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Types of Schools Community and Junior College - offer two-year associate degree programs. For students who decide to continue their studies in a four-year program, the courses usually transfer to four-year colleges. Four-year Colleges and Universities - offer bachelor's degrees in a variety fields of study. Most also offer graduate programs with opportunities to earn a master's degree, doctorate, or professional degree. The curriculum is usually broader than a two-year school. Vocational Training Schools - privately owned and operated schools that offer a wide variety of training options, such as computer technology, cosmetology, mechanical repair, court reporting, paralegal services, office administration, and medical assistance. Vocational courses take from five to 12 months to as much as three years to complete.
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Tips for Admissions and Scholarships
College Planning
Presented By:
Lorinda DiehlAdmissions CounselorGrand Canyon [email protected] Question?How many of you know where you are going to college?
Types of Schools
Community and Junior College - offer two-year associate degree programs. For students who decide to continue their studies in a four-year program, the courses usually transfer to four-year colleges.
Four-year Colleges and Universities - offer bachelor's degrees in a variety fields of study. Most also offer graduate programs with opportunities to earn a master's degree, doctorate, or professional degree. The curriculum is usually broader than a two-year school.
Vocational Training Schools - privately owned and operated schools that offer a wide variety of training options, such as computer technology, cosmetology, mechanical repair, court reporting, paralegal services, office administration, and medical assistance. Vocational courses take from five to 12 months to as much as three years to complete.
Questions to Consider
Academic Gender Race/Ethnicity Sports Big/Small City/Country Cost Living Situation
Campus Life Geographic Location Leadership Teacher to Student
Ratio Party School Public/Private
How do I choose where to apply?
College brochures College directories College fairs – Admission Counselors College students Counselors and teachers Visit the campus Websites – virtual tours
Application Form Personal stats sheet Summary of your achievements Education Test scores Extracurricular activities Volunteer work Honors Employment Family background
Get Organized List all of the colleges you are applying to and their
deadlines. Note if the school has a rolling admissions policy. For each college, list all of the material required.
Application, fee, transcript, etc. Keep all application in a separate folder. Save time with the common application -
www.commonapp.org. Some colleges have supplemental forms.
More Tips Become a neat freak! Beef up your extracurricular & academic life:
Name of the organization, program, or business Dates you participated or worked Number of hours per week you spent on the activity or job Leadership positions you held and your responsibilities Major accomplishments you made while in the organizations Special projects that you initiated or oversaw. These could be either long-term or
one-time projects. Prioritize your activities. Leadership is always better than membership. Get recommenders who can write about the
intimate details of your life. Don’t procrastinate!
Question?
What is the first question you ask yourself before you purchase an item?
Scholarships
Cost of Education
Public-In Public-Out PrivateTuition $6,500 $12,000 $18,500Fees 700 700 700Books 800 800 800Living Exp.R & B 8,000 8,000 8,000Personal 3,500 3,500 3,500Total Cost $19,500 $25,000 $31,500
Scholarship Search
www.nelnet.com/win www.collegeinvest.org www.collegeincolorado.org www.coloradocouncil.org www.cesda.org www.danielsfund.org www.scholarships.com www.ncaa.org www.hsf.net www.aises.org www.scholarship.tylenol.com http://www.coca-colascholars.org
Scholarship Search (cont.)
www.fastweb.com www.finaid.org www.supercollege.com www.collegeanswer.com www.brokescholar.com www.collegeboard.com www.freschinfo.com www.finaid.org/scholarships/scams.phtml
Scholarship Scam Alert http://www.ed.gov
The U.S. Department of Education site on Federal Student Aid programs, including maximum awards and eligibility.
Other College Resources
There are over 422 books printed about scholarships. Here are some guide books to get you started.
