[BHS Etree] COLLEGE-CAREER BULLETIN - Week of May 2, 2011

Sat Apr 30 15:06:27 PDT 2011

PLEASE do not reply to this email, contact Angela Price,
aprice at berkeley.k12.ca.us 

COLLEGE/CAREER BULLETIN: Week of May 2, 2011

 *New or updated information

 SAT WORD OF THE DAY: BANAL ~ dull and unoriginal.

SENIORS

1. Parents of Seniors.  Don't forget to take a moment to fill out the survey
on the Senior Handbook.  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SRF88KP 

2. MAY 1 DEADLINE - May 1 is the deadline to send in your Statement of
Intent to Register (SIR) to most colleges and universities.  For most
schools, if you do not send in your SIR and your deposit (if required) by
May 1, you will not be able to attend that school in the fall.  You may only
send in a SIR to one school.  It is unethical to tell more than one school
that you plan to attend their college in the fall.  If you have any
questions at all, please stop by to see me or Ms. Price at lunch or after
school. 

3. WAITLISTED?  Still interested in the school?  Check out this very helpful
article on how to let schools know that you really want to go to their
school:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/05/AR2009040501
805.htm.l  Once you've drafted your letter, Ms. Price or I would be happy to
review it before you send it.

4. CHECK ON THE STATUS OF YOUR CAL GRANT - If you have already filed your
FAFSA and turned in your Cal Grant GPA Information Release Form, you can
check on the status of your Cal Grant by creating an account at
https://mygrantinfo.csac.ca.gov/logon.asp  You cannot set up an account
until your FAFSA has been processed.

5. CSU Applicants: Students will receive acknowledgment of their CSU
application by email fairly quickly.  Each campus will then ask students to
create an account in a second email.  This has to be done for each campus
separately.  It is important that students check these accounts regularly
for updates on their admission status.  Some CSU's will also ask students to
forward an official transcript right away. It is important that students
follow all the instructions.  CSU applicants must send official test scores
from College Board or ACT.  See directions on sending your scores at the
beginning of this section.

 If you are applying to any Cal State campuses, you are required to take the
ELM and the EPT tests (assessment tests in math and English).  You are
exempt from the EPT (English assessment) test if your SAT Critical Reading
score is 500 or above, if your ACT English score is 22 or above or you have
a score of 3, 4 or 5 on either the AP Language and Composition or AP
Literature and Composition test.  You are exempt from the ELM (math
assessment) test if your SAT math reasoning test score or SAT subject test
math score is 550 or above or your ACT math score is 23 or above or your AP
test score in AP Calculus or AP Statistics is 3 or above.  You can take
these tests at any Cal State campus.  The website at CSU East Bay is
http://testing.csueastbay.edu/eptelm/eptelmwho.php  and the SF State website
to sign up for testing is http://www.sfsu.edu/~testing/eptelm.html.  You can
also find practice materials and other helpful information at
http://www.csumentor.edu/planning/high_school/ept.asp  and
http://www.csumentor.edu/planning/high_school/elm.asp.

6. UC WAITLISTS: UC will again implement a waitlist process for fall 2011
admissions. All campuses except Los Angeles and Merced will use waitlists
for their freshman pools. Students might receive waitlist offers from more
than one campus. Students may accept as many offers as they wish. Waitlist
offers will be made by the end of March for freshman applicants. Once
offered a spot on a waitlist, they must opt in. Instructions for doing so
will be included with the waitlist notification. Even if they accept a
waitlist offer (or several), students should submit a Statement of Intent to
Register (SIR) by the stated deadline to a UC campus or other institution to
which they have been accepted. If they later accept an offer of admission
from a campus where they have been wait-listed, they will forfeit their
deposit at the first campus. Wait-listed freshman applicants will be
notified of their status no later than June 1. Preliminary financial aid
awards will be sent at the time students are notified of waitlist offers.
Additionally, SIRs of wait-listed students will be considered on time for
purposes of housing and orientation, provided they are submitted by the
deadline stated in the offer of admission.

