This section will highlight undergraduate Ventures Scholars. Possibly you have participated in a fantastic program that you ‘d like to share with other Ventures Scholars or maybe you have received a special award or scholarship. The information can be brief or you can share a few paragraphs. You can even provide us with a picture!

Please go to www.venturescholar.org/hs/answers/submission.asp and complete this form so we can highlight you and your accomplishments in future e-newsletters.

• “The e-newsletter is extremely helpful for me! I enjoy all of the information, opportunities, and advice that are offered -- a lot of these things, I wouldn't have thought of myself. “

• “More public health internships.”

• “I don’t think I've ever received the biweekly newsletter, however, the 60 emails that I get per day from the list-serv kids are very annoying.”

• “Yes. You informing me about things that are going on and topics that are close to the field that I am pursuing is helpful. “

• “Yes, it was helpful for explaining opportunities and updates in the program. The newsletter is always helpful. I can easily find information which helps me in my thinking about future college choices and careers. Thank you for doing an excellent job.

• I have not read any biweekly newsletter.”

• “It has been very helpful. Because I have learned about career paths for my major and summer programs I can participate in.”

• “I think the newsletter is good to have. It provides a lot of information about possible career choices for science majors. One of the last newsletters had two articles from minority graduate students. This was very helpful in that it told me the ends and outs of graduate school and ways to be successful. There should definitely be more articles like these. Though I was able to request websites to help me with the graduate process, there should be more information on the planning early for graduate school process in the newsletter.”

• “I have found the biweekly e-newsletter helpful. For example, this February I applied to the Public Health Summer Fellows Program at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, after finding out about the program through one of the biweekly e-newsletters. Although I was not accepted into this summer's program, I am looking forward to applying to this program next year.”

• “I enjoy the links to various careers. Please include more related to my major, physics.”

• “I've enjoyed the articles linked too on time management. Some of the most critical things I've found that I needed to learn of this first year that I looked into was the time management, study tips, and it would be nice to have motivational quotes. The quote you feature with every newsletter is a nice though. I'm currently subscribed to two different quote sources for my e-mail and it's awesome to have them every day:
  
  Motivational Quotes: http://www.quotationspage.com/mqotd.html
  Words of Wisdom: http://www.yuni.com/wow/quotes.shtml
  
  It could just be me, but I enjoy helpful phrases that point me in the right direction. Also, a featured scholarship section in the newsletter would be nice. And I also enjoyed the newsletter when it was in e-mail format, consider having e-mail and web page format. E.g. you can click the link in the e-mail to read the newsletter on the web page or you can read it in the e-mail. Last, it might be beneficial in a situation of information overload for those receivers of the newsletter who are busy to have it instead of biweekly, monthly. Just a though, see if others feel the same before even thinking of changing Have a great day! :)”

• “Not particularly helpful because there aren't very many programs that are open to me. Everything seems to be locally based but I'm outside of the “local” loop. Also, I wish there were more programs for Native Americans.”

• “The newsletters are very informative. Good way to find scholarship and internship information.”

• “The Newsletter is very helpful, as it generally highlights really interesting ways for self-help. I like the financial aid/scholarship section, as well as the section on research.”

• “Yes, especially the study aids and advertised opportunities. Info that I would like to see in the newsletter is advice or comment from actual people in either in science and med careers now, or in grad or med school. That would be an interesting perspective.”

• “Yes it has been helpful. When I receive information that relates to me and my concentration then it gives me some pointers and extra information. I even sent one to my brother who is interested in dental schools.”

• "The website is irreplaceable. There is nothing else like it for helping students who lack strong secondary school guidance counselors(the majority of us).

• “The links to possible internships help out, although I didn't obtain one through these links.”

• “Yes, I find it very organized and I can easily find any information I'm looking for. “

• “The website is also very helpful -- especially all of the contact information.”

• “I don’t really use the ventures website.”

• “Yes very much. I was glad to be able to see the people that are coming to my school next year.”

• “The website gave clear direction to links and helpful information.”

• “I find the links to additional information about careers, internships, and specific information about my field very informative and helpful.”

• “I have not been on the website.”

• “The web site has been helpful as well. From it I have been able to research possible medical and graduate schools.”

• “Thank you so much for this program. I appreciate all your work put into this program. Although I have only used a portion of the vast resources available on your website, I always know where I may turn to for helpful and practical information. I especially enjoy the website links to further information. Thank you.”

• “I haven't visited the website much, no big need to. The scholarship links are a nice addition though. Possibly a Scholarship search engine would be nice, or simply link to the ones that exist like you do already. The website is kind of difficult to navigate. I'm a computing assistant here at Yale and I have difficulty especially with the e- buddies program.”

• "The website is very user friendly, and welcoming. The things on the homepage are very self-explanatory, so when surfing, you almost never run into a problem figuring out which link to click to go where you want to be. “

• "The section entitled "Noteworthy Information from Experts at Member Institutions" is high-school-centric, would like more articles for undergrads, especially those in medicine besides those telling us to simply "consider" the field. Once again, advice from current med or grad students would be great...”

• “I don't have time to use it very often.”

