Starting Early: 5 Reasons to Start Your Scholarship Search In Your Sophomore Year

Guest blogger, Felicia Gopaul, is the President of College Fundingbouquet flowers felicia Resource (CFR), teaches families how the financial aid system works. She shared the following article about getting a jump start on the the scholarship search.

Smart students don’t wait to start looking for scholarships until the fall of their senior year in high school (or later).  They get started much earlier than that.  In fact, many successful scholarship recipients start looking for scholarships as early as the spring semester of their sophomore year in high school.

Why start your scholarship search so early?

Starting your scholarship search early is smart.  It allows you time to get organized and leisurely put together a list of scholarships you want to apply for in your senior year.  It also allows you to complete any summer programs that you might have to attend in order to qualify for a scholarship.

For example, the New Jersey chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants has a summer Accounting Awareness Program (ACAP) that a student must complete in order to be eligible for a scholarship later.  By starting your scholarship search early, you have a few more summers to find and fulfill the requirements for programs like ACAP.  Starting early means you won’t find yourself ineligible for a scholarship because you did not know or have time to complete the requirements for qualification. Read more tips – click here!

Start Your Year Right with “College Bound”, the eBook, on Amazon!

Yes, it’s true! Over 1,200 active links will be at your fingertips in “College Bound.”cb-2016-17-cvr-only

I wrote “College Bound: Proven Ways to Plan and Prepare for Getting Into the College of Your Dreams” as a guide to help parents and students prepare for what comes after graduation. “College Bound” is written so it will be like having a professional college counselor beside you every step of the way (http://amzn.to/2iG7VEG).

“College Bound” guides you through the college planning timeline, the search and application process, and campus visits, with additional tips and resources. It will show ways to approach counselors, teachers, or moderators to request an effective letter of recommendation, give tips on self-marketing through the college essay, provide suggestions for a top-notch resume of extracurricular activities, and offer advice for taking standardized tests.

  • If you are a budding artist, a competitive athlete, or interested in a military career, or transitioning from being homeschooled to college, this book is for you.
  • If you have special needs or a disability, this book is for you.
  • If you are thinking about learning a trade or attending community college, this book is for you.
  • Interested in understanding the “nuts and bolts” of financial aid and where to find scholarships? This book is for you.mcbp-2016-17-cvr-only
  • Looking for an extensive list of publications and internet resources that is beyond compare? “College Bound” is for you – giving you all these resources and more.
  • I hope you will find this must-read guide helpful and informative, and I wish you all the best as you plan a path to an exciting future.

The companion workbook, “My College Bound Plan,” will keep you organized with all the forms and checklists you will need to proceed through the search and application process (http://amzn.to/2hOZPoX).  It’s like having a counselor available to answer your questions 24/7! It’s a great place to start building your college planning library.

 

48 iPad Apps That High School and College Students Love

Staff Writers from OnlineColleges.com wrote an article that I thought I would share with you.  They noted, “While the laptop remains the tech tool of choice for most high school and college students, many are embracing portable and innovative tablets like the iPad. Since its release in 2010, the iPad has taken the tech market by storm and become a popular, educational and fun tool for both teachers and students alike. It is increasingly infiltrating college education, with some schools en offering free iPads for enrollees.”

“Whether you’re a high school or college student looking for new apps to stock your iPad or someone just curious what kind of appropriate resources are out there, start your search with these 48 great apps. Among them, students will find help with everything from keeping homework organized to finding the perfect first date spot — and just about everything in between.”

Essential Tools

The staff writers shared, “These apps will help turn your iPad into the ultimate productivity tool, whether you’re making a home movie, sketching out plans for a project or writing a term paper.”

  1. Dictionary.com

    Whether you need to look up the definition of a particularly troublesome word, find a suitable synonym or just play around with the English language, this application can help.

  2. Pages

    Apple’s word processing solution for the iPhone and iPad, this application will let you write papers, create newsletters and much more. For 46 more apps, click here!

College Ranking Issues

Time and time again articles are printed in magazines and newspapers about college rankings. A particular college may be rated number one by a group, but that does not mean it is the best match for the student. Each student will need to look at his or her interests and college characteristics to see if it is a good fit. These rankings hold different meanings for each person, just as the Oscars rate movies, and the Grammys rank music, not everyone will agree with the outcome. It is okay to read the college ranking magazines as long as the student and his or her family review other sources of information to make his or her decision.

Making a Plan – Where To Start – Middle School Years

Are you thinking about attending college or training in a field of interest? It is never too early to get started in the process even if it is a few years away. You can start positioning yourself to get into college by following the college planning timeline as a guide.

Talk with a school counselor about:

Taking courses required for entrance into high school and developing strong study habits

Review college preparatory courses you plan on taking in high school including English, math, history, science, and Modern and Classical Languages

Participating in summer enrichment programs or community-based extracurricular activities that may be available in your county or school

“Starting to read” magazines, newspapers articles, and books of interest

Doing  well on standardized tests

How to Keep Your Mind Sharp For Fall Semester

When you’brain drainre heading into your first semester at college, you’re most likely thinking about how far your dorm is from the dining hall, whether to go with the hot pink or more neutral bed comforter, and if you’ll get along with your randomly assigned roommate. What you’re not thinking of is how the score on your first exam is going to affect your GPA that first semester.

The excitement of going to college can sometimes cloud the reason why you’re actually going – to get an education so you can land a great job. And getting ready for class doesn’t start when you step foot on campus: It starts during the summer.

Summertime is a tricky time for students. You want to relax, but you also need to make sure you keep your mind sharp for the upcoming school year. Here are a few things you can do to combat summer brain drain and make sure you walk into class ready to go.

YouTube EDU. During the summer, viral videos get special amounts of attention because we’re online more than usual – so why not stay on YouTube, but use it in a way that’s going to get you ready for those first weeks of class? Read more tips – click here!

Explain the Value of Cooperative Education Programs or “Co-Ops”

One definition of a cooperative education program is a structured experience which combines practical work and the classroom-based education.  Such programs provide academic credit for job experience to help a student from school-to-work and encourage service learning.

  • Provide an opportunity to learn from some experienced and supportive colleagues in the workplace
  • Gain practical experience while earning a degree and getting a head start in career
  • Student mature, are more experienced, and already respected for accomplishments in co-op work assignments
  • Gain hands-on work experiences in specialized fields like engineering and business, etc. Read more reasons to look at Co-Op opportunities.