Colorado Council on High School/College Relations, Colorado Collegiate Handbook – best for in-state information. Cost is about $6 (may be available in your high school counselor’s office)
Get Free Cash for College – Gen & Kelly Tanabe $24.95 Get Into Any College – Gen and Kelly Tanabe $16.95 Winning the College Admission Game – Peter Van Buskirk
$15.00
Getting Organized
Sample Application Make a copy of an application and keep it with everything else so that
when you go to fill out a new application you pull the old one for information. Spend a great deal of time on the first one and from than on it becomes easier! ALWAYS ALWAYS make a copy of everything that you mail!!
Read the directions – if it says hand write – make sure you do that, if it doesn’t say type it!
Unofficial Transcript Order an un-official transcript. Make copies and keep them so that you
can get information from them. Many scholarships do not require an official transcript. Read and do
what is says.
The ApplicationFollow Deadlines
Is it a “Postmarked” or “received by” deadline? Beat the deadline, leaving time for follow-up if necessary.
Follow Directions The application will state specifications about:
Space and length requirements Typed or handwritten Using forms provided or other paper Additional sheets/supplemental information allowed
Be Neat and Complete Copy the blank application to practice rough drafts. Write clearly and not too small.
Not less than 10 point font if typing. Use correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. Rather than leave a question blank, indicate not applicable
(N/A).
Content
Focus on the selection criteria Your application will be read and scored based on the stated criteria.
Be exact and follow specific instructions.
Be specific and detailed about your past achievements Every space does not need to be filled. Each entry must be specific and
detailed. Instead of just “Prom Committee”, try “Designed advertising campaign
for prom.” Instead of just “Volunteer”, try “Organized yearly dance for senior
citizens. BE HONEST!! Don’t invent or embellish.
Content (cont.)
Essays and short answers
Hook the reader within the first few sentences of your essay! Be personal and descriptive. The readers want to get to know
you and your experiences. Give them a story, illustration, something that they can tie into
and remember you. They may be reading several hundred applications.
Be organized and concise, demonstrating the critical thought you have given your application.
Resume Organize in logical manner
References should match letters of recommendation
Print on high quality bond paper
Print several copies to keep on hand
NO ERRORS – make sure it has been proofed several times by several people!! The most difficult task is to try and find your own mistakes!!
No idea how to get started ASK.
Letters of Recommendation Get them done NOW if you haven’t done this already. Give the individual writing the recommendation ample time to
complete. Ask to have the letter sent two weeks before the deadline. Follow-up to help the writer meet the deadline. Get a variety of people to write for you (I.E. coaches, academic
teachers, counselor, long-time family friend, club sponsor, etc.). Depending generally 3 to 5 recommendations is enough. Describe the type of letter you need and to whom it should be
addressed to. Encourage the writer to focus on how you meet the selections
criteria. Also provide them with a stamped and addressed envelope. Ask for several copies of the letter for your records. Write a thank you note.
Final Touches Did you remember the selection criteria in every part
of the application? Proofread! Have a few people read the application for
clarity and mechanics. Copy everything you send in for your records. Bind or put in folder unless it states that you should
not. Use heavy “resume” paper. Be careful about color of paper-do use a light gray,
ivory, etc. Don’t use bright pink, blue, etc.
Additional Tips
Be persistent. Apply for numerous scholarships. Do not rely solely on scholarships to fund your
education- Submit your FASFA. Create a scholarship folder to keep track of all materials. Meet all deadlines. Presentation counts - Show you care!!! Follow-up. Thank both scholarship donor and references.
Top Ten Application Do’s Do understand the scholarship’s mission. Do remember who your audience is. Do show how you fit with the scholarship’s mission. Do be proud of your accomplishments. Do focus on leadership and contributions. Do make your application stand out. Do practice to make sure everything fits. Do get editors. Do include a resume. Do make copies of your finished applications for reference.
Scholarship Scams
Avoid any scholarship applications that request a fee. Ask for Credit Card or Bank Account
Information Companies that do all the work for you. You receive notification that you have
been selected as a finalist for a contest you never entered.
