Bright Futures/Florida Financial Aid

Seniors, it is finally time to apply for the Bright Futures.  The application came online on December 1st.  This is also the application for the State of Florida Financial Aid so even if you think you won't qualify for the BF, you should still filll out the application for the possibility of obtaining other grants from the STATE.  Even if you do not yet have the qualifications for the scholarship, fill out the application now and when you get the required elements, you will then be awarded.  Even if you are planning to attend college out of state, still fill out the application as the scholarship will wait for you if you decide to return to Florida later on.

In other words, ALL SENIORS SHOULD FILL OUT AN APPLICATION NOW!!!!!!

Access the application at http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ or use the link on the right hand side of this blog.  I have attached the instructions under PAGES and you can print them and follow along as you fill out the form.  It only takes about 10 minutes so do it now.

Senior Picture 2011 on Monday Morning.

During the frist period on Monday, December 6th, all seniors will be taking a group picture for class of 2011.  Students will report to their first period class and then be dismissed to the courtyard for this fun panoramic picture. 

If you have 1st period senior privilege and you want to be included in the picture, you should be at school by 8:45 am on Monday.  See you there!

Pathfinder Nominee Meeting on Monday, December 6th

There will be a meeting of all Pathfinder Nominees on Monday, December 6th during lunch in the College and Career Center.  Please review your materials before then so our meeting can be as brief as possible.  See you then.

Financial Aid Night at Boca High November 30th

Parents of seniors and students are ecnouraged to attend our Financial Aid Workshop on Tuesday evening, November 30th, at 6:30 pm in the Theater.  We will be reviewing the Federal Financial Aid system and how to apply for Grants, Loans and Work Study through the Federal Government.  The financial aid year begins in January so prepare yourself now to receive the maximum benefits. 

Even if you do not have a senior imminently going off to college, it is never too early to learn the process.  All are welcome to attend.

Robertson Scholars Program at UNC and/or Duke

Seniors that have applied to either University of North Carolina Chapel Hill or Duke University may be interested in applying for the Robertson Scholars Program at either school.  This is a prestigious program which includes exchanges between the two universities.  It is a leadership program for 36 students (18 at each school) that includes special courses, summer opportunities, community service in the US and abroad, research, travel and a laptop.  Information can be found at http://www.robertsonscholars.org/.  Applications are due by December 1.

KFC Scholarship on Twitter for $20,000

Seniors:  KFC is offering a $20,000 college scholarship to the senior who sends the best TWEET.  Character limit is 140 (that's $142 per character for the winner).  You must use this brief statement to say why they are deserving of the Colonel's Scholarship.  Tweets must include the hashtag KFCScholar.  You must tweet through November 26th only.  Based on quality, creativity, ability to tell a story and entrepreneurial drive to go to college. Minimum GPA of 2.75

FAU College of Engineering Open House This Week

Any student interested in pursuing an Engineering Degree at FAU in the Fall is welcome and encouraged to attend an Engineering Open House on the campus on Wednesday, November 17th from 6:00 - 7:30 pm.in their brand new USGBC* LEED** Platinum Green Building. Students will have the opportunity to learn about the different engineering and computer science fields that are offered and to explore this new building.  To RSVP:
Call: 561.297.2049 or E-mail:  jlewis92@fau.edu

PALM BEACH POST PATHFINDER SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

Seniors may nominate themselves to participate in the Pathfinder Scholarship Awards Program by picking up a nomination form in the College and Career Center and turning it back into Mrs. Kessler by Tuesday, November 16th.  You can be nominated for one or more than one of the following categories:  Academic Excellence, Art, Business, Literature, History/Political Science, Foreign Language, Music-Instrumental, Music-Vocal, Drama, Reach for Excellence, Speech/Forensics, Community Service, Science, Mathematics, Technical/Vocational, Communications, Computer Science, and Sports.  Selection of slate of nominees will take place on November 17th.

University of North Florida Admissions and Decisions

The priority deadline for the University of North Florida is coming up on November 19th.  If you apply by that date, you will be eligible for all scholarships offered through the Admissions Office.  For some of their scholarships, there is a separate application with a brief essay.  Be sure to look for it on the admissions page.

Additionally, if you have already applied to the University, you can make an appointment for November 3rd from 2:00-7:00 pm to sit down with an admissions counselor at the Deerfield Hilton next week and receive your decision or get feedback on what it will take for you to be admitted.  This is a great way to find out early about your acceptance or get important information from UNF regarding your admissions.  If you have new test scores, bring them with you to the appointment to show the counselor.  To make an appoiintment, visit

                         http://www.unf.edu/admissions/visitors/offsite.html

Common Application Procedures-

Any student filling out the Common Application at http://www.commonapp.org/ will need to know the following:

Each college may have a supplement that is part of the application.  Make sure to fill out the supplement and submit with the body of the application.