Eligible applicants who don't receive an admission offer from any campus to
which they applied will be in the referral pool, even if they are on the
waitlist at another campus. Campuses will still consider appeals. Applicants
who feel they have grounds for an appeal should submit one, but they should
keep in mind that the purpose of the appeals process is to deal with errors
and compelling new information and hardship. Students cannot appeal for a
spot on the waitlist. In the fall 2010 admissions cycle, the first time
waitlists were used broadly, a total of 11,703 waitlist offers were extended
to freshman applicants across all campuses except UCLA and UC Merced. Two
campuses - UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara - were the only two campuses to
admit significant numbers of students off their waitlists.  These campuses
yielded more than 40 percent of students admitted off the waitlist.

7. BERKELEY CITY COLLEGE TRANSFER NIGHT - Learn all about the transfer
process from Community College to a four-year university.  Wednesday, May 4,
4pm-7pm at Berkeley City College, 2050 Center Street, Berkeley.

JUNIORS

1. Junior college advising appointments available!  Sign up for junior
advising appointment in the college center, D221.

2. Free SAT Prep Class:  People's Test Prep (PTPS) will conduct a free
SAT/ACT prep class on Mondays and Wednesdays at 3:30 -5:30pm beginning Feb.
7 in room D220 for Berkeley High School juniors only.

3. Nordstrom's Scholarship - open to juniors who have a minimum cumulative
unweighted GPA of 2.7;  have made a substantial contribution to the
community; are involved in school activities; planning on applying for
financial aid  to attend college and will be eligible to attend a four-year
college or university in the U.S.  Deadline:  May 16.  Award:  $10,000
scholarship paid over four years at $2,500 per year.  Applications available
at  http://www.act.org/nordstrom/ 

4. ATHLETES - Juniors who want to play Division I or Division II sports in
college need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center at
www.eligibilitycenter.org <http://www.eligibilitycenter.org/> . They also
need to instruct College Board or ACT to send their SAT or ACT scores to the
NCAA Eligibility Center.  Finally, they will need to turn in a Transcript
Request Form to our registrar, Barbara Mellion (D173).  Mark "FINAL JUNIOR
TRANSCRIPT" across the top of the form and paperclip the request to a
stamped business size envelope addressed to the NCAA Eligibility Center.
You must use Berkeley High School (1980 Allston Way, Berkeley 94704) as the
return address on the envelope or the Eligibility Center will not accept
them.  If you have any questions about how to complete any of these tasks,
see your College Advisor/ Athletic Coach. 

5. DARTMOUTH BOUND VISITATION PROGRAM: This program is for first-generation
college-bound students, or those facing financial barriers to their pursuit
of a college degree, or students from populations that have historically
been under-represented in higher education. Students are selected on the
basis of their academic achievement, personal character, and potential for
college success.  The Dartmouth Bound programs are designed to provide
opportunities for students to visit the campus, gain exposure to academic
life and opportunities in an Ivy League setting, and learn about the
admissions and financial aid process. For more information and to apply go
to:  www.dartmouth.edu/admissions/bound  The application deadline for the
summer program is Thursday, May 19.  Applications to the fall session, which
has a special focus on the Native American community at Dartmouth, are due
by August 15, but application materials can be submitted starting May 19.

SOPHOMORES AND JUNIORS

1. EXPLORING COLLEGE OPTIONS - Student/Parent Information Sessions on Duke,
Georgetown, Harvard, Penn and Stanford.  Tuesday, May 17, 7:30 pm, Berkeley
High School.  RSVP at www.exploringcollegeoptions.org
<http://www.exploringcollegeoptions.org/>  

2. Emory University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and
the University of Virginia invite students and parents to join them on
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 7p.m., for an admission and financial aid session
at the Marriot San Mateo/San Francisco Airport Hotel, Convene Meeting Room,
1770 South Amphlett Boulevard, San Mateo, California 94402. Please rsvp at:
www.admissions.unc.edu/evening 

FOR ALL STUDENTS

1. Test Preparation Resource: The Berkeley Public Library has Learn a Test
database, which provides free access to SAT practice tests and AP practice
exams.  Students can take the tests and get them scored online.  The
resource can be accessed by going to:
http://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/services_and_resources/online_resources
.php#education 

2. Free SAT/ACT Preparation Service: Berkeley High students now have access
to a free online test preparation service. Students can access this service
by logging in to www.berkeleyhigh.us <http://www.berkeleyhigh.us/>  and then
click "More" from the top navigation and select "Grockit".  They will then
be directed through a few registration steps and into the site. Logins to
www.berkeleyhigh.us <http://www.berkeleyhigh.us/>  are as follows:

     username: full name (first + last)

     password: Berkeley + student id

SCHOLARSHIPS

For a more extensive list of scholarships go to the BHS website or moodle or
come to the College Center and pick up a hard copy!

