Newsletter September 2015 Laurie Derickson College & Career Counselor 719-234-1824 Laurie.derickson@asd20.org Maryalice Marston College & Career Assistant 719-234-1843 Maryalice.marston@asd20.org A note from Mrs. Derickson September is the month to start to gather your information and begin to think about the application process. I always advise families to get organized before they begin the process. It may help to create an excel sheet with university names, application deadlines, essay requirements, recommendations needed, school specific scholarship deadlines, etc. Senior students spent time in their Senior English classes early this month learning about the application process, finding potential scholarships, and getting re-acquainted with Naviance. Please know we are here to support you and your families during this process. Important Upcoming Dates: Sept 15: Senior Parent Information Night 7pm DCC High School Rm 508 Sept 28: In State College Fair 6-8pm. District 20 Main Office, 1110 Chapel Hills Drive Oct 11: National College Fair 1-4pm. Denver Mart Expo Building. 451 E. 58th Ave Where should I apply??? Fit + Funding = Finish There are many things to consider when you begin your college applications to determine if a school will be a good fit for you. Here are just a few: 2 year or 4 year? Location? Do they offer your major? Is the student population big, medium or small? How much will it cost? There are many search engines to help you narrow down your choices including: Naviance SuperMatch CollegeBoard BigFuture College in Colorado Whenever possible, you should tour the school, talk to current students, sit in on classes, and ask plenty of questions to determine if the school is the best fit for you! Registering for Testing: DCC School Code: 060244 Oct 3rd SAT Test Date. Registration Date Sept 3rd. Late Registration Date Sept 22nd. Register at www.collegeboard.com/sat October 24th ACT Test Date. Registration Date Sept 18th. Late Registration Date Oct 2nd. Register at www.actstudent.org
Newsletter September 2015 Upcoming College Visits AT DCC High School (students may sign up to attend in Naviance) Colorado Mesa University, 9/14 at 2pm Biola U, 9/29 at 10am California Lutheran University, 9/15 at 9:30am Arizona State U, 9/30 at 12:15pm University of Colorado at Boulder, 9/15 at 10:30am U of Montana, 10/2 at 10:15am University of Alabama, 9/15 at 12pm Iowa State U, 10/5 at 10 am UCCS, 9/17 at 12:15pm DePauw U, 10/5 at 11am U of Kansas, 9/21 at 2pm U of St. Thomas, 10/5 at 12pm CSU, 9/22 at 10am Pacific Lutheran U, 10/5 at 2pm Pikes Peak Community College, 9/23 at 2pm U of Northern Colorado, 10/6 at 8am Western State Colorado U, 9/24 at 12:15pm Norwich U, 10/6 at 10:15am John Brown U, 9/28 at 8:30am Texas Christian U, 10/6 at 12pm Baylor University, 9/28 at 10:15am U of Arizona, 10/8 at 8:30am Concordia U, 9/28 at 12pm Western Nebraska CC, 10/13 at 10:15am Cedarville U, 9/28 at 2pm U of Calgary, 10/27 at 8am Whitworth U, 9/29 at 2pm U of Wyoming, 11/4 at 2pm New visits are scheduled every week so check the daily planet for updates! Scholarship Opportunities Seniors should start their scholarship search as early as possible and continue their search throughout the school year. Scholarships are available for all sorts of things including grades, special talents, volunteerism, heritage, creative abilities, financial situation, and more. There are many resources available to search for scholarships: Naviance Family Connection- Scholarship List The financial aid web page of the college that you are applying to National search engines like www.fastweb.com, www.scholarships.com, www.salliemae.com/scholarships Sometimes, you can receive a larger merit scholarship from a university by improving your test scores. If this is the case at the university you are applying to, consider retaking the SAT or ACT in order to receive a larger scholarship. In the following pages, you will find four full ride scholarship opportunities that are available for senior students this fall. Please look them over carefully and have your students contact Mrs. Derickson as soon as they determine that they are eligible and interested in applying.
