Would you like to submit an article to the biweekly e-newsletter? Go to www.venturescholar.org/hs/answers/submission.asp.

Last summer, the Ventures Scholars Program sent an email to Ventures Scholars to inform them about a wonderful opportunity to develop leadership skills and participate in a paid internship through the Bank of America. There were about 165 Ventures Scholars who let us know they applied for this internship. This week, 12 Ventures Scholars informed us that they won the competition! If there are other winners, please let us know!

Name: Luciana Alvarado
City, State: McKinney, Texas
Intended Major: Pre Medicine
High School: McKinney North High School

Name: Kaisey Brown
City, State: Charlotte, North Carolina
Intended Major: Marketing or Marine Biology
High School: Independence High School

Name: Vladimir Coxall
City, State: Houston, Texas
Intended Major: Mathematics / Engineering
High School: Sharpstown Senior High School

Name: Miriam George
City, State: San Jose, California
Intended Major: Undecided
High School: Notre Dame High School Belmont

Name: Janell Ho-Sang
City, State: Sunrise, Florida
Intended Major: Astronomy
High School: Atlantic Technical Center Magnet High School

Name: Deidrya Jackson
City, State: Windsor, Connecticut
Intended Major: Premedicine
High School: Deerfield Academy

Name: James Johnson
City, State: San Antonio, Texas
Intended Major: Biology/Pre Med
High School: James Madison High School

Name: Jaclyn Martin
City, State: Bellaire, Texas
Intended Major: Undecided
High School: St. Agnes Academy

Name: Jonathan Perez
City, State: Garland, Texas
Intended Major: undecided
High School: Bishop Lynch High School

Name: Gino Sanchez
City, State: Newark, New Jersey
Intended Major: undecided
High School: Science High School

Name: Kim Vuu
City, State: San Jose, California
Intended Major: undecided/pre-med
High School: Evergreen Valley High School/Accel Middle College

Name: Kehsi ImanWilson
City, State: St.Pete, Florida
Intended Major: medicine (pre-med)
High School: St. Petersburg Catholic High School

Ventures Scholars are invited to ask questions and obtain answers to the questions. Questions 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:

• Combining Politics and Science
  How could I combine my studies with politics and the science courses I wish to take?
  Click here to view responses.

• High Achieving, but No AP/Honors Classes
  Hi I am a Ventures Scholar. My SAT is math 650 and 550 verbal. My GPA is 3.2 with college prep track. I have not been on an honors or AP track. I attend a very competitive top school in Bergen County, NJ. I really love the VS services because it has made everything very accessible and the fairs have been very informative. I have one frustration however and wonder what thoughts you have. I have received lots of informative emails from the various member colleges requesting that I consider admission. However, after I have attempted this, I have been told that they were looking for mainly AP and Honors courses. This is very disappointing. Will I continue to encounter this situation? I know that the purpose of the VS Program was to make engineering studies accessible to underrepresented groups. If the member colleges are only interested in AP/Honors track students then it seems to me it defeats the purpose of the VS program. I would think that minority students in general are probably under represented in the AP/Honors so you wouldn't be helping a large number of students this way. Can I expect to continue to experience this type of problem?
  Click here to view responses.

• Athletic Scholarships
  What is the process for seniors that want to get an athletic scholarship going into college in 2006?
  Click here to view responses.

• Veterinary Medicine and Marine Life
  What schools would you recommend for veterinary medicine specializing in marine life?
  How much education does it take to be a veterinarian, zoologist, or marine biologist? What are the annual salaries for each of the positions? Would you still be able to be around animals if you aren't comfortable with giving them shots and surgery?
  Click here to view responses.

• More Articles About Pharmacy
  As a Ventures Scholar interested in going into the pharmacy field of medicine I would be very delighted to find a top article on this subject in the newsletters. Please let others, whose interests coincide with mine, know what is out there available for us. I thank you for your time and consideration on the subject.
  Click here to view responses.

• Interested in Sociology and Political Science in Texas
  I am a high school junior and I am already starting to look at universities and colleges, I would like to major in sociology and political science. Do you know which universities offer the best sociology and political science programs specifically in Texas?
  Click here to view responses.

• Pre-Vet Programs and Vet School
  Is it easier to get into Vet School if you go to a college that has a Pre-Vet program?
  Click here to view responses.

"How could I combine my studies with politics and the science courses I wish to take?"

Responses were sent from:
Bennington College, Calvin College, Harvey Mudd College, and University at Buffalo.

