[BHS etree] COLLEGE|CAREER: Advisor's Bulletin for Wednesday, 01/10/2007

[bhs at idiom.com]

Please do not reply to etree email address.
Contact:  Ilene Abrams   iabrams at berkeley.k12.ca.us  or 644-6804

College Advisor's Bulletin
Wednesday, January 10, 2007

SAT WORD OF THE DAY:  NEOLOGISM – a newly invented word.  Gigabyte is
a  
neologism that will become increasingly common as computer storage  
capacities continue to grow.

PARENTS – We are looking for a volunteer to sit at Ms. Harris' desk  
every Tuesday from 1-2 pm so that Ms. Harris can go to lunch and Mr.  
Saraceno and I can assist students.  If you are able to cover this  
shift until the end of the school year, please e-mail me.  Thanks.

FOR SOPHOMORES AND JUNIORS
*Are you interested in going to a college that is made for high school

students?  Do you want more control over what classes you take and how

you use your time?  Are you ready to move far from home?  Come to a  
presentation by a Berkeley High grad who attends Simons Rock College
in  
the East Coast.  Wednesday, January 17 at lunchtime in Conference Room

B.

FOR JUNIORS AND SENIORS
Thursday, January 11, 7:00 pm in the BHS Library / College and Career

Center - What's Up With College? a reality check!  Come hear the true

story about going away to college.  Recent Berkeley High graduates
will  
visit Berkeley High to tell personal stories about their  
college experiences. There will be an informal discussion with
students  
from a wide range of schools. While the students talk in the  
College/Career Center, parents/guardians of recent grads will be in
the  
Library to share their first hand knowledge of sending their children

off to college.

FOR SENIORS
FINANCIAL AID – Now is the time to start your application for
financial  
aid. All colleges require the Free Application for Federal Student Aid

(FAFSA).   I strongly recommend that you apply online at  
www.fafsa.ed.gov  This is the only official site for filling out the  
FAFSA.  Beware of other sites that charge money to fill out the FAFSA.

In order to file electronically, you will need two PIN numbers – one  
for one parent and one for the student.  These are your electronic  
signatures.   You can apply for the PIN numbers at www.pin.ed.gov   If

you haven’t done so already, I recommend that you do so now.  You can

start the FAFSA while you are waiting to receive your PIN numbers.

FINANCIAL AID WORKSHOPS – We will be holding workshops on filling out

the FAFSA both before and after school. I will post the dates later  
this week, once they are confirmed.  There will also be a Cash for  
College workshop on Tuesday, February 13 at 6:30 pm in the BHS
library.  
  At the workshop, held in both English and Spanish, you will be able
to  
get help on filling out the FAFSA.  One participant in the workshop
who  
completes the FAFSA and the Cal Grant form by March 2 will be awarded
a  
$1,000 scholarship.  For additional Cash for College workshops at
other  
locations and dates go to www.calgrants.org and click on the  
“Workshops” tab.

CHECK FOR FINANCIAL AID DEADLINES AND REQUIRED FORMS FOR EACH SCHOOL –

Although all colleges require the FAFSA, some schools require  
additional forms.  Financial aid deadlines vary from school to school.

Some schools have January or early February deadlines.  The deadline
to  
file the FAFSA for all UC’s, Cal States and community colleges is
March  
2, although I recommend that you file sooner if at all possible.  The

financial deadline for each college can be found on its website or by

calling the financial aid office.  Make a list of each schools’  
financial aid deadline and the forms they require.  I have a form  
available in the College/Career Center to help you keep track of this

information.  If you don’t file by the deadline, you are likely to get

less financial aid.  The most important thing is meeting the deadline,

not having the exactly correct information.  You can always go back
and  
update your information once you complete your tax forms.

CAL GRANTS – Cal Grants are free money from the state of California  
based on the student’s GPA and family income. The money may be used at

any accredited California college, public or private. Applying for the

Cal Grant is very easy – just fill out and submit the FAFSA by March 2

listing a California college to receive the information and fill out  
the Cal Grant Information Release Form, available in D173 and D221.   
This is a very simple form which takes less than 5 minutes to
complete.  
  Deadline to turn in the form is January 30.



*UPDATED INFORMATION - MIDYEAR REPORTS – If you applied to any schools

which require your first semester grades as part of the admissions  
process, you must turn in the Mid-Year Report form and a completed  
Transcript Request Form with the words “Mid-Year Report” written
across  
the top, paper-clipped to a stamped, business sized envelope addressed

to the Office of Admissions of the college with a return address of  
BHS, 1980 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA  94704. The deadline to turn these

in to D173 or D221 is Tuesday, January 16.  You must have a separate  
envelope for each college requiring your first semester grades.