• “I like the biweekly updates just as much as the newsletter. They keep you tuned in to the things that are happening on a consistent basis.”

• “I think this is a great program, however, my high School buddies don't usually seek my assistance, and that somewhat saddens me.”
  

• “Yes, very helpful in that I was sent the Teach America link through Ventures, which looks like a very good way to pursue a career in the public health field.”

• “Yes they keep me on schedule for applications and keep me motivated.”

• “Some of the targeted e-mail doesn’t exactly pertain to any of my interests, but I still take a chance to look through everything I get and if it doesn't interest me I'll just delete it.”

• “The biweekly updates are very beneficial for me because it reminds me about things such as applying to internships or scholarships.”

• “They were helpful because they were relevant to my needs as a student.”

• “I have used these somewhat frequently, but not as much as I would like. They are helpful, also.”

• “The targeted e-mails are better. For instance, the e-mail about the Public Health internship, I applied to the program and got accepted. I would have never known about the program if I did not receive one of your e-mails about it.”

• “They give specific information when you do not have time to go on to the website.”

• “I have found the targeted e-mails helpful. For instance, this February I applied to the Public Health Summer Fellows Program at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, after finding out about the program through one of the targeted e-mails. Although I was not accepted into this summer's program, I am looking forward to applying to this program next year.”

• "They did not perform any significant function for me."

• “I feel they are helpful in informing what types of programs are out there.”

• “Yes they are helpful. A suggestion would be to have a special comprehensive how-to-study section in the beginning of every semester, or even during the summer to help prepare for the upcoming semester. The bi-weekly updates have been very, very helpful

• "The e-mails are helpful. It gives me an idea at what I can do after graduation.”

Once you leave school, you need to start thinking about paying back your student loans. In most cases, however, you won't be required to begin payments until six months after you graduate or leave school.

Read more:
http://www.studentloanfunding.com/cstudent/loanrepa.html

In addition to student loans, the average undergraduate college student has four credit cards and $2,200 in credit card debt. The average graduate student has $5,800 in credit card debt, according to Nellie Mae, the nation's largest maker of student loans.

Read more:
http://financialplan.about.com/od/moneyandcollegestudents/a/CollegeMistakes.htm

The following groups have a wealth of information for underrepresented students interested in fellowship and post-baccalaureate opportunities:

The National Science Foundation, Division of Graduate Education
Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Oakridge Associated Universities
PO Box 3010
Oakridge, TN 37831-3010
(423) 241-4300

The Andrew W. Mellon Fellowships in Humanistic Studies
CN 5329
Princeton, NJ 08543-5329
(800) 899-9963; (609) 452-7007
FAX (609) 452-0066, Attn: Mellon
www.woodrow.org/mellon

Graduate Financial Resources in Engineering & Science for Minority Students (publication)
The GEM Consortium
PO Box 537
Notre Dame, IN 46556
(219) 631-7771
FAX (219) 287-1486
www.nd.edu/~gem

Student Financial Assistance Program
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-0498
(800) 433-3243
http://studentaid.ed.gov/

American Indian Graduate Center Fellowships (any discipline)
American Indian Graduate Center
4520 Montgomery Blvd., NE (Suite 1-B)
Albuquerque, NM 87109
(505) 881-4584
FAX (505) 884-0427
www.aigc.com

The Financial Aid Information Page
www.finaid.org

Ford Foundation Doctoral Fellowships for Minorities
http://www7.nationalacademies.org/FELLOWSHIPS/fordpredoc.html

Minority On-Line Information Service (MOLIS)
http://www.molis.us/

For all undergraduate students, the time limit for completing course requirements for courses in which the grade of Incomplete depends on the institution. For further information, students and their advisors should consult the current edition of the Student Handbook at their institution. Here are some of the “incomplete grade explanations” from some of the colleges.

Read more:
http://www.college.upenn.edu/rules/grades.html#Incompletes
http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/advising/rules3.html#5

Every year more than 380,000 students fail out of college in the United States. The impact of college failure can cause lasting damage to self-esteem, and the consequences can influence an entire lifetime. In studying the complexities of the failure problem, Dr. Robert Pitcher of the Educational Development Center has come up with what he believes are 10 primary causes of failure in college. Being aware of these causes of college failure is a necessary first step in seeking workable solutions.

Read more:
http://www.ctl.ua.edu/CTLStudyAids/StudySkillsFlyers/GeneralTips/causesoffailure.htm
http://www.uc.edu/psc/sh/SH_Academic_Problems.htm

One of the great strengths of American higher education is the ease with which students can transfer from one college or university to another.

Read more:
http://www.studyusa.com/articles/transferring.asp
http://www.selfcounseling.com/help/collegestudents/transfer.html
http://www.ccccd.edu/studentservices/pdf/THECBtips.pdf   (PDF File)

Tips on preparing for and applying to graduate school.

Read more:
http://www.theleadershipalliance.org/matriarch/documents/TIPSguide.pdf  (PDF File)

NACME, its partners and other organizations involved in the diversity effort will frequently convene for meetings, conferences and other events, across your nation, your region, your town.

