COLLEGE FAIRS:

BIG APPLE COLLEGE FAIR: Saturday, October 18, 2008, 1:00-4:00 p.m. at the College of Staten Island. If you cannot attend that fair, please try to attend the following fair: Sunday, October 19, 2008, 1:00-4:00 p.m. at St. John’s University, QUEENS campus.

SUNY COLLEGE FAIR: Thursday, October 9, 2008, 4:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Javitz Center.

SENIORS APPLYING TO PRIVATE COLLEGES:

Seniors applying to PRIVATE COLLEGES should use the COMMON APPLICATION. You can work on the common application by downloading the application at http://www.commonapp.org/. Please bring in your typed copy to the College Office. REMEMBER: DO NOT APPLY TO COLLEGES ONLINE BEFORE REVIEWING CHOICES WITH YOUR GUIDANCE COUNSELOR AND BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR ESSAYS FOR CORRECTIONS, input all the information (McKee’s CEEB/ACT code is 335375) and PRINT THE APPLICATION.

Your application is your “first impression” to the college admission office; a neat, well-prepared, typed application will make a good first impression. Submit one copy of the application to the College Office along with your check payable to the college and a large stamped, addressed envelope (five stamps); we will forward it to the college along with your teachers’ recommendation letters, school report (counselor’s recommendation) and transcript. Everything will be mailed at the same time along with your check, thereby reducing the error factor. Your cancelled check will be your proof that the application was received.

1st Note: If applying to multiple schools with the common application, the College Office will make copies of the entire application. You are required to submit envelopes and checks payable to each college/university.
2nd Note: Some colleges, like NYU, are requiring that the supplement to the common application be submitted with the common application. The supplement must be sent at the same time or your application will not be processed. This is new so please complete the supplement for each school.

NEW SCHOLARSHIPS:

1. HORATIO ALGER ASSOCIATION: provides financial assistance to students who have financial need and have overcome personal adversity. Seniors should apply on-line through October 30, 2008 @ www.horatioalger.com/scholarships.

2. RON BROWN SCHOLAR PROGRAM: a scholarship competition for Black or African American high school seniors who will make significant contributions to society. Applicants must excel academically, exhibit exceptional leadership potential, participate in community service activities and demonstrate financial need. The applicant must be a US citizen or hold a permanent resident visa card. Each year, a minimum of ten students will be designated Ron Brown Scholars and will receive $10,000 annually for four years, for a total of $40,000. Applications must be postmarked no later than November 1, 2008. Applications may be obtained from the website: http://www.ronbrown.org/

3. SAE ENGINEERING SCHOLARSHIPS for students interested in engineering and related sciences: Applications must be postmarked by December 1, 2008. For more information go to www.sae.org/students/engschlr.htm

4. SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY’S School of Architecture has 10 full scholarships for young men and women of color interested in pursuing a five year professional degree in Architecture.

5. NYU is offering scholarships up to $15,000 for students pursuing a career in education.

6. POSSE SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE: Interested in a full scholarship to: Brandeis, Babson, Colby, DePauw, Dickinson, Franklin and Marshall, Lafayette, Middlebury, Trinity, Vanderbilt, or Wheaton? Posse is looking for a diverse group of high school seniors who are dynamic, talented, and ambitious, and who have exhibited strong leadership in school or in their communities while demonstrating promise academically. This is an Early Decision application. If you receive the scholarship, you must rescind all other applications. IF INTERESTED SUBMIT YOUR RESUME TO THE COLLEGE OFFICE IMMEDIATELY!! DEADLINE TO THE COLLEGE OFFICE: AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

7. “EDUCATION MATTERS” Scholarship deadline October 31, 2008

8. “COCA-COLA" Scholarship deadline October 31, 2008

Where To Go for the ACT Student Web Account

Click right here to go to the ACT Student Web Account.

You will be able to get loads of information and register for the test.

Use the posting on Fee Waivers to make sure that you check that you obtain a Fee Waiver.

The site gives information on: Registration, Test Prep, Scores, College Planning, Financial Aid, Career Planning, Student Blog, FAQs.

What is the ACT? Why Take It?

What is the ACT?
The ACT test evaluates the general knowledge of high school students and the ability to do college level work.

--The multiple choice test covers for content areas: English, math, reading and science.

--The writing test measures a student's skill in planning and writing an essay.

Why take the ACT?
The ACT test is closer to the type of information covered in your high school classes.

It is College Application Time!

Below are College Application deadlines:

By the way, when you click on the CUNY and SUNY links you go right to information about how to do the respective applications.

CUNY-------------October 27, 2008

SUNY-------------October 27, 2008

Private Schools----November 3, 2008

It is important to apply early because colleges fill up their freshmen class by November 2008. You may be an excellent candidate but applying later rather than early may put you on the waiting list.