SENIORS – don’t forget to send your OFFICIAL SAT or ACT scores to each

college you applied to.  For SAT, go to www.collegeboard.com and click

on “Send Scores.”  For ACT, go to www.act.org and click on “Send  
Scores.”

If you missed the presentation on filling out the FAFSA on December 7,

you may sign up to borrow the DVD for up to 2 nights.  Please e-mail
me  
a request (iabrams at berkeley.k12.ca.us), along with your student’s
name,  
and I will let you know when it is available.  Senior families only,  
please.

CAL STATE APPLICATIONS – many Cal State campuses are still accepting  
applications.  They are:  Cal Maritime, Bakersfield, Channel Islands,

Chico, Dominguez Hills (deadline is April 1), East Bay, Fresno,  
Fullerton (open only to Computer Science and Engineering majors),  
Humboldt (tentative deadline is June 1), Los Angeles, Monterey Bay,  
Northridge, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Francisco (deadline is  
January 15), San Jose (deadline is March 1), Sonoma (deadline is  
January 22), Stanislaus.  If you need help with your applications, see

Ms. Abrams or Mr. Saraceno in D221.

UC Riverside and UC Merced are still accepting applications.  To
apply,  
download a paper application from  
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/download For more  
details about which majors are open at each campus, see  
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/openmajors  Mail the

application to:
UC Undergraduate Application Processing Service, P.O. Box 4010,  
Concord, CA 94524-4010

SAT/ACT TEST DATES – January 19 is the late registration deadline for

the February 10 ACT test.  Register at www.act.org.  February 2 is the

regular registration deadline for the March 10 SAT test.  Register at

www.collegeboard.com.

SCHOLARSHIPS
*Community NETwork Scholarship – Open to African-American seniors with

a minimum GPA of 2.5 who plan to attend a two or four year college in

the fall or an accredited business school.  Minimum of $1,000 will be

awarded.  Deadline:  February 23.  Applications available in D221.

Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards –  Open to seniors of Hispanic heritage

(at least one parent of Hispanic ancestry) who are a U.S. Citizen or  
permanent resident who are intending to enroll as a full-time college

student next year and has a minimum GPA of unweighted 3.0.  Apply  
online at www.hispanicheritage.org Scholarships range from  
$1,000-$3,000.

Bay Area Council Scholarship Program – open to graduating seniors who

plan to attend one of the following colleges full-time in 2007: Mills,

Santa Clara, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, University of San  
Francisco and who lived in an underserved neighborhood (at 80% of area

median income or below – check at www.ffiec.gov/Geocode/default.aspx).

Applications available in D221.  Awards range from $5,000-$10,000.   
Deadline:  March 26.

Kaiser Permanente Asian Association Scholarship - Graduating senior of

Asian descent  with a minimum GPA of 2.5 who demonstrates the
potential  
to be an Asian leader through school or community activities or in the

face of unusual circumstances.  Five scholarships of $2,000 each.  
Deadine:  March 2.

Beverage Industry College Scholarship Program – Students must have  
parents or grandparents who are employed full-time with an
organization  
holding a valid California beer/wine/spirits alcohol license and be  
planning to attend a four year college beginning in the fall.  Apply  
online at www.christermon.com.  Deadline:  February 1.

SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL STUDENTS
Below are a few of the summer opportunities available.  Check out the

“Summer” box in the College/Career Center to read about many more.

Intern Exchange International – London-based program offers
internships  
in a wide variety of areas and Career-Plus programs in fashion &  
design, journalism, photography, theater and video production.  For  
more information, go to www.internexchange.com or call 561-477-2434 or

610-527-6066.

Phillips Exeter Academy – Offers more than 100 courses in all areas of

study, July 1-August 4.   In addition, students may participate in  
sports or visual and performing arts activities.  Financial aid is  
available.  For applications, go to www.exeter.edu/summer or call  
800-828-4325 extension 3488. Deadline: March 1.

Service Learning in Paris – this program offers a mixture of language

and academic classes in your choice of art & architecture, politics &

history or writing & literature, together with work at social service

agencies, July 1-29.  Applications available in D221 or by calling  
802-362-5855 or e-mail iss at study-serve.org.  Some financial aid is  
available.

Summer in New York City at Barnard College – coed programs available  
for four weeks (June 24-July 21) or one week (June 24-30).  Apply  
online at www.barnard.edu/pcp or call 212-854-8866.   Some financial  
aid is available.

*New to the bulletin today.