[BHS etree] COLLEGE|CAREER: Advisor's Bulletin for Friday, Jan 11, 2008

[bhs at idiom.com]

CONTACT:  Ilene Abrams    iabrams at berkeley.k12.ca.us  or 644-6804

College Advisor's Bulletin
Friday, January 11, 2008

SAT WORD OF THE DAY:  AESTHETIC – pertaining to beauty or art.  A  
successful architect needs to be able to make good aesthetic judgments  
so that her buildings will have an agreeable appearance.

FOR JUNIORS
COLLEGE INFORMATION NIGHT FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS OF JUNIORS – Tuesday,  
February 5, 6:30-8:30 pm in the Berkeley High library.  Enter at 1980  
Allston Way.  Angela Price and I will provide an overview of all  
aspects of the college admissions process.  This meeting is for adults  
only since the students will be receiving this information in their  
English classes.  Come with all of your questions!

Ms. Price and I will be speaking at the junior English classes at the  
beginning of February.  Following the presentations, juniors will be  
able to sign up for individual appointments with their College Advisor.

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 in the Berkeley High library.  
The next two workshops are:
TODAY - Friday, January 11, 3:30 pm
Wednesday, January 16, 3:30 pm
Please sign up in advance in the College/Career Center so that we have  
enough computers for everyone.  Prior to the workshop, pick up the  
FAFSA on the Web Worksheet so that you can prepare the necessary  
information.  For a complete list of workshops, go to  
http://bhs.berkeley.net/index.php?page=workshops .

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 (some are as early as January 15) 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.

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 number 10 business sized envelope with one first class stamp  
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.  This is not necessary for any UC campuses, but some Cal State  
campuses are requiring a copy of your first semester grades.

If you missed the presentation on filling out the FAFSA on December 4,  
you may sign up to borrow the DVD for up to 2 nights.  Please e-mail a  
request to Angela Price (angela_price at berkeley.k12.ca.us) along with  
your student’s name, and she will let you know when it is available.   
Senior families only, please.

Applying for financial aid?  Pick up your copy of the Fund Your Future  
Workshop in the College/Career Center.  This easy to read pamphlet  
contains nearly everything you need to know about applying for  
financial aid and Cal Grants.  Get yours now!

If you are still interested in applying to California public four year  
colleges, the following schools are still accepting applications:  UC  
campuses: Riverside and Merced. For the UC applications, you must apply  
using a paper form, available at  
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/ 
download.html . Cal States: Bakersfield, Channel Islands, Chico (except  
nursing and recording arts majors), Dominguez Hills (a late application  
fee will be charged after 4/1/08), East Bay (until 8/31/08), Fresno  
(until 2/1/08), Fullerton (open to engineering and computer science  
majors only), Humboldt (open if space is available), Los Angeles,  
Monterey Bay, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Francisco (deadline –  
1/15/08), San Jose, San Marcos (if space is available), Sonoma (except  
for interdisciplinary studies, human development, liberal studies and  
nursing) and Stanislaus. Not all majors are open at these campuses.  If  
you need help with your application, please see Ms. Abrams or Ms.  
Price.   We are glad to help you.

Applying to Sonoma State?  If you have a GPA of 3.0 or above and are  
applying for fall 2008, check out the many scholarships, ranging from  
$250 to $3,000 per year, available at  
http://www.sonoma.edu/Scholarship/HTML/Application.shtml  Deadline:   
January 15.

SAT/ACT TEST DATES – January 29 is the regular registration deadline  
for the March 1 SAT tests. Subject tests are not offered on this test  
date.  January 18 is the late registration deadline for the February 9  
ACT test.  Fee waivers for low income students are available in D221.

SCHOLARSHIPS
For the complete list of applications available in the College/Career  
Center, go to  
http://bhs.berkeley.net/uploads/career_center/Scholarships_2007 
-2008%20for%20website.doc

*Tom Joyner Foundation Full Ride Scholarship – Provides a full ride to  
an Historically Black College or University.  Open to current seniors  
who are U.S. citizens with an unweighted GPA of 3.5 and minimum SAT  
score of 1300 (math and critical reading only) or ACT score of 28 who  
have demonstrated leadership abilities through participation in  
community service, extracurricular or other activities.  Application  
available in D221.  Postmark deadline: January 18.

*Best Buy Scholarship – Open to graduating high school seniors living  
in the United States or Puerto Rico who live within 75 miles of a Best  
Buy Store in the United States or Puerto Rico, have a minimum  
cumulative high school grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale,  
demonstrate commitment to and involvement in volunteer community  
service or work experience and plan to enroll in a full-time  
undergraduate course of study at an accredited two- or four-year  
college, university, or vocational-technical school in the United  
States or Puerto Rico no later than fall 2008. 1,500 students will each  
be awarded $1,500; 51 students will each receive $10,000.  Apply online  
at www.bestbuy.com/scholarships .  Deadline:  February 15.

Janice Scott Memorial Scholarship Fund – Open to seniors with an  
unweighted 2.5 or above who is planning to go to a 4 year college or  
university next year who has demonstrated leadership abilities and is a  
U.S. Citizen or permanent resident.  Application available in D221.   
Five $2,500 scholarships will be awarded.  Deadline:  March 15.

SBC Memorial Foundation – Open to graduating seniors or college  
students who have volunteered for a significant number of hours within  
the last 18 months, have a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.0, are residents  
of the greater San Francisco Bay Area and plan on attending a two or  
four year academic, vocational or technical school in the fall.   
Scholarship:  $1,000.  Applications available in D221 and at  
www.sbcfoundation.org .  Deadline:  March 1.

Kaiser Permanente Asian Association Scholarship Program, open to  
seniors of Asian descent with a minimum GPA of 2.5 who lives in the  
Kaiser Permanente Northern CA service area who is planning on attending  
a two or four year college, university, trade or technical school in  
the fall.
Five scholarships of $2,000 each will be awarded.  Applications  
available in D221 and at www.KPAAonline.org .  Deadline:  February 29.

Scholarships for Latino students - http://www.latinocollegedollars.org/

Ronald McDonald House Charities Scholarship Program – must be a current  
high school senior planning to attend a two or four year college or  
vocational school, a legal US resident and less than 21 years old.  A  
variety of scholarships are available in the following categories: all  
students; at least one parent of Asian-Pacific heritage; at least one  
parent of African American or Black Caribbean heritage; at least one  
parent of Hispanic heritage.  Applications available in D221.
Minimum of $1,000 scholarship awarded.  Deadline:  February 15.


* New to the bulletin today.