12/14 Agenda

1. Collections: Submit college application confirmation emails and completed essay drafts.

2. Individual work on applications, essays, scholarships.

3. Overview of financial aid: 

• Set up your FAFSA PIN
• Set up Maryland Guaranteed Access Account
• Review FAFSA submission deadlines for your schools and add to your college profile chart
• Review list of required documents

4. Overview of spring semester.

5. LUNCH!!!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Guest Workshop on Navigating Financial Aid on January 11th. This is our first day back in 2014. Be on time!
• MMYC is moving to a new location. Stay tuned for emails with the new address.

12/7 Agenda

1. Collections--confirmation emails for submitted applications, report cards, etc.

2. December checklist for seniors--click here, and for juniors--click here.  Are these the things you are working on? What important parts of the application process should you be more focused on?

3. Work on applications and completing essay(s).

4. Scholarship searches.  What scholarships are you eligible for with deadlines coming up? Check the List of Possible Scholarships I've created and your Fast Web account. If you don't have a Fast Web account, create one. You should also check the websites for the schools you are applying to for their specific scholarships.  Many deadlines are coming up in mid-December and starting in January.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1. We will have our last workshop for the fall semester on December 14.  We will go out to lunch nearby to celebrate the upcoming holidays and the hard work you have put in so far.

2. On January 11, we will have a financial aid workshop with a representative from State Farm.

No workshops on Saturday 11/23 or Saturday 11/30

Enjoy your holiday, rest up, eat well, and I will see you again on Saturday, Dec. 7!

If you need one-on-one help during the next two weeks, please email me directly and we can work something out!!

11/16 Agenda

Special guest workshop: Essay writing with Arianna Ross

Agenda 11/9

We will continue our agenda from last week.

1. Independent work on college applications and completing college profiles.

2. At 10:30am, we will return our focus to working on essays (for college apps or scholarships).

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
11/16: Guest workshop: Arianna Ross, Story Tapestries: Writing your story.

No class on 11/23

No class on 11/30: Thanksgiving Holiday

11/2 Agenda

1. Announcements: visitor to program on Nov. 9 and special college essay workshop on Nov. 16.

2. Senior checklist for November.  Junior checklist for November.  Are these items on your radar??

3. Take a look at what kinds of scholarships are going to be available for you to apply to.

4. Continue college profiles, requests for information and applications.  When using College Board to search schools, be sure to look at the "Paying" tab and then "Financial Aid by the Numbers" to get a concrete sense of how much it might cost you for 4 years of school.  Be sure you are also looking at the "Applying" tab and checking out average GPAs and standardized test scores (if applicable).

5. College essay prep--ideas, outlines, intros.  Create a google doc to start your intro.  Share with me at willa.reinhard@gmail.com.

Here is the link to the 6 Common Application topics this year.  Decide which one makes the most sense for you.  Take a look at the "tips" for that essay.

10/26 Agenda

1. Finish college research, lists and requests for materials.

2. The college essay: Discuss new Common Application topics
http://collegeapps.about.com/od/essays/a/Common-Application-Essay-Option-2-Learning-From-Failure.htm

3. Read sample essays. What works? What doesn't work?

4. Brainstorm lists of possible topics. Discuss intros.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Telling your story in the college essay workshop, Saturday, Nov. 16. Guest Speaker.

MEETINGS:
11:45: Edgar
12:15: Sally

10/19 Agenda

1. Announcements:

• Due to the government shutdown, we will be postponing our planned trip to Sandy Springs Ropes Course. It was originally scheduled for next Saturday, Oct. 26. We will have a regular workshop, next Saturday.
• Upcoming workshop on Writing the College Essay with a guest facilitator: Saturday, Nov. 9.  
• Upcoming workshop on Completing the FAFSA and Understanding the Cost of College with guest facilitator: Saturday, Jan. 11.

2. Independent work on completing your 5-6 College Profiles. Remember to request information for each school of interest.