1.      By Any Dreams Necessary Scholarship - Open to seniors who attend a
high school in Berkeley, Oakland, or West Contra Costa, are passionate about
and inclined toward the arts,  seek to attend a four-year college, or an art
focused institution of higher education upon graduating from high school and
have a minimum 2.8 weighted GPA.  Four high school seniors will be awarded
$500 scholarships. Application Deadline: May 6.  To apply go to:
http://www.anydreams.org/2011-college-scholarship-application/ 

2. Youth Automobile Safety Scholarship: Open to seniors who are accepted to
an accredited two-or four-year college or university, or trade school, in
the United States with intent to enroll as a full-time freshman by the Fall
2011 and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0.  The applicant's parent or legal
guardian must be currently employed full-time by - or if retired or
deceased, must have been employed full-time by - a government entity. This
includes, but is not limited to peace officers, firefighters, educators,
postal worker, military personnel and federal, state and local government
workers. One $1500, one $1000 and three $500 scholarship will be awarded in
Northern California. Applications are available in the College Career
Center.  Deadline: May 13, 2011.

3. The Weingarten College Tuition Scholarship: Open to seniors who are
planning on attending a four-year college in the fall and unable to afford
educational costs.  Preference will be given to Jewish applicants who will
be attending undergraduate programs at California public universities, have
a permanent residence in the Bay Area and have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Applications available in the College Career Center.  Application Deadline:
May 2, 2011.

4. Vietnam Veterans Group of San Quentin Scholarship: Open to seniors who
have a parent/legal guardian who is currently serving in or has been
honorably discharged from the Armed Forces. For more information and an
application go to http://vvgsq.tripod.com/  Applications are also available
in the College Career Center.  Application deadline: May 14, 2011.

OTHER SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:  The Berkeley Public Library has acquired a
new database of scholarships.  Anyone who has a Berkeley Public Library card
can go to
http://berkeleypubliclibrary.org/services_and_resources/online_resources.php
Tuition Funding Sources is listed in the Grants & Scholarships section. The
database is also available from the online catalogs inside the public
library locations, regardless of whether users have cards.

For a more extensive list of scholarships go to the BHS website, moodle or
come to the College Center and pick up a hard copy!

SUMMER PROGRAMS

A complete list of summer opportunities can be picked up in the College
Center D221.

1. Student Conservation Association National Conservation Crew: Summer
opportunity for students currently in high school, ages 15 to 19, and
looking for tuition-free opportunities to serve planet earth. Successful
applicants will contribute to sustaining the earth's bountiful resources for
two-five weeks during the summer. With a group of 6-8 students and two
experienced leaders students will sleep under the stars and connect to the
land in ways they never thought possible. For more information go to
http://www.thesca.org/serve/national-crews 

2. Oxbridge Academic Programs: Experience the learning environment in
Cambridge, Oxford, Paris, Barcelona and Montpellier, France. They offer 65
different courses to choose from. For information, please visit
www.oxbridgeprograms.com <http://www.oxbridgeprograms.com/> . 

3. UCLA World Music Summer Institute - This week-long intensive music study
program (June 26-July 2) is available in one of four areas: Chinese,
Mexican, Korean and African-American.  The program is open to
students/musicians ages high school through adult.  Supervised housing is
available for high school students.  For more information, go to
http://www.summer.ucla.edu/institutes/WorldMusic/overview.htm 

*4. Volunteer Center of the East Bay

Visit http://www.volunteersolutions.org/vccc/volunteer/ for opportunities to
help your community in a wide variety of fields and interests.

A complete list of summer opportunities can be picked up in the College
Center D221

PARENTS

Want to work on the College Application Handbook?  Any parent, guardian or
friend who is interested in working on the college application handbook
series, please contact druyffelaere at gmail.com. Working on the handbook
series is a great way to keep up on the ever changing world of college
applications, and to participate in working on this series which will be in
its 12th year.

 *New or updated information

_________________

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facilitators of the etree; please direct any questions to them at
bhs-owner at lmi.net. 

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