Scholarships February 14, 2013

Agenda 1.Scholarship basics 2.How to locate scholarships 3.Tips for Students & Parents

Scholarship opportunities vary in their: 1.Award(s) offered 2.Sources (private vs. public vs. college/university based) 3.Criteria for eligibility 4.Application requirements Scholarship Basics

Awards Several types of awards are offered through scholarships, including: Monetary awards applied toward direct COA (Cost of Attendance): –One time grant/award vs. renewable –Full or Partial Tuition –Housing –Books and/or General Expenses Career assistance and exploration: –Internship opportunities (ex: JP Morgan Chase Smart Start) –Study abroad and/or independent research Certificate, Medal, or other non-monetary award: –Still very useful in the college process (i.e. NMSC)

Scholarship Sources Private –Provided by private organizations. »Ronald McDonald House Charities »NY Times College Scholarship Program »Gates Millennium Scholarship Public –Provided by state or local municipalities »NY State Scholarship for Academic Excellence College/University based –Provided by a specific college or university »Boston University Presidential Scholarship. »University of Virginia Jefferson Scholars Program »Danforth Scholars Program »Questbridge Pre-college Summer Program Scholarships Scholarships also vary in the manner through which they are funded:

Eligibility Academics GPA and/or Standardized Tests Demographics Socioeconomic status Ethnicity Talents Athletics – D I or D II Scholarships Arts / Music / Writing Personal Qualities Community service / volunteerism Leadership skills Grade level Residency Academic Interest Parental Employment Association(s) First generation college bound Military interest (ROTC) National Merit / National Achievement Random House Writing Competition NY1 Scholar Athlete of the Week JP Morgan / Chase Smart Start Ronald McDonald House Charities Scholarship Program Swarthmore College Book Award Coca Cola First Generation Scholarship Scholarships may target students based upon specific criteria such as:

Application Requirements Scholarship Applications may contain various requirements, such as: Academic Essays Grades (Transcript, SAT/ACT Scores) Recommendation(s) Sample of work (Art, Music, Film, etc.) Research Paper Interview / Group Interview Nomination Community Based Organization Bronx Science Scholarship Committee

How does my child find scholarship opportunities? Internet Fastweb Big Future College / University Websites School Based Naviance Scholarship Bulletin(s) Independent / Offline Resources Company / Employer / Union

Provides access to 1.5 million scholarships worth over 3.4 billion dollars Fastweb adds new scholarships to their database daily as they become available. Fastweb can send alerts straight to your personal account! Alerts let you know when a new scholarship has been added, matches your profile, or when a deadline is nearing. Fastweb

Students who answer all of the optional questions match about twice as many scholarships as students who answer only the required questions, on average The optional questions are there to trigger the inclusion of specific awards in the search results.

College Board – Big Future Scholarship Search allows you to find scholarships, other financial aid, and internships totaling over $6 billion dollars annually in awards annually. Be as comprehensive as possible in creating your profile so that you can receive more detailed and targeted results. Free to access and connected to the student’s own College Board accounts!

College Websites

Naviance Search Tool

Scholarship Bulletin

Look at scholarship bulletin board (located outside the Guidance suite) Speak with your employers or union representatives about scholarship opportunities available for children of employees Use scholarship books found in your local library FREE Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid The College Board Scholarship Handbook : by The College Board Peterson's Scholarships, Grants & Prizes (Peterson's Scholarships, Grants & Prizes) by Linda Seghers Kaplan Scholarships, Edition (Kaplan Scholarships) Independent / Offline Resources

Scholarship Tips For Students and Parents: Part I Only apply for scholarships for which you are eligible Apply to a mix of scholarships (do not only apply for the most competitive/largest award scholarships) Stay on top of deadlines Provide recommenders ample time to complete their recommendation

Scholarship Tips For Students and Parents: Part II Make sure to have someone review any essays or application material before you submit them Complete a mock interview if an interview is required Start looking early Make sure to have an up-to-date college list in Naviance

Scholarship Tips For Students and Parents: Part III Watch out for Scholarship Scams!!! Use scholarship websites that are available, but DO NOT use any that charge fees –In the words of “If you have to pay money to get money, it’s probably a scam.” –Every year an estimated 350,000 students and parents fall prey to scholarship scams, at an annual cost of more than $5 million. The lure of "Free Money" fools even skeptical people. Never share credit card/banking information FinAid – excellent resource with information, tips, and tools to avoid scholarship scams:

How do we assist students with their scholarship applications? Essay Help Standardized tests prep courses Mock Interviews Application Mentoring (Smart Start and Intel)

Scholarship Statistics Total Scholarships Awarded:1076 Total Scholarship Awards: $23,845,608 72% of our students received scholarship awards in some form (524 out of 726)

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