Most competitive students ill out their applications early. Do not delay. Colleges fill their classes early, so get your applications out early.

who do you go for help. We have Ms. Caroline Rivera and Ms. Dawn Messina in room 307 to help with college applications.

What is Early Decision?

Early Decision is for those students who are very committed to applying to one particular college.

If you are going for Early Decision means the applications have to be due in the college office by October 17th in order to meet the November 1 deadline. Early Decision is only for students who are 100% certain they will attend that particular college.

Early Decision is more competitive and you must meet all the requirements for admission. If you still need to improve your academic record with senior grades then you should rethink about doing early decision.

Practicing for the SAT or the ACT

How do you deal with the SAT and the ACT? Practice.

Practice makes perfect.

A free website for either the SAT or the ACT is http://www.number2.com/.

Why? Let's just look at the math. You need to know what is happening.

The SAT Math portions contain three sections: two sections last 25 minutes and the third section lasts 20 minutes.

The ACT Test covers five subjects: English, Math, Reading, Science and an Optional Writing Test. The ACT Math portions are usually broken down into the following:

--33 algebra questions: 14 pre-algebra, 10 elementary algebra, and 9 intermediate algebra

--23 Geometry questions: 14 plane geometry and 9 coordinate geometry

--4 Trigonometry: sine, cosine, tangent functions, trig identities, and graphing

2008-2009 SAT Test Dates

Test Date-----------Test-----------Registration -------Late Registration

11/1/2008----------SAT-----------9/26/2008 ------------10/10/2008

12/6/2008---------SAT-----------11/5/2008 -------------11/18/2008

1/24/2008---------SAT-----------12/26/2008------------1/6/2008

3/14/2009---------SAT only------2/10/2009 ------------2/24/2009

5/2/2009----------SAT------------3/31/2009 -------------4/9/2009

6/6/2009----------SAT------------5/5/2009 --------------5/15/2009

What are Fee Waivers. . .

Fee waivers are available for high school juniors or seniors in the United States, Puerto Rico, or U.S. territories who cannot afford to pay SAT test fees.

You can receive up to four fee waiver cards (two for the SAT, two for Subject Tests) to cover both your junior and senior years.

You can qualify to waive up to four college application fees.

Fee waivers are available in the college office, room 307.
Both Ms. Messina and Mis Rivera are available to help you get a fee waiver.

If you qualify for free lunch you qualify for a fee waiver.

To qualify for a fee waiver, please bring a copy of your family's 2006 or 2007 income tax return, with you listed as a dependent. The guidelines are:
# of
Dependents------Family Income
1-------------------$18,889
2-------------------$25,327
3-------------------$31,765
4-------------------$38,203
5-------------------$44,641
6-------------------$51,079

Seniors - Key September Dates

Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008:
1. LaGuardia College Open House 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
2. Lehman College Info Tech/Business 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 5, 2008:
College Scholarship advisement all day in Room 307

Monday, Sept. 8, 2008:
LeMoyne College interviews available

Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2008:
SAT registration deadline for Oct. 4th test

Friday, Sept. 12, 2008:
College scholarship advisement all day Room 307

Sunday, Sept 14, 2008:
Yale University Info Session St. George Library 2:00 pm

Monday, Sept. 15, 2008:
Traditional Family Essay Contest deadline

Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2008:
SAT late registration

Friday, Sept. 19, 2008:
1. College scholarship advisement all day Room 307
2. ACT registration deadline for Oct. 25th

Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008:
1. ACT late registration deadline
2. Buffalo State Open House

Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008:
Macaulay Honors College open house CSI 7-9 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 26, 2008:
1. College scholarship advisement all day Room 307
2. National Hazing Prevention Week 2008 Contest Scholarship
3. SAT deadline for Nov. 1 exam

Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008:
SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Canton Open Houses

Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008:
OXY Cash for College Sweepstakes

Monday, Sept. 29, 2008:
1. Borough of Manhattan CC open house
2. Practice SAT at New Dorp HS (Free)

Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2008:
Scholarship.com
1. "Tell A Friend" Sweepstakes
2. College Engineering deadline
3. XEROX Technical Minority Scholarship deadline
4. Red Vines Drawing Contest

Yale Information Session

You are cordially invited to a Yale Information Session with Funmi Showole, Assistant Director of Admissions on Sunday, September 14, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. at the St. George Library Auditorium, 5 Central Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10301. Bring your parents. Registration is optional but STRONGLY encouraged. For registration and directions, please visit http://admissions.yale.edu/events.

BTW: Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Yale University
P.O. Box 208234, New Haven, CT 06520. 204-452-9316