[BHS etree] COLLEGE|CAREER: Advisor's Bulletin for Mon., Feb 11, 2008

[bhs at idiom.com]

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

College Advisor's Bulletin
Monday, February 11, 2008

SAT WORD OF THE DAY:  ASCERTAIN – to make sure of something; to verify.  
  In order to ascertain whether we were in piranha-infested waters, I  
dangled a baloney sandwich off the side of the boat.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Summer camp jobs – City of Berkeley, Echo Lake Camp near South Lake  
Tahoe is hiring for maintenance and kitchen staff as well as  
counselors.   Most staff work 8 hour days.  Counselors work about 8  
hours each day through the week and have weekends off.  Shifts vary  
depending on department.  For more information, go to  
http://www.cityofberkeley.info/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=8752 or call  
510-981-5140.

Zirana (www.zirana.com),  a Web 2.0 company, which provides local news  
and information with a focus on local schools.  Zirana is looking for  
interns with good communication and writing skills to work as School  
Correspondents and Photo Journalists.  These correspondents will be  
expected to write articles and/or take pictures about the activities in  
their school including reports of inter-school games and other  
newsworthy events. Interested students may also cover other events of  
community interest such as holiday parades, local festival celebration  
and so on. Any high school student may apply and students can work from  
home.  Interns will learn reporting skills, website design, and  
marketing.  For more information, contact Sanjiv Sahay at  (408)  
366-9001 or  sanjiv at zirana.com .

FOR JUNIORS
*NOTE TIME CHANGE - FREE SAT TEST PREP CLASSES – People’s Test  
Preparation Service will be offering free SAT prep classes beginning on  
Wednesday, February 13.  Classes will be held on Tuesdays and  
Wednesdays from 3:45 to 5:45 in room H207 for 10 weeks, ending on April  
30.  No registration is necessary.

Nordstrom Scholarship Program – Open to juniors in the Bay Area with a  
minimum unweighted GPA of 2.7 who has made a substantial contribution  
to community service, is involved in school activities and demonstrates  
the financial need for a scholarship.  Five $10,000 scholarships will  
be awarded.  Applications available in D221. Deadline:  May 31.

EXPERIENCE BERKELEY PROGRAM – This FREE summer program includes panels  
with students, faculty and alumni, personal statement workshops,  
academic planning, financial aid sessions and more.  Students stay in  
the UC Berkeley residence halls during the program. There are two  
separate programs – one for high achieving African American students  
(either July 10-12 or July 31-August 2) and one for high achieving  
Latino students (June 19-21).  This is an excellent program.  Pick up  
your applications in D221.  Deadline for Latino student program is  
February 29, for the African American student program it is March 14.

JUNIORS - February 12 at 8:00 am is the first day that juniors may sign  
up in D221 for an appointment with their College Advisor.  Sign-up  
sheets will remain available for the rest of the semester.

FOR SENIORS
Did you apply to San Francisco State?  Wednesday, February 20 at 10:35  
pm, a representative from San Francisco State will be in the  
College/Career Center to answer your questions about your application  
as well as about enrolling at SF State in the fall.  Sign up in D221 to  
attend.

FIRST SEMESTER GRADES – if you applied to any UC’s or private schools  
(and some Cal States), you must inform them in writing if you received  
any D’s or F’s first semester.  The letter should include information  
on why your grade(s) dropped and what you did or are doing about it, as  
well as what you have learned from it.  If you want to discuss your  
situation or have your letter reviewed, please see me or Ms. Price as  
soon as possible.

If you are considering attending a Cal State campus, you must sign up  
to take placement tests – ELM for math and EPT for English.  However,  
students who score 550 or higher on the SAT math or 23 or higher on the  
ACT math are excused from the math test.  Students who score 550 or  
higher on the SAT critical reading section or 24 or higher on the ACT  
English are excused from the English placement test.  You must have the  
results from the placement tests before you can register for classes,  
so take the earliest possible test.  You can take the test at any Cal  
State campus and the results will be sent to all CSU campuses.  To sign  
up at Cal State East Bay, go to  
www.testing.csuhayward.edu/eptelm/eptelmhome.php .  To sign up at San  
Francisco State, go to www.sfsu.edu/~testing/ee.html .  If you do not  
have a SF State ID number, enter your social security number.  The fee  
for each test is $18, which can be paid on the day of the test.