Member Institution and Association Answers

"Hi I am a Ventures Scholar. My SAT is math 650 and 550 verbal. My GPA is 3.2 with college prep track. I have not been on an honors or AP track. I attend a very competitive top school in Bergen County, NJ. I really love the VS services because it has made everything very accessible and the fairs have been very informative. I have one frustration however and wonder what thoughts you have. I have received lots of informative emails from the various member colleges requesting that I consider admission. However, after I have attempted this, I have been told that they were looking for mainly AP and Honors courses. This is very disappointing. Will I continue to encounter this situation? I know that the purpose of the VS Program was to make engineering studies accessible to underrepresented groups. If the member colleges are only interested in AP/Honors track students then it seems to me it defeats the purpose of the VS program. I would think that minority students in general are probably under represented in the AP/Honors so you wouldn't be helping a large number of students this way. Can I expect to continue to experience this type of problem? "

Responses were sent from:
Rutgers University, Calvin College, and University at Buffalo.

Member Institution and Association Answers

"What is the process for seniors that want to get an athletic scholarship going into college in 2006?"

Responses were sent from:
Rutgers University.

Member Institution and Association Answers

"What schools would you recommend for veterinary medicine specializing in marine life? How much education does it take to be a veterinarian, zoologist, or marine biologist? What are the annual salaries for each of the positions? Would you still be able to be around animals if you aren't comfortable with giving them shots and surgery?"

Responses were sent from:
Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges.

Member Institution and Association Answers

"As a Ventures Scholar interested in going into the pharmacy field of medicine I would be very delighted to find a top article on this subject in the newsletters. Please let others, whose interests coincide with mine, know what is out there available for us. I thank you for your time and consideration on the subject."

Responses were sent from:
Rutgers University.

Member Institution and Association Answers

"I am a high school junior and I am already starting to look at universities and colleges, I would like to major in sociology and political science. Do you know which universities offer the best sociology and political science programs specifically in Texas?"

Responses were sent from:
Calvin College.

Member Institution and Association Answers

"Is it easier to get into Vet School if you go to a college that has a Pre-Vet program?"

Responses were sent from:
Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, Rutgers University, and University at Buffalo.

Member Institution and Association Answers

Juniors

• During December you should receive the results of your PSAT. Read your score report and consult your school counselor to determine how you might improve on future standardized tests. The PSAT is excellent preparation for the SAT Reasoning Test, which you will take in the spring.

• If you plan to take the ACT, register now for the February ACT. Many colleges accept the ACT (American College Test) or the SAT Reasoning Test. Some colleges require the ACT or both SAT Reasoning Test and the SAT Subject Tests. When you begin to explore different colleges and universities, double-check to see if they prefer or require the ACT, the SAT Reasoning Test and/or the SAT Subject Tests.Take the SAT and/or ACT...this is a must.

Seniors

• Have official test scores sent to colleges on your list if you have not done so.

• Consult your school counselor again to review your final list of colleges. Be sure you have all bases covered. It is a good idea to make copies of everything before you drop those envelopes in the mail. If for some reason your application gets lost, you will have a back-up copy. File your last college application.

• If you applied for early decision, you should have an answer by now. If you are accepted, follow the instructions for admitted students. If the decision is deferred until spring or you are denied, submit applications now to other colleges.If you haven't gotten application materials for your top scholarship, grant, and award options, get them now. This month, try to finish several simpler applications and at least one major application for a scholarship, grant or award.

As a Ventures Scholar, you can access information about programs, opportunities and resources from over 200 member colleges and universities in 35 states.

Go to www.venturescholar.org/hs/undergradlist.html to link to the Ventures Scholars Program member colleges and universities.

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.

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 November, December, and January.

Dozoretz National Institute for Mathematics and Applied Sciences (DNIMAS)

The Dozoretz National Institute for Mathematics and Applied Sciences (DNIMAS) was established in December, 1985. Its primary goal is to produce graduates who are capable of successfully completing graduate studies in the basic and applied sciences.

Graduates of the Institute are also capable of entering medical or other professional schools. Successful completion of the DNIMAS program results in Bachelor of Science Degrees in either Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or Physics.

The DNIMAS program is unique. All of its students are supported by full, four-year scholarship/grant aid that is renewed on an annual basis. It represents a major commitment by Norfolk State University to provide the best possible education in the sciences for highly qualified and motivated students.

The program features: a four week pre-matriculation summer session, intensive science curricula, research internships, field trips, projects, career counseling, seminars, and a peer mentor-tutoring program.

ADMISSION
Students are admitted to the DNIMAS Program for the fall of each academic year. The deadline for applications for regular admission is January 31. Applications for the DNIMAS program may be obtained by calling (757) 823-2511 or online at:

http://www.nsu.edu/schools/sciencetech/dnimas/dnimasapplication.doc

For more information, please contact:

Aliecia McClain, Scholarship Program Director
Dozoretz National Institute for Mathematics and Applied Sciences
Norfolk State University
Phone: 757-823-2511
Email: amcclain@nsu.edu

Many of our students tell us it all clicked for them during a campus visit.

