This newsletter is intended to provide you with basic information,
important dates, suggestions, and resources. The best way to access
current information about college, financial aid, and scholarships is to
check for the newsletter and scholarship postings on the MHS guidance web
site at:
http://www.duvalschools.org/mhs/guidance
Paper copies will be available through your senior classes as well as the
guidance office.
JACKSONVILLE NATIONAL COLLEGE FAIR
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Prime Osborne Center
12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
***Remember to register for the National College Fair:
Step
2: After completing the online registration, print off the barcode
identification.
Step3: Colleges will simply scan the student’s barcode to access their
information, allowing more time one-on-one conversations and less time
filling out inquiry cards.
Register
online for college entrance exams: SAT or ACT (if you haven’t already).
Request your scores be sent to Mandarin HS (CEEB Code # 100769) and the
colleges to which you are applying. Your scores MUST be sent to MHS to
become part of your transcript and be considered for Florida Bright Futures
Scholarships.
SAT
Test date
Register by:
Late registration
SAT & Subject Tests
Nov. 7
Oct. 1
Oct. 15
SAT & Subject Tests
Dec. 5
Oct. 30
Nov. 12
SAT & Subject Tests
Jan. 23
Dec. 15
Dec. 30
SAT & Subject Tests
Mar. 13
Feb. 4
Feb. 18
ACT
Test date
Register by:
Late registration
ACT and optional writing test
Oct. 24
Sept. 18
Oct. 2
ACT and optional writing test
Dec. 12
Nov. 6
Nov. 20
ACT and optional writing test
Feb. 6
Jan. 5
Jan. 15
Apply
to the college or university of your choice online or submit a hard copy
application. Most colleges and universities prefer online applications.
Many, i.e. UCF, UNF, FSU and Florida,
require
online applications and no longer accept paper applications.
·
Check out links for prospective students and financial aid links.
·
Pay attention to deadline dates.
(They are not kidding.) Deadlines will be different for college
applications and financial aid applications.
·
Remember to record your login and password for each site you visit in a
place you can access for future reference.
Admission deadlines for popular institutions:
UNF
November 13 for Priority Admission
FCCJ
Rolling Admissions
FSU
October 14 – Early Decision Application
USF
March 1 – Application Deadline, January 2 – Priority Scholarship
Application Deadline
UF
November 1
Florida A&M
Rolling Admissions – Apply Early
UCF
November 1
Request
transcripts
by completing the Transcript Request form available in the guidance office
(48 hour turn around), or they may be requested online at the MHS website
guidance page. Transcripts to state university system institutions are
sent electronically. Electronic transcripts are processed periodically.
It is best to allow two weeks from the time of request to the deadline
date. It is the student’s responsibility to pick up and mail hard copies
or personal copies of transcripts.
Recommendations
should be requested at
least
two weeks in advance of when you plan to mail them to the admissions
office. It is customary to ask permission to use a person’s name as a
recommendation. If you are asking for a letter of recommendation, be sure
to provide that person with a brief resume of your activities in and
outside of school, achievements, and interests. This allows the writer to
present you in specific and positive ways. Finally, it is always a good
idea to write a brief thank-you to persons who have provided
recommendations for you.
Electronic counselor recommendations for UCF are no longer required!
Essays may
be requested as part of your college application. As you plan your essay,
remember it will:
Reveal your thinking and writing.
Allow you to share something of your self not found elsewhere in the
application.
Provide a way to communicate how you see yourself and your place in
the world.
Essay Tips:
·
Pick a topic with which you are comfortable.
·
Structure your essay by deciding what point you want to make, and being
concise when writing it down.
·
Write a rough draft, have someone else read it and provide feedback, and
then write a final draft.
·
The essay allows admissions officers to get a glimpse at who you truly are.
It can influence consideration of your application. Use the fact you have
complete control over it to your advantage!
Financial Aid offices
of institutions where you are applying should be contacted when you apply
to the institution.
Two dates to remember:
December 1, 2009—the
first date seniors may go online to apply for Florida Bright Futures
Scholarships. Go to
www.FACTS.org to access the application.
January 1, 2010—the
first date seniors may file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid,
commonly referred to as FAFSA, on the
www.fafsa.ed.gov website. The FAFSA is required by all financial aid
offices to determine the amount of money a student will need.