3. Workshop: Managing Stress with Liz Emen, Youth and Family Counselor.

10/5 Agenda

Review "Opportunities" workbook (Junior/Senior checklist, Types of colleges, and Cost of Attendance)

DUE AT THE END OF CLASS: Profiles of 5-6 schools of interest
1. Continue using college search engines to find schools that match what you are looking for. Click this link. Then, under file click "Make a copy". Rename the file with "your name College Profiles". Share (click blue square on top right of page) your document with Willa on google docs. Use willa.reinhard@gmail.com.

2. Register for an account with College Board, go to "Make a Plan", then to "Find Colleges" and begin to research schools.  Also use College Results Online. This is a great tool to look at like-minded colleges and get a good sense of cost. A list of 5-6 schools of interest, including safety, target and reach schools is due to Willa (shared via google docs) at the end of class. Students must complete information for each of the schools on their submitted list and request information from each of those schools.

IF YOU FINISH EARLY:
Register an account with Fast Web  so you can start to get scholarship offers.

UPCOMING EVENTS: CHECK IT OUT!
* The Latino Student Fund Hosts College Night on Oct. 15th.  Register!
* The Horatio Alger Scholarship deadline is October 25 (Are you eligible?)
* DC Area National College Fair is November 6th 
* Carson Scholars Fund: Scholarships for Juniors 

REMINDER:
No class next Saturday, October 12th due to Columbus Day Weekend.

WELCOME TO POST-SECONDARY SUCCESS 13-14! 9/28 Agenda

1. Review fall syllabus.

2. Read "The Admissions Game"

3. All students must have a gmail account and understand how to use google docs.

4. Students will complete an Ideal College Profile, and then begin using college search engines to find schools that match what you are looking for. Click this link. Then, under file click "Make a copy". Rename the file with "your name College Profiles". Share (click blue square on top right of page) your document with Willa on google docs. Use willa.reinhard@gmail.com.

5. Review types of colleges. All students will register for an account with College Board, go to "Make a Plan", then to "Find Colleges" and begin to research schools.  Also use College Results Online. This is a great tool to look at like-minded colleges and get a good sense of cost. A list of 5-6 schools of interest, including safety, target and reach schools (see descriptions below) is due to Willa (shared via google docs) at the end of class on Oct. 5. Students must complete information for each of the schools on their submitted list and request information from each of those schools.

Reach - Target - Safety (from www.chooseyourfuture.org)

Aim to apply to five colleges and to complete five scholarship applications and the FAFSA by the end of January of your senior year.

Why five? When you apply to only one or two schools, you take a risk. You might be turned down, or you might close off your options too soon. The five schools you apply to should include reach, target, and safety schools.

Reach:
Your top choices, the most academically challenging schools on your list. You should include a couple of long shots, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Target:
Schools where you would be very happy and are likely to be admitted. These are your realistic choices.

Safety:
Schools where you are almost certain to be admitted and where you think you would be happy and get a good education.

5/18 Agenda

1. Collections: please print copies of FAFSA confirmation, college applications or scholarships received.

2. Check out this petition about keeping student loan rates low. I encourage you to sign.

3. Imagining your future...2 years from now.  Click on this link, under FILE select "Make a copy", then "Rename"--call it YOUR NAME Two Year Plan.  Then type your responses into the document. When done, print.

4. Independent work and program evaluation.

5/11 Agenda

1. Collections: Submit copies of FAFSA confirmation, application confirmations and college decisions.

2. May College Choice Checklist:  Read this list of what juniors and seniors should be focused on this month. Are these things you are focused on?  Be ready to share.

3. Of interest: Over 200 schools are still accepting applications.  Check out the list here.

4. Do you know what a MOOC is?  Group discussion: What is it? Pros and Cons. What opportunities do MOOCs present for you? Research courses offered--what's interesting?
"Learn for Free with MOOCs" (US News & World Report)
"Two Cheers for Web U!" (New York Times)

5. Independent work: applications, scholarships, summer job plans, college research and request for information for juniors.