The Boettcher Scholarship The Boettcher Scholarship is a Colorado scholarship for high school seniors. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious merit-based scholarships in the state. The Boettcher Scholarship covers the cost of a scholar s tuition, fees and books for eight semesters/12 quarters at approved Colorado four-year universities or colleges. Additionally, Boettcher Scholars also receive a living stipend. To be considered for the Boettcher Scholarship, you must meet these minimum requirements: Be a graduating Colorado high school senior who has lived in Colorado for your junior and senior years of high school Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States OR Meet the requirements for Colorado ASSET AND one of (a) or (b) below: Hold legal status in the United States; or Meet the requirements and have applied or started the process of applying for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Selection Criteria: Superior scholastic ability Evidence of leadership and involvement Service to community and school Outstanding character Typically, Scholarship recipients have an average ACT score of 32, average SAT score of 1390 and rank in the top 2-3% of their classes. You must request an invitation from your counselor no later than October 15 th in order to have all of the required documents submitted on time. Please see Mrs. Derickson in counseling as soon as possible. http://boettcherfoundation.org/colorado-scholarships/ Senior competitiveness quiz: https://www.boettcherscholarshiponline.org/competitive/?y=s
The Daniel s Fund Scholarship Program The Daniels Scholarship is an exciting and challenging program that provides the opportunity to obtain a four-year college education at any accredited nonprofit college or university in the United States, complete with financial and personal support throughout the journey. Daniels Scholars are selected because they embody the principles and values Bill Daniels defined as hallmarks of the program: Strength of character Leadership potential Academic performance or promise Willingness to give back to the community Well-rounded personality To be eligible for the Daniels Scholarship Program, students must satisfy the following requirements at the time of application: Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States Be a resident of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, or Wyoming Be a high school senior graduating from a school in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, or Wyoming Earn ACT scores of at least 17 in each category (math, English, reading, science); or an SAT math score of at least 400 and critical reading score of at least 440. Writing scores are not required. All test scores must come from a single test, and must be submitted by the application deadline. Super scoring is not accepted. Demonstrate financial need Applications and recommendations must be submitted online through the application website between September 14 and November 13, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. MST Please see Mrs. Derickson in counseling as soon as possible if you plan to apply.
Quest Bridge Scholarship College Match Scholarship Recipients are granted admission to one of QuestBridge's partner colleges with a full, four-year scholarship worth over $200,000 each. Our partner colleges use a combination of their own funds as well as state and federal aid to fund the scholarship. This scholarship is offered as part of a generous financial aid package provided by the QuestBridge partner college that covers the cost of attendance, including: Tuition and fees Room and board Books and supplies The QuestBridge National College Match is designed for high school seniors who have shown outstanding academic ability despite economic challenges. We do not have absolute criteria or cut-offs for GPA, standardized test scores, or income and we take a holistic approach in reviewing applications. When selecting College Match Finalists, we consider the following questions: "Does this student have the motivation and academic ability to thrive at one of our partner colleges?" "Has this student overcome socio-economic obstacles to achieve academic excellence?" College Match Finalists typically come from households earning less than $60,000 annually for a family of four, and often less than $50,000. This is not a strict cut-off and we encourage students who feel they have faced significant financial hardship to review these financial details carefully to see if they may qualify. Date/Deadline What to complete Who September 28 National College Match application All applicants October 13 QuestBridge College Rankings Form: Rank up to 8 colleges in order of preference. All applicants October 13 October QuestBridge Match Agreement Form: Obtain signatures from your counselor and a parent/guardian. Rankings are only considered official when this form is submitted. QuestBridge selects Finalists All applicants who wish to participate in the College Match October 21 Finalist Notification: Log into your account to see if you were selected as a Finalist. All applicants November 1 November 3 November 5- December 9 November Submit additional College Match requirements to each of the colleges you ranked to complete your applications. QuestBridge College Rankings Form: Last chance to rearrange or remove colleges. Submit a new Match Agreement Form if changes are made. QuestBridge Regular Decision Form: Select which partner colleges you intend to apply to through Regular Decision. Partner colleges select College Match Scholarship Recipients; QuestBridge matches based on student rankings Finalists Finalists Finalists December 1 Match Notification: Log into your account to see if you have been matched. Finalists (College Match withdraw from Regular Decision) Please see Mrs. Derickson in counseling as soon as possible if you plan to apply.
Gates Millennium Scholarship The GMS 2016 Application will open on August 1, 2015. To be eligible for the Gates Millennium Scholars Program students must: Be African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian American/Pacific Islander or Hispanic American; Be Citizens, legal permanent residents or nationals of the United States; Have a cumulative GPA of 3.3 on an unweighted 4.0 scale or earned a GED; Have demonstrated leadership abilities through participation in community service, extracurricular or other activities; Meet Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria; Enroll for the first time at a U.S. located, accredited college or university (with the exception of students concurrently pursuing a high school diploma) in the fall as a full-time, degree seeking, first year student; Have completed and submitted their application by the deadline; and Have the following forms completed and submitted by the deadline on their behalf: A Nominator Form-an evaluation of the student's academic record, and; A Recommender Form- an evaluation of the student's community service and leadership activities. The deadline for applications for the next class of the Gates Millennium Scholars Program will be January 13, 2016.