***BEWARE
of any scholarship website that offers to find you a scholarship for a
fee. Most legitimate scholarship websites are free.
College Campus Visits
should be planned in advance for any schools to which you are planning
apply. Below are some guidelines to follow as we approach the holidays:
1. Plan
ahead to ensure the best possible visit. Walk-in visits are sometimes not
possible or lack the completeness of a scheduled visit.
2.Visit
colleges when students are in session. This gives you a true depiction of
the campus.
3.
Schedule a class visit or two to learn about the college environment.
4.Make
the visit interactive by asking questions that you can’t easily find the
answers to in a publication or website.
5.If you
are doing a college tour (multiple visits) take notes and pictures so that
you remember each campus.
6.Try the
food!!!!
7.Check
out the residence halls.
8.Take
the scheduled tour as well as an independent one in which you explore the
campus on your own and talk to students other than your admissions tour
guide.
9.Stay
connected after the visit. Write a thank you note. This can go a long way
if you’re planning to apply to the college you’ve visited.
10.Relax and
enjoy this time. The COLLEGE SEARCH PROCESS should be fun!
Information available in Guidance
·
College catalogs and view books
·
Scholarship information and applications
- Scholarship information is updated for each newsletter. When a
scholarship deadline passes, information is deleted.
·
Most of the information available in guidance is also available online.
Colleges and universities are using the Internet extensively (and some
exclusively) to provide information and forms for prospective students.
Your guidance counselor is available to assist you in understanding the
information and using it to making decisions about your future plans.
Useful web sites:
Sites providing a starting point and efficient ways to gain information for
college planning are:
www.FACTS.org -
compares your transcript with Bright Futures Academic requirements
www.fafsa.ed.gov
- website of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form
determines the amount of financial need for most institutions. It will be
a critical part of your financial aid process. IMPORTANT: Wait
until January 1, 2010 to complete this form to avoid nullifying your
information. Until that date, institutions are working with their newly
entered students’ (2009 graduates) information.
***Be aware that
www.fafsa.com is a commercial “look-alike” website that charges money
for exactly the same form a fafsa.ed.gov*
$1,000 Top Ten List Scholarships – DEADLINE TO APPLY: Dec. 31, 2009
·
Submit an online short written response (250 words or less) for the topic:
“Create
a ‘top ten list’ of the craziest or most unique scholarships you have heard
of, and briefly describe each scholarship. Note: The awards may be real or
fictional.”
University of Miami – Ronald A. Hammond Scholarship – DEADLINE TO APPLY:
Jan. 15, 2010
·
Completed application for admission to University of Miami must also be
submitted by Jan. 15, 2010 deadline. Admission application due at
www.miami.edu/apply.
·
Minimum requirements for scholarship include: an SAT score of 1250 (math
and critical reading only), and ACT composite score of 28, and a strong B+
average.
NROTC Four-Year Scholarship – DEADLINE TO APPLY: Jan. 31, 2010
·
This scholarship would pay for full tuition, academic fees, includes a book
and monthly stipend, and uniforms.
·
Applicant must be willing to commit to eight years of military service of
which four must be active duty.
·
Applicants selected from students already attending or accepted by colleges
with NROTC programs.
·
Applications are available in the guidance office.
$5,000 Oh,
the Places You’ll Go!
College Scholarship Program – DEADLINE TO APPLY: Feb. 15, 2010
·
Mail the application along with a 1-page essay for the topic:
“Thinking about the book, OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!, what kinds of
opportunities and challenges do you think your education will present in
the future?”
·
Applications are available in the Guidance Office on the shelf next to the
career room.
·
For more information, or to download an application, visit
www.ohtheplaces.org.
$6000 The National Co-Op Scholarship Program – DEADLINE TO APPLY: Feb. 15,
2009
·
To qualify for this scholarship, students must (1) have a cumulative GPA of
3.5 on a 4.0 scale and complete the required admissions applications
material and be accepted for the 2010-2011 academic year at one of the
National Commission Partner Institutions listed on the application.
·
A typed 1-page essay required describing why you have chosen to pursue a
college cooperative education program.
·
Applications are available in the guidance office.
Please see Mrs. Seymore in guidance, or your guidance counselor, if you
have additional questions pertaining to any scholarships listed here.