You know that feeling. You find yourself in the right place. And suddenly, it comes to you that you're where you belong. You are to say this is my college.

November 19
Traditions and Turkey
Visit Day

Register on-line at http://www.rmwc.edu/admissions
Or call 1-800-745-7692

*Please mention that you are a Ventures Scholar.

Spend the day on our dynamic campus and interact with students, administrators and faculty members at our:

Take-A-Look Open House
A Multicultural Perspective
Saturday, November 19, 2005

Highlights of the day:

• Academic departmental presentations
• Student Organization Fair
• Guided campus tours

For more information or to register, please contact Tiffany V. Gary at 540-568-6017 or garytv@jmu.edu.

The Mathematical Association of America strives to advance the mathematical sciences, especially at the collegiate level. Of central importance in this mission is the role of students as they enter college, pursue their education and make their way into the work force or field of advanced study. The MAA works to support the efforts and activities of students at all of these points of their mathematical journey.

The MAA Student Chapters program encourages students to continue study in the mathematical sciences and provides opportunities to meet with other students interested in mathematics, interact with prominent mathematicians at national meetings, and receive career information. There are no scholastic requirements; students need not have a particular class standing, grade point average, or be mathematics majors.

Contact:
Michael Pearson, Director of Programs and Services
Phone: (202) 387-5200
Email: pearson@maa.org

The Ventures Scholars Program understands the importance of linking with professional associations and organizations that can help Ventures Scholars prepare for math- and science-based careers.

Go to www.venturescholar.org/hs/associntro.html to learn more about our professional associations and to get your career-related questions answered.

Two of the biggest concerns parents have when they send their sons and daughters to college are whether they will be safe, and whether they will do well academically. Both of those concerns are legitimate, and both are closely related to alcohol and other drugs, whether used by the student or by their fellow students. So parents deserve to know what schools are doing to curb alcohol and other drug use, and college administrators must be prepared to answer tough questions about their alcohol and other drug prevention policies and programs.

Read more:
http://www.edc.org/hec/parents/

The "topic" came up once again at dinner last night: college admissions. For parents of high school seniors, this is the autumn of our unrest.

Read more:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0928/p09s02-coop.html

LifeWorks^TM is an interactive career exploration web site for middle and high school students. Users can browse for information on more than 100 medical science and health careers by title, education required, interest area, or median salary. Alternatively, the "Career Finder" can be used to generate a customized list of careers especially suited for users' skills and interests. LifeWorks promotes awareness of the wide variety of occupations in health and medical sciences and the range of opportunities at different education levels. The site complements its factual career data by highlighting true stories of successful people. They illustrate the variety of real-life career pathways, from the carefully planned to the unpredictable.

Read more:
http://science.education.nih.gov/LifeWorks.nsf/feature/indexhtm

There is a wide variety of different specialized fields in the biological sciences, and the list is growing rapidly. You can choose to work with a particular type or group of organisms, such as birds, viruses, or trees. You can work with a particular system within an organism, such as cells, tissues, or whole organs. You can focus on the interaction between organisms and their environment in a particular area, such as the ocean, desert, or forest. Or you could focus on the chemical, physical, or medical aspects of living things.

Read more:
http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/AB/WYW/wkbooks/OBAS/careers.html

Skills are your key to career opportunities. The Skills Profiler contains three tools to help you get moving to a better future: the Skills Identifier, Skills Explorer, and Skills Gap Analyzer. First, complete the Skills Identifier. Then, move on to the Skills Explorer or Skills Gap Analyzer, or try both. Click on the Skills Identifier Image or the Continue button near the bottom of the page to begin.

Read more:
http://www.acinet.org/acinet/skills_home.asp?id=14&nodeid=20

The symptoms show up every year. High school seniors try to balance extracurricular activities, a social life, college admission, and perhaps a part-time job. Somewhere along the way, home work begins to seem less important. Then they get accepted to college, and after that, high school seems even less important. School work begins to slide--and so do their grades. The diagnosis? Senioritis.

Go to http://www.venturescholar.org/resource/academicsuccess-hs.html#avoiding

The average college student spends about 14 hours per week in class listening. These sites provide some helpful tips to improve listening skills!

Go to http://www.venturescholar.org/resource/academicsuccess-hs.html#listening

Make sure you don’t forget about the upcoming ACT and SAT examinations!

Read more:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/calenfees/calenfees2.html
http://www.actstudent.org/regist/currentdates.html

Interested in free sites as you prepare for the SAT or ACT?

