Apply online at www.susqu.edu/admissions
We look forward to hearing from you soon!!
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| Weekday mornings are just for juniors during spring
vacation. From February 21 to 25, all of March and again
from April 18 to April 29, the admissions office will
offer open and honest chats by the fire. At 11:00 a.m.
we will introduce Union- the College and offerings,
followed at 11:30 a.m. by a half hour on the topics
of greatest interest to you- essays, effective applications
and interviews. Tours are scheduled on the hour from
10:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. each weekday. So it is
easy to take a tour before or after the special session.
(Limited tours during the week of March 14 to 18.)
Plan to visit Union during spring break. No reservations
required.
Find your way here by checking www.union.edu/Directions.
For more information, contact:
Dianne Crozier, Director of Admissions
Union College
518-388-6112
crozierd@union.edu
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| Students in their senior year of high school tend
to choose one of the two commonly found patterns of
behavior: some students choose to procrastinate and
delay the whole process of the college search, working
on applications and applying to colleges. Others put
their heart and soul into the college search in their
quest for the perfect college.
Read more:
http://collegeapps.about.com/od/collegelistings/a/aa102004.htm
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| This list includes colleges and universities that
deemphasize the use of standardized tests by making
admissions decisions about substantial numbers of applicants
who recently graduated from U.S. high schools without
using the SAT I or ACT. As the footnotes indicate, some
schools exempt students who meet grade-point average
or class rank criteria while others require SAT I or
ACT scores but use them only for placement purposes
or to conduct research studies. Please check with the
school's admissions office to learn more about specific
admissions requirements, particularly for international
or non-traditional students.
Read more:
http://www.fairtest.org/optinit.htm
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| ARTICLES
OF INTEREST |
[top of page] |
This section provides links to Web sites
that help you learn about the world of science and related
topics.
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| Welcome to the Minority Scientists Network, an
extremely helpful resources for Ventures Scholars. This
month, use the following username and password to access
information. Please be aware that this username and
password will expire after February 28.
Username: gue5txs
Password: valen5tine
View the site at http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/miscinet/
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| CAREER
EXPLORATION |
[top of page] |
This section links to Web sites that provide
you with information about math- and science-related careers.
You can also learn about the career planning process.
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| THE
PERSONAL SIDE |
[top of page] |
This section links to Web sites that share
informational resources about high school students' issues
and concerns.
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| Perhaps you were class president in high school.
Or perhaps you were a member of the honor society. You
could have graduated in the top percentile of your graduating
class; perhaps you were even valedictorian. Maybe your
were in the honors program or the International Baccalaureate
program. Actually, it doesn't really matter what you
did in high school as you make the transition to college.
High school success (or lack of it) doesn't automatically
apply to college.
Read more:
http://www.quintcareers.com/first-year_success.html
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Would you like to ask Ventures Scholars questions
about the college and career planning process? Go to
http://www.venturescholar.org/login
and you will find instructions for joining the listserv.
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