5/4 Agenda

1. Collections: FAFSA confirmations, applications, scholarships.  Please provide a copy of completed tasks to me.

2. Making the college choice: Take a look at this link to read about how other students made their college decision this spring (scroll down to comments at bottom of blog post).  What factors went into their decision?  Who felt they made a good or bad choice and why?  What "take away" lessons do you learn from reading about their experiences?

3. Loan repayment exercise.

4. Seniors: scholarships; Juniors: college research and request for information.

4/20 Agenda

1. Collections: FAFSA confirmations--update tax information, submitted applications and responses, and scholarships.

2. Academic support at colleges.  If you were struggling in classes or on an assignment, where do you go for help? Research what academic supports are available at your school of choice. Record the information you find in a google doc labeled "College Academic Supports." If you currently receive accommodations or have an IEP be sure to look into what accommodations are available and what steps are needed from you to get those accommodations in place.  Be ready to share what you find.

3. Scholarships! Keep looking! Add any scholarships you apply to the group Google chart, filling in all fields, and start working on them. Click here to access the chart.

• Latino students check out the Montgomery Hispanic Achievement Scholarship here.  Deadline is June 30!
• Use this time to also practice for the Accuplacer if needed, apply to colleges and notify schools of your decision for the fall.

4. Check out "2013 College Acceptance Rates" on the NYT College Choice blog.  Click here.  We will discuss the information there as well as the article "The Admissions Game: Colleges Get Bajillions of Applications, Does Anyone Really Read Them?"

4/13 Agenda

1. Collections: FAFSA confirmations, submitted applications and responses, and scholarships.

2. May 1 is National College Decision Day!

• Watch: Finalizing your college decision--4 video segments about choosing the right school for you. Click here to watch.
• Read: Junior checklist and Senior checklist for the month of April.  Are these things you are currently doing and thinking about?
• Discuss: Issues that come up in college: Dartmouth's Social Cup.  What other issues are you interested in talking about?

3. Scholarships! Determine 2-3 scholarships you will apply to. Add these scholarships to the group Google chart, filling in all fields, and start working on them. Click here to access the chart. Everyone check out the New Futures Scholarship, available only to LAYC and MMYC participants. Again, apply if you qualify!

4. If you haven't finished researching your 3 career research, follow the guidelines given for researching your first two careers. Here is the link to guidelines. Remember to share with me: willa.reinhard@gmail.com.

3/23 Agenda

1. Collections: FAFSA confirmations, submitted applications and scholarships.

2. Prep for April 6th Job Fair! 10am-2pm.  Check out the list of employers at this link. Be sure to carefully review the "Tips and FAQs" and "What to Bring" sections.  Write/edit your resume.  We'll discuss ways to engage potential employers in conversation.

3. Scholarships! Determine 2-3 scholarships you will apply to. Add these scholarships to the group Google chart, filling in all fields, and start working on them. Click here to access the chart. Everyone check out the New Futures Scholarship, available only to LAYC and MMYC participants. Again, apply if you qualify!

4. If you haven't finished researching your 3 career research, follow the guidelines given for researching your first two careers. Here is the link to guidelines. Remember to share with me: willa.reinhard@gmail.com.

NO CLASS NEXT SATURDAY, MARCH 30th!  ENJOY YOUR SPRING BREAK!

WE WILL MEET ON APRIL 6 TO GO TO THE JOB FAIR TOGETHER.

3/16 Agenda

1. Collections: FAFSA confirmations, submitted applications and scholarships.

2. Take a look at the NYT Junior and Senior March checklists.  Are these things you are doing?

3. Career research, third (and final) career.  Follow the guidelines given for researching your first two careers. Here is the link to guidelines. We will present these next Saturday.

4. Scholarships! Determine 2-3 scholarships you will apply to. Add these scholarships to the group Google chart, filling in all fields, and start working on them. Click here to access the chart. Everyone check out the Maryland Access Grant guidelines (see link in resources section of blog) and apply if you quality.  Everyone check out the New Futures Scholarship, available only to LAYC and MMYC participants. Again, apply if you qualify!

