Way to go, high school graduates! We're proud of your accomplishments. Here are a
few resources to assist you in your journey toward success.
ACT
The ACT test is the United State's most widely accepted college entrance exam. English,
math, reading and science are covered in the ACT test. The ACT website has a lot of helpful information like why you should take the ACT, what to expect
during the test, tools to prepare for the test, and how colleges use your scores.
FAFSA
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid deadline is fast approaching. Completing this form accurately and on time is very
important because you may be awarded financial aid for college. We are here to help
you through this process.
College Admissions
Deadlines for submitting applications for colleges depends on the particular college.
All colleges and universities will have deadlines. Please make sure to check out all
deadlines for the particular college(s) you are interested in so you don't miss out!
Fall Deadline: August 1 • Spring Deadline: February 1
As a participating student of our program, you are exclusively eligible to apply for
our scholarship. The amount awarded can range from a few hundred dollars to several
thousand dollars per semester depending on your need. These scholarships can be renewed
for four years.
If you have any questions, please call the office at 316-978-7413.
FAFSA on the Web applications must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight time,
June 30.
Corrections on the Web forms must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight time,
September 15.
Note: Your school must have your complete and correct information by your last day of
enrollment in the school year
Getting all of the aid for which you are eligible
By James Maroney
Many people believe that private college scholarships are the panacea for their college-funding
woes. While you may have heard that millions of dollars in academic college scholarships
go unclaimed each year, that simply is not true. In reality, private scholarships
provide only a small percentage of college funding. The vast majority of financial
aid and grants are provided by the federal and state government and by schools. The
following information will help you get all of the need-based aid for which you are
eligible.
Need-based aid is determined by considering the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and the total Cost of Attendance (COA). The COA should reflect tuition, fees, room and board, transportation, books, and
personal expenses. Need-based aid is then calculated by subtracting the EFC from the
COA. Colleges will offer financial aid packages that meet your needs to varying degrees.
The first step in filing for financial aid requires you to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available in paper format in the high school guidance office or online.
Filing the FAFSA for financial aid online has many advantages. First, the online form
is processed in two weeks as opposed to four weeks for the paper form. Second, the
online form will check your responses and will not let you submit the application
with mistakes. If you have submitted the paper form with an error, it will be returned
for corrections and will need to be resubmitted. Finally, when you file the FAFSA
for financial aid online, the form will automatically generate an estimate of your
EFC.
It is extremely important that you file the FAFSA application before financial aid
priority deadlines. Information from tax forms is necessary in order to complete the
FAFSA.
The following analogy from a dean of admissions illustrates the importance of filing
FAFSA early for college: Financial aid is like a pot of soup. The first couple of
ladles are going to be full, but at the end you are going to be scraping the bottom
of the pot for what is left. Make sure you are getting your full ladle.
In order for you to receive all of the financial aid money for which you are eligible,
make sure you know the requirements of all of the schools to which you are applying.
It's also important that you complete the forms as accurately as possible and that
you file the applications before the priority deadline.
Everything from college applications and transcripts to admission essays and deadlines
By Ann Bezbatchenko
Applying to college used to be easy — you submitted an application form, and the school
notified you if you were admitted.
But things have changed. These days, application requirements vary, but most schools
require that you submit more than just a form. The supporting documents help the admissions
committee decide if you and the school are a good fit.
Application form Most schools have at least two ways to complete the application form: paper or online.
Some schools allow you to submit the Common Application. The Common Application for
college admission is an application you complete once and submit to several schools.
Information about this form and schools that accept it is available. The information
on your form will help the committee match materials to the correct person, so make
sure the information is correct and legible. Learn more about this form and schools that accept it.
High school transcript You must request copies of your high school transcripts to be sent directly to the
colleges to which you apply. If you earned college credit in high school or are applying
as a transfer student, you must request transcripts from any college or university
attended. The transcripts should show classes taken and grades earned. Committees
will look at your overall grades and the progress you have made.
Standardized test score Most colleges and universities require that you submit SAT or ACT test scores. Test scores help admissions committees measure your probable success
in college. Some schools take your highest composite score, while others take the
best combination of scores from different sections. Contact each school to which you
are applying to see how they consider scores. It may determine whether or not you
take the SAT or ACT and how many times you take the standardized test.
Letters of recommendation Depending on a school's requirements, a guidance counselor, a teacher, or another
adult may write a letter or complete a form about you. Give your recommender the form
or instructions about how to write a college recommendation for the college you'd
like to attend well in advance of the application deadline. The letter should include
your full name, in what capacity he or she knows you, and the length of time he or
she has known you. The person should attest to your capabilities and character.
Personal essay Writing a personal college admission essay may be the toughest and most time-consuming
document to put together. It is important to find your voice because this is the chance for the committee to get to know you beyond the
numbers. Read the questions carefully and follow directions. Choose your college admission
essay topic carefully. You will want to brainstorm ideas, create rough drafts, and
have others read your essay. Certain characteristics are true for a number of students,
so talk about what makes you special. It is not enough to just say you have lived
in an interesting place or had a unique experience. You need to elaborate on what
you learned or how you have changed because of this experience. Most importantly,
proofread! proofread! proofread!
Interviews While not required by all schools, an interview can be another way for the committee
to get to know you. Contact schools to find out if they offer interviews. Most interviews
are done with an admission representative, and it is that person's job to get to know
you. Be prepared to answer questions about yourself. “Yes/no” answers will make the
interview quite boring, so be ready to elaborate on answers and to have a real conversation
with the other person. The representative may ask you if you have any questions. It
is best to have a few questions prepared.
Deadlines An important part of acing the college application is meeting deadlines. In most cases,
you need to have a completed application file by the deadline, which means that all
documents must be turned in by that date. Applications postmarked by the deadline
may be okay, but you will want to contact a school to find out what their policy is.
After graduating from the University of Dayton in 2000, Ann Bezbatchenko worked as
an editor for SRA/McGraw-Hill Companies. She returned to school to obtain a master's
degree from The Catholic University of America, where she worked as the Assistant
Director of Graduate Admissions for CUA. Ann currently works at Loyola University
Chicago's Graduate School of Business as the Director of Admissions.