Read more:
http://www.nacme.org/news/events.html

Take the time to attend a conference! You will learn about the latest activities in your career area and you’ll be able to network. Here is a link that provides you with conference opportunities in April, May, and June.

Read more:
http://www.justgarciahill.org/jghdocs/webevent.asp

Great site to learn about careers!

Read more:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthoccupations.html

Is it possible to create an effective resume when you have little or no work experience? Absolutely.

Read more:
http://www.iminorities.com/

Start a new search for free average salary information and premium salary data.

Read more:
http://imdiversity.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_newsearch.asp

Are you interested in biology, but not in going to medical school? Looking for something unique to do with your math degree? Try ecology! Remember that the username is "gue5txs". The password for May is "may3day" the password for June is "b3ginsumr". This username and password will allow you to access MiSciNet from any computer. Please distribute this username and password so that your peers may be able to access the articles as well.

Read more:
http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2003/09/30/1?template=msp
(Remember the username is "gue5txs" and the May password is "may3day")

As EEs, MEs, ChEs and more, they're learning and growing their careers. Many found their jobs through internship and co-op experiences.

Read more:
http://www.diversitycareers.com/articles/college/04-winSpr/fod_aaEngineers.htm

Their cultural values make them good employees, says the president of HACU. Most find exciting opportunities, and encourage others to get involved in the field.

Read more:
http://www.diversitycareers.com/articles/college/04-winSpr/fod_hispanicWomen.htm

Internships are critical; job market is stable and growing.

Read more:
http://www.diversitycareers.com/articles/college/04-winSpr/jm_civilEng.htm

Students learn to navigate in the corporate world "I broke out of my engineering shell," says a Sun intern.

Read more:
http://www.diversitycareers.com/articles/college/04-winSpr/fot_ITinterns.htm

Information Link
Would you like to learn about the programs and opportunities at our member graduate/professional schools? Click here to access information. If you correspond directly with the contact person, please remember to mention that you are a Ventures Scholar.

Questionnaire
If you would like to share your academic and career goals with the member graduate and professional schools, please go to http://www.venturescholar.org/undergrad/gradinquiry.asp and you will receive a response from the selected institutions.

Information Link
Would you like to learn about the member professional associations? Click here to access information. If you correspond directly with the contact person, please remember to mention that you are a Ventures Scholar.

Questionnaire
If you would like to ask questions to the professional associations and organizations, go to http://www.venturescholar.org/scholars/assocquest.asp and complete this form.

This is a good online magazine that will keep you up to date with science news. Remember that the username is "gue5txs". The password for May is "may3day" the password for June is "b3ginsumr". This username and password will allow you to access MiSciNet from any computer. Please distribute this username and password so that your peers may be able to access the articles as well.

View the magazine at:
http://www.scienceonline.org/
(Remember the username is "gue5txs" and the May password is "may3day")

The National Science Foundation has a good science new section. Keep up to date with the latest science news!

Read more:
http://www.nsf.gov/

The Timbuktu Academy at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana provides science and engineering students, primarily underrepresented minorities, with the support they need to be successful in graduate school. Remember that the username is "gue5txs". The password for May is "may3day" the password for June is "b3ginsumr". This username and password will allow you to access MiSciNet from any computer. Please distribute this username and password so that your peers may be able to access the articles as well.

Read more:
http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2005/05/05/4
(Remember the username is "gue5txs" and the May password is "may3day")

Ashanti Pyrtle, director of Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success (MSPHDS) in Earth System Science Initiative, encourages minority students to enter the geosciences. Remember that the username is "gue5txs". The password for May is "may3day" the password for June is "b3ginsumr". This username and password will allow you to access MiSciNet from any computer. Please distribute this username and password so that your peers may be able to access the articles as well.

Read more:
http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2005/04/28/7
(Remember the username is "gue5txs" and the May password is "may3day")

As one of the few African-American oceanographers, Dawn Wright, a professor in Oregon State University's geosciences department, uses geographic information systems (GIS) to map and study the ocean floor. Remember that the username is "gue5txs". The password for May is "may3day" the password for June is "b3ginsumr". This username and password will allow you to access MiSciNet from any computer. Please distribute this username and password so that your peers may be able to access the articles as well.

Read more:
http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2005/04/28/8
(Remember the username is "gue5txs" and the May password is "may3day")

One usually cannot go through a day without saying to oneself, to another or hearing from another the word "should" (or its variations: ought, shouldn't, oughtn't) several times, at least.

Read more:
http://seaver.pepperdine.edu/studentaffairs/counselingcenter/selfhelp/development/shoulds.htm

Though this is a site from a specific college, it has some helpful advice. Being a college student can be a difficult balancing act. It is easy to get weighed down with the pressures of academics, social life, and choosing a major and career. If personal problems are piled on top of these pressures, you can feel overwhelmed... and lose your balance.

Read more:
http://www.counsel.ufl.edu/selfHelp/maintainingBalance.asp

Undergraduate Ventures Scholars can now communicate with other Ventures Scholars through the listserv. Find out about math, science, and technology-related careers, graduate/professional school and other important information from your peers!

To sign up for the listserv, login at http://www.venturescholar.org/login and click on the listserv link at the bottom of the page.