5. Resume edits in preparation for Job Fair on April 6. Check out the list of employers at this link.

3/9 Agenda

1. Collections: provide print outs confirming schools you have applied to, school decision letters, and FAFSA submission.

2. Take this short career assessment: http://similarminds.com/career.html.  Are there any new careers coming up in your results that you'd like to research?

3. Career research, third (and final) career.  Follow the guidelines given for researching your first two careers. Here is the link to guidelines. We will present these next Saturday.

4. Scholarships! Determine 2-3 scholarships you will apply to. Add these scholarships to the group Google chart, filling in all fields, and start working on them. Click here to access the chart. Everyone check out the Maryland Access Grant guidelines (see link in resources section of blog) and apply if you quality.  Everyone check out the New Futures Scholarship, available only to LAYC and MMYC participants. Again, apply if you qualify!

3/2 Agenda

1. Collections: provide print outs confirming schools you have applied to, school decision letters, and FAFSA submission.
2. Comparing financial aid award letters.
3. Determine 2-3 scholarships you will apply to. Add these scholarships to the group Google chart, filling in all fields, and start working on them. Click here to access the chart.

NO CLASS ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23.  

WE WILL RESUME ON SATURDAY, MARCH 2, AS USUAL.

Agenda 2/16

1. Collections: provide print outs confirming schools you have applied to, school decision letters, and FAFSA submission.
2. Finish research on the second career you would be interested in doing (this can be a realistic or dream job). Use the same format used for the first career you researched to look into another field.  Here is the link to requirements: Click here. We will present them during the second half of class.
3. Review next steps in FAFSA process and scholarship searching. 
4. Determine 2-3 scholarships you will apply to. Add these scholarships to the group Google chart, filling in all fields, and start working on them. Click here to access the chart.
5. Career presentations.

NO CLASS ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23.  

WE WILL RESUME ON SATURDAY, MARCH 2.

2/9 Agenda

1. Collections: provide print outs confirming schools you have applied to, school decision letters, and FAFSA submission.
2. Take a new career assessment by clicking here. Do the job results match your interests? Next, research a second career you would be interested in doing (this can be a realistic or dream job). Use the same format used for the first career you researched to look into another field.  Here is the link to requirements: Click here. We will present them next Saturday.
3. Review types of financial aid. We will continue to look at differences between various college loans and make a recommendation for which school a potential student should attend based on case studies.
4. Be sure you have determined 2-3 scholarships you will apply to. Add these scholarships to the group Google chart, filling in all fields, and start working on them. Click here to access the chart.

2/2 Agenda

1. Understanding types of financial aid. Students will each review one type of aid and "teach" it to the group. Click here for instructions.
2. Continue to work on FAFSA as needed. What questions do people have?
3. Scholarships!!  If you don't already have one, create a Fast Web login. Also, check out the scholarship sites listed on the Spring Syllabus. Determine three scholarships (with deadlines February through April) that you would like to apply for and are eligible for. Add yours to the shared scholarship file here. Begin work on scholarships.
4. Work on college apps, scholarships, essays, as needed.

1/19 Agenda

1. Career presentations

2. Youtube series:  Overview of the financial aid process. 

3. FAFSA Screen Shots: http://fsa4counselors.ed.gov/clcf/FAFSAScreenShots.html

4. Practice with FAFSA4CASTER:  http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

5. Start FAFSA: start applications

6. Scholarship searches/ school info/ essay edits

1/12 Agenda

1. Group Discussion: Overview of the semester (career assessment, applications, financial aid and scholarships)


2. Career Assessment Tool
Go to this link: http://www.123test.com/career-test/ and take the career assessment to determine a list of careers that might be of interest to you. Record your strongest Holland characteristics. Now go back to the descriptions of those characteristics.  What do you agree and disagree with in those descriptions when it comes to you and your interests?  Be specific.


3. Career Research and Power points