CAL STATE DEADLINES – March 1 is the application deadline for these  
campuses: Dominguez Hills, East Bay, San Bernardino, Bakersfield, Los  
Angeles, Sacramento State, and Monterey Bay. After March 1, due to  
budget cuts, you will not be able to apply for admission to any Cal  
State campus for the fall 2008 term.  If you and need help with your  
application, please see me or Ms. Price as soon as possible.

FINANCIAL AID – Now is the time to work on 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:
Wed., February 13, 3:30 pm
Wed., February 20, 7:30 am
Wed., February 20, 6:30 pm – CASH FOR COLLEGE NIGHT.  If at least 25  
students are present, one will win a $1,000 scholarship.
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.   
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 school’s financial aid deadline and the forms they require.  We  
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.  You just need to fill out two documents.  1.   
Fill out and submit the FAFSA by March 2 listing a California college  
to receive the information.  2. Fill out the Cal Grant Information  
Release Form, a very simple form available in D173 and D221, and return  
it to D173 by February 12.

*SAT/ACT TEST DATES – March 7 is the regular registration deadline for  
the April 12 ACT test.  April 1 is the regular registration deadline  
for the May 3 SAT and SAT subject tests.  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

Burger King Scholars Program – Open to seniors with a minimum  
unweighted GPA of 2.5 who work an average of 15 hours per week, 40  
weeks per year, are actively involved in community service activities,  
have financial need and are enrolling in an accredited two or four year  
college or vocational or technical school in the fall.  Apply at  
www.bk.com/scholars .  Up to 700 scholarships of $1,000 each will be  
awarded.  Deadline:  February 15.

Lend A Hand Foundation – Open to all graduating seniors.  $500  
scholarship.  Deadline:  March 1.  Applications available in D221.

New American College Fund – Open to foreign-born graduating seniors  
planning to enroll in a two or four year college in fall 2008 who have  
financial need, have lived in California for three or more years during  
high school, have community or extracurricular involvement and have a  
minimum unweighted GPA of 3.0.  Scholarships of up to $5,000.   
Applications available in D221 and at http://www.e4fc.org/ . Deadline:   
March 5.

eQuality Scholarship Collaborative – Open to graduating high school  
senior residing in northern or central California who applied to a two  
or four year secondary institution, including trade schools and has  
promoted awareness and equality for the gay/lesbian/bisexual/  
transgender community.  Scholarship:  $5,000.  Applications available  
in D221 and at  
http://www.pge.com/includes/docs/word_xls/about_us/community/ 
scholarships/equalityscholarshipapplication2008.doc .  Deadline:   
February 15.

Hispanic Heritage Youth Award - Graduating senior planning to enroll in  
college in the fall who is a US citizen or permanent resident, has at  
least one parent of Hispanic heritage, minimum unweighted GPA of 3.0  
and is willing to travel to the awards ceremony in your area (Northern  
California).  Grants of $1,000 to $3,000 will be awarded.  Applications  
available at http://youthawards.hispanicheritage.org . Deadline:  March  
14.

Japanese American Citizens League Scholarship – Open to high school  
seniors who are members of the Berkeley Chapter of the Japanese  
American Citizens League and will be attending college in Fall 2008.   
Deadline:  March 1.  Scholarships:  Up to $1,200.  Applications  
available in D221.

Community Network, Lewis Latimer – Open to African-American seniors  
with a minimum GPA of 2.5 who plans to attend a two or four year  
accredited college or business school (majoring in computer science or  
relating to the telecommunications industry).  Scholarships of at least  
$500 will be awarded.  Applications available in D221.  Deadline:   
February 29.

SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES
Information on many more programs is available in D221.

*Cal Shakes Summer Theater Programs - Cal Shakes is offering five- and  
two-week conservatories as well as a two-week camp. While slightly  
different in class content and structure, each program is suitable for  
all ages and levels of experience. Scholarships are available.  There  
will be an open house on Monday, Feb 25, 6:30-8pm at the Orinda  
Community Center, 26 Orinda Way, Orinda.  For more information, go to  
www.calshakes.org/camps .

Paid Summer Internship – 8 week paid internship.  Open to sophomores  
who have at least a 2.0 GPA and either have taken chemistry or will  
take it junior year.  Biotech Academy gives you a chance to use DNA  
fingerprinting techniques, gain unique on-the-job training and a career  
path at companies like Bayer, Novartis and EBMUD.  Applications  
available in G305 or G304.  Deadline:  February 14.

*New to the bulletin today.