Senior Guidance Notes
Return to main senior guidance notes page
September 27, 2007
Page 4 - Quick Reference Guide - a wealth of web sites related to testing, college, financial aid, careers, and selective service. Also, many dates pertaining to testing and financial aid.
Page 5- Helpful information to avoid scholarship scams
These notes are designed to make you and your parents aware of scholarships made available by colleges, businesses, and organizations, and of other information and deadlines pertinent to Seniors. Please read them through carefully, share them with your parents, and contact me about any forms you might need or to get further information about any of the items mentioned. These notes are also posted on the Newark Catholic website under Latest Web Updates or click on Departments and then Guidance.
Mr. Lusk
ITEMS OF INFORMATION
Newark Catholic is pleased to have FastWeb college scholarship and college search services available to our students. It can access over 600,000 scholarships worth $1 billion and over 4,000 detailed college profiles. It creates a customized profile for each student which is constantly updated as new information becomes available, and the best thing about it is that it's absolutely free. We have a hyperlink to FastWeb through our NC website on the guidance page or you can access it through www.fastweb.com. Some other websites you might want to visit to learn more about financing a college education are:
Another site which I am hoping to add to the Newark Catholic website on the guidance page is www.CollegeBasics.com. It offers college admissions tips and insider secrets about planning for college, applying for college, financial aid, scholarships, admissions essays, college interviews, and much more. There is no charge, and you do not have to register or give any personal information.
SAT has a website for students and parents which includes information for college applications online, scholarship search, online SAT registration and preparation, college search, career search, and SAT test dates. To get access to this information type www.collegeboard.com/sat.
ACT also has a website at www.actstudent.org which will help you in registering and preparing for the test, as well as providing you with information about college and career planning.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be arriving soon. I will have it announced when they come in. Your parents may not mail the form until January 1, but they should do so as soon as possible after this date. The government is strongly urging people to use the on-line version of the FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov instead of filling out a paper form. Completing the on-line FAFSA will shorten the processing time from weeks to days. In addition, the help screens and checks built into the on-line form greatly reduce the possibility of making an error or omission that might delay processing or require correction.
Something you may do now is to get your PIN registration numbers at www.pin.ed.gov. These numbers are not required, but they may speed up processing. They may be used by students and parents throughout the aid process, including subsequent years. The PIN allows parent and student to electronically sign the FAFSA, as well as other grant and loan forms.
College Goal Sunday is February 10, at 2:00 PM. It offers you the opportunity to have expert help completing and submitting your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Financial aid professionals from Ohio colleges & universities will be available to walk you and your family through the financial aid application you must complete to qualify for scholarships, grants, loans, and other forms of assistance. It will be offered at OSUN/COTC. I will give you more details regarding registration as they become available. You may participate in this program no matter what school you plan to attend.
I would like to call your attention to the Common Application Form. This form is accepted by 300 selective colleges. All you need to do is to fill out the one form and then make copies to send to any of the schools you wish to apply to from those listed. Some colleges will have their own application form in addition to the Common Application Form. You can download the Common Application at www.commonapp.org or complete it online and submut it electronically to your selected colleges. I have a listing of names and addresses of all schools which accept the Common Application Form.
SENIOR BOYS: If you are about to turn 18, you must register with the U.S. Selective Service. You can do this online at www.sss.gov or you can do it at your local post office. You must do it because it is the law and also because you will not be eligible for any type of federal financial aid for college or you may not renew your driver's license until you are registered with the Selective Service.
Some colleges you are applying to (although not many at all) may require your parents to fill out a form called the Financial Aid Profile (FAP) in addition to or in place of the FAFSA. Check to see if this is the case for any of your colleges. I have copies of the PROFILE Student Guide which will provide information about how to apply for financial aid using the online PROFILE application.
Another excellent source for doing college searches, finding online applications, downloading applications, and doing scholarship searches is the PrincetonReview.com.
SCHOLARSHIPS
The Ohio Knights of Columbus Charity Foundation is awarding numerous $1,000 scholarships for Catholic students attending Catholic high schools in Ohio. Requirements are financial need, grade point average of 2.5 or higher, academic awards, community and/or parish involvement, and extracurricular activities. Preference may be given to students who are sons, daughters, or grandchildren of a Knight of Columbus member in good standing; or a son, daughter, or grandchild of a deceased member. Deadline: November 15, 2007
The Coca Scholars Foundation will award 50 scholarships of $20,000 and 200 scholarships of $10,000. You must apply online and you must know our school code number which is 363633. Deadline: October 31, 2007
Navy ROTC scholarships cover up to $180,000 at over 150 colleges. Minimum ACT score 21 math, 22 English. Application period: March 15th to January 15th. Email address of contact person is Jason.D.Gessner@navy.mil
Outstanding Students of America Scholarships available to high school seniors. Deadline: 10/10 of each year. Applications may be copied from website which is www.outstandingstudentsofamerica.com
The AXA Achievement Scholarship: awarding $670,000 to AXA Achievers. These students must demonstrate ambition and drive; determination to set and reach goals; respect for self, family, and community; and ability to succed in college. Go to www.axa-achievement.com to learn more about the scholarship program. Download an application. Apply by December 15, 2007
The Reid Vance Scholarship is offered to one or more high school students planning to study for a career in the printing and graphic imaging world. If you'd like more information, log on to www.pianko.org and click on the student tab. You can also contact Tom Lasik any time at tlasik@pianko.org or 888-576-1971
I also have information and/or packets from the following colleges:
Ohio Northern University - Ada, Ohio
Denison University - Granville, Ohio
Wabash College - Crawfordsville, Indiana
Aquinas College - Grand Rapids, Michigan
Shawnee State University - Portsmouth, Ohio
Emory University - Atlanta, Georgia
University of Evansville - Evansville, Indiana
Randolph College - Lynchburg, Virginia
Bowling Green State University - Bowling Green, Ohio
Gardner-Webb University - Boiling Springs, North Carolina
Washington University In St. Louis - St. Louis, Missouri
Eastern Michigan University - Ypsilanti, Michigan
The University of Tampa - Tampa, Florida