[BHS Etree] COLLEGE/CAREER Bulletin: Feb. 22-26, 2010

Sun Feb 21 13:05:28 PST 2010

Do not reply to this e-mail; please contact Angela Price [mailto:angela_price at berkeley.k12.ca.us]

COLLEGE ADVISOR'S BULLETIN: Week of Feb. 22-26, 2010

*Indicates new or updated item

SAT WORD OF THE DAY:  DISPOSITION -- someone’s general temperament or behavior

JOB OPPORTUNITY
Home work helper needed in the evenings around 6 p.m. in math and language arts for 9th grade girl. One hour 2 times per week, will pay $12.00 per hour. Located in central Berkeley, about 6-7 blocks from BHS. Prefer Junior in high school. Contact info: Email Micky at mickydux at earthlink.net

SUMMER PROGRAMS

1. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program -- an 8 week research program at Stanford for current sophomores and juniors. Program dates: June 20-July 25. Application deadline: March 1. For more information and to apply, go to http://simr.stanford.edu.  

2. Summer Program for students from traditionally underserved backgrounds -- The Introductory College Level Experience in Microbiology (iCLEM) at UC Berkeley is open to high school sophomores and juniors who are curious about science. The program gives preference to students who are from traditionally underserved backgrounds and have little or no family history of college attendance. The application deadline is March 1. Students are paid a stipend of $2500 and must commit to full-time work from June 21 to August 13. The program teaches basic lab and research skills and provides first-hand experience working on a bioenergy research project in a state-of-the-art molecular biology lab located in Emeryville and easily accessible by public transit. The teaching staff includes two UC Berkeley scientists and two high school science teachers. In addition to basic science and research, the program also exposes students to career exploration and college preparation including field trips to biotech companies, career talks, writing a college statement of purpose, researching colleges, meeting with an admissions officer, and visits to local college campuses. http://www.synberc.org/iclem_internship

3. Summer Math & Science Honors Academy (SMASH) -- A three-year academic enrichment program held each summer for six weeks on the UC Berkeley campus. The program assists high-achieving high school students of color from underrepresented populations to become competitive and successful in science, technology, math and engineering studies at competitive colleges and universities. For more information, go to http://www.lpfi.org/education/smash.html. Applications for SMASH are available in the College/Career Center.

4. Summer Science Program -- For economically disadvantaged sophomores and juniors in high school. This is a five-week Summer Resident Program held at Stanford University. The application must be postmarked no later than March 1, 2010.  Please use the following link for more information http://smysp.stanford.edu/education/summerProgram/ 

SENIORS

1. 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 (we recommend completing it by February 15) listing a California college to receive the information and fill out the Cal Grant Information Release Form. These forms are available in D173 and D221 and were distributed to all English classes. This is a very simple form which takes less than 5 minutes to complete. Please return completed forms to D173 Registrar's Office.

2. First Semester Grades/ Schedule Changes -- D or F grades for first semester and/or schedule changes must be reported and explained to colleges a student has applied to. This should be done right away. If a student has questions and or needs help with this he/she should contact Ms. Price or Ms. Sandberg.

3. University of California -- To help manage enrollment the UC's have for the first time instituted waitlists with the exception of UCLA. Berkeley hasn't made a decision yet and Merced will continue to offer admission to all of its UC-eligible applicants. The principles that will guide the waitlist process are outlined on UC's website, http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/22825

4. IT'S TIME TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID -- Sign up to attend one of the workshops on filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Prior to the workshop, pick up a FAFSA on the Web Worksheet in the College/Career Center or download one at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/fafsaws90bw.pdf and fill it out as much as you can. You can estimate numbers if necessary. YOU MUST SIGN UP IN ADVANCE TO ATTEND BECAUSE WE HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF COMPUTERS. All workshops will be held in the College Center.

5. The financial aid booklet "Fund Your Future" is now available. Stop by the College/Career Center to pick up your copy and get important information on the ins and outs of financial aid, Cal Grants, and other state and federal aid programs.  

SCHOLARSHIPS 

1. Berkeley Community Fund Scholarship -- 10 scholarships of $4,000 per year for four years will be awarded to Berkeley High students. In addition, other one-time scholarships may also be awarded. Pick up applications in the College Center D221. Application deadline April 5. 

2. Elena Castañeda Scholarship -- Open to Berkeley High seniors who speak Spanish as their first language and plan to attend a four year college in the fall. Application available in D221. US citizenship/permanent residency is NOT required. Scholarship is for $3,000.

3. Morris and Juliet James Achievement Award -- Open to Berkeley High seniors who have spent most of their school age years in the Berkeley Unified School District. Awards will be based on hobbies, community service, home responsibilities, work experience, career goals, extracurricular activities and leadership experience. Applications available in D221.  Deadline: March 5.

4. Rotary Club of Berkeley -- Open to students graduating from a high school in Berkeley who are academically qualified to complete a four year college degree but would be unable to attend without the scholarship. Selection is based on academic potential, extracurricular activities, financial need, and willingness to work during the summer. At least one scholarship of $5,000 per year for four years will be awarded. Social security number is not required. Application available in D221. Deadline: March 30.

A complete list of scholarship and scholarship applications are available in the College/Career Center D221.

FOR JUNIORS

*1. College advising appointments available now -- sign up in the College Center, D221.   

*2. Junior Parent Night -- Thursday, April 8, Financial Aid Night for Juniors at 6:30pm in BHS Library.  Sue Kim will give an overview of financial aid process. 

3. College-bound athletes can now access the 2009-19 Guides on the NCAA Eligibility Center website, www.ncaaclearinghouse.net to find important information on how to become eligible. On the website go to "General Information" then click on "Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete." The Eligibility Center's registration fee is $60. Students from low-income families should see Ms. Price or Ms. Sandberg for a fee waiver.

4. This is the time to start the college search. There are some wonderful websites that can help you in this process. CollegeWeekLive is an online virtual college fair, with hundreds of colleges and universities from around the world participating. Besides virtual college fairs and open houses, attendees can watch admissions experts speak on topics such as how to prepare for the SAT, the application essay, and how to pay for college. Attendees can also have questions answered via live chat with admissions experts and college students. CollegeWeekLive is free, and can be accessed at www.collegeweeklive.com.

*5. SAT/ACT TEST DATES -- May 1, is the regular registration deadline for the April 8 SAT test. March 5 is the regular registration deadline for the April 10 ACT.  Fee waivers for low income students are available in D221 see Ms. Sandberg or Ms. Price.  Fee waivers for low-income students are available in D221. See Ms. Sandberg or Ms. Price.    

6. Free SAT Prep Class -- Monday and Wednesdays, at 3:45-5:30, class will meet in D219. Juniors will be given preference. The class is being taught by the Peoples Test Prep Service. (UC Berkeley)

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