Go to http://www.venturescholar.org/resource/testinfo-hs.html#sites

An outgrowth of the Statement of Principles of Good Practice, the Students’ Rights Statement makes clear
to entering college students those “rights” which are only alluded to by the Principles of Good Practice. It
also spells out the responsibilities students have in the admission process.

Read more:
http://www.nacac.com/downloads/policy_student_rights.pdf

Use this college application checklist and stay on top of your application tasks, paperwork, and deadlines.

Read more:
http://www.collegeboard.com/article/0,3868,5-25-0-8435,00.html

Colleges look for a number of factors when evaluating applicants for admission. It’s important to know what these factors are and to keep them in mind as you progress through high school and then enter the college application process. If you know where the colleges are focusing, you can make sure that your activities and application show you in the best possible light.

Read more:
http://collegeapps.about.com/od/yourhighschoolresume/a/topten.htm

Wherever you go to school and whatever you choose as a major or future career, you'll be using computers and other information technologies. It makes sense to check out the technology environment at the schools you're considering along with other factors that will influence your choice. This brochure from EDUCAUSE (www.educause.edu) outlines what you need to know and what you should ask regarding information technology when choosing a college or university that's right for you.

Download the guide as a PDF, or order single or multiple print copies of the guide at www.educause.edu/StudentGuideOrders/1582.

CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE® is the financial aid application service of the College Board. More than 600 colleges, universities, graduate and professional schools, and scholarship programs use the information collected on the PROFILE to determine eligibility for nonfederal student aid funds. The PROFILE is a fully Web-based application system that provides students a secure and efficient method for reporting their financial data to schools.

Read more:
http://www.collegeboard.com/article/0,3868,6-30-0-8374,00.html

As a senior, you will need to complete the FAFSA for financial aid purposes. Do not wait until January to begin reviewing this form. Review now so you make sure you submit in a timely manner.

Read more:
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/publications.jsp

This information has been provided by the State University of New York. (www.suny.edu) and can be used as a guide.

September

• Begin to search for scholarships. To start, check with colleges of interest, your parents’ places of employment, local libraries, high schools, and the web.

November

• Obtain your federal Personal Identification Number (PIN). You and your parent must each request a PIN at www.pin.ed.gov You will need it to complete the FAFSA.

December

• Start a financial aid folder. In this folder, you will keep all financial aid documents organized. Information you should collect for your financial aid folder:
  
  --Your social security number
  --Your parents’ social security numbers and dates of birth
  --Your parents’ marital status
  --Tax returns for your and your parents
  --WSs for you and your parents
  --Records of untaxed income for you and your parents (such as social security benefits, public assistance, etc.)
  --Bank, stock, real estate, and business records for you and your parents
  --Your driver’s license number
  --Your alien registration number (for non U.S. citizens)
  --PINS for you and one parent

January

• File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The fastest way to file is online at www.fafsa.ed.gov You and one parent should use your PINS to sign the FAFSA. You may use your last pay stub or your most recent tax return as estimates on the FAFSA, if you and your parent have not yet filed a tax return.
• Watch your email for a notice from the U.S. Department of Education with a link to access your Student Aid Report (SAR).
• You may request a paper FAFSA form at the SUNY MRC or by calling 800-4FEDAID. The paper FAFSA takes 4 to 6 weeks to process.

February

• Make corrections to the FAFSA using your filed tax return.
• You should call 800-4FEDAID if you have submitted your FAFSA and have not received your SAR.
• Contact the financial aid offices at the colleges that you included on the FAFSA to verify that they have received your SAR information, and to make sure your information is complete.

April

• Watch the mail for financial aid award letters.
• Compare financial aid packages from different schools and choose your college.

May

• Notify the college of your choice.
• Apply for federal Stafford loans as needed.

The Sallie Mae Fund and NAFEO have created the “Writers of Passage” essay competition where winning students will receive $5,000 for telling a compelling story about how they overcome obstacles. As a bonus, the student’s Historically Black College or University (HBCU) or predominately black college will receive a $20,000 grant for improving student outreach and retention initiatives. The partnership between The Sallie Mae Fund and NAFEO was established to focus national attention on the importance of developing good writing skills. Students who cannot prepare competitive essays are denied college admission. Now that the SAT college aptitude test is changing its format to include essay writing, the link between strong writing abilities and college acceptance is even more important.

Read more:
http://www.thesalliemaefund.org/projectaccess/pdf/smf_writers_passage.pdf

Visit the VSP Web site for additional scholarship opportunity links. Make sure you look at application deadlines. Go to http://www.venturescholar.org/resource/scholarshipslisting.html.

To learn about the scholarship application process, go to http://www.venturescholar.org/resource/scholarships-tips.html.