There are several school forms that must be filled out by teachers and Deans/APs/Counselors.  They are listed under School Forms and may be accessed on the home page of the Common App or after you sign onto your account.  You will have to submit 1or 2 Teacher Recommendations and a Secondary School Report which is the counselor form. 

Teachers have the option of submitting the form and the recommendation online or on paper.  If your teacher prefers to submit online, his/her recommendation will get sent off to each school on the Common App that you are applying to.  If your teacher wants to submit on paper, you must provide the form (partially filled in), signed by you, and a resume so the teacher can get to know you better.  It is also preferable to provide a pre-addressed and stamped envelope to the admissions office of the colleges to which you want the letter sent.  This can be a regular size business envelope with one stamp.  The teacher can photocopy the form and the letter for each college. 

Deans/Counselors:  The Counselor recommendation form or Secondary School Report MUST be sent on paper through the mail.  If you put your counselor/dean's email address in the proper spot, your request will be declined.  Paperwork will be sent in an envelope containing the form and the transcript (which you must order for $3 per school).  Provide the form to your dean with a resume and a large manila envelope pre addressed with 3 stamps on it for each college you are applying to.  Please do not put your return address on the envelope as we will stamp the return address from Boca High. If you have questions regarding this procedure, stop in to the College/Career Center and ask.  Good luck!

University of California Schools- Application Procedure

For any student applying to any of the University of California public universities there is a website to begin to fill in your application online.  www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply   This application cannot be submitted until November 1 and you have only until November 30th to complete and send.  It is one common application to fill out and then you can send it to several different schools.  This application will include UCLA, Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego etc.

Upcoming College Information Sessions in the Area

The following colleges and universities will be hosting reception/information sessions in the area for interested students and parents.

Emerson College:      Saturday, October 23     2:00- 3:30 pm  Hilton Miami Downtown, Biscayne Blvd.
                 RSVP:  www.emerson.edu/admission/ontheroad

Harvard/Princeton/University of Virginia   Thursday, October 28   7:30 pm  Pine Crest School
                RSVP:  http://www.harvardprincetonuva.com/

Dartmouth               Sunday, October 17      6:30 pm   Miami Science Museum      Miami
                RSVP:  www.dartmouth.edu/admissions/nearyou/

Drexel University   Sunday, November 7     1:30-3:30 pm   Gallery One Doubletree Hotel, Ft. Lauderdale
               RSVP:  https://deptapp1.drexel.edu/em/events/form.aspx?ID=1997

Duke University and Harvey Mudd College

These two prestigious colleges will be at Boca High next week for meetings with students.  Sign up immediately in the College and Career Center if you wish to attend.

More on FSU

Students,

I will be out of the office on October 14th in the morning and October 15th is a Teacher Work Day and you have no school.  I will be unavailable on that Friday to help you last minute with your apps so you will need to spend this weekend working on FSU if you want my help or advice regarding your application which is due on October 15th.  Ms Hinton will not be sending any last minute transcripts that Teacher Work Day either so you are going to have think ahead a little bit.  Order your transcript Monday so we can be sure to send it out on time.   Please keep the following in mind:


PROCRASTINATION ON YOUR PART DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN EMERGENCY ON MY PART!!!!!!

Upcoming Virtual Visits at College Week Live

Check out the other virtual open houses at College Week Live
                      October 7th- California Colleges     12 pm-12:00 am
                      October 12    USF
                      November 17- FAU

and many more.  Find the schedule at the following link:
http://www.collegeweeklive.com/en_CA/guest/college_events/refcode=NWSLTR_10_5

University of Florida on College Week Live Today October 5

Students:  Log onto College Week Live today to hear all about the University of Florida and all of the opportunities offered there.  This is a virtual college visit that is really cool and interesting.  Online from 10:00 am to 10 pm tonight.  Log in at
http://www.collegeweeklive.com/en_CA/guest/app-loginPage/refcode=NWSLTR_10_5

Florida State Deadline Looming

The first decision deadline is fast approaching for FSU.  You have until October 14th to submit the following to the admissions office if you want to receive a decision in December.

                1.  Application- Part I and Part II
                2.  Fee or fee waiver
                3.  Transcript- sent electronically from Boca High
                                 with request form filled out and $1 fee
                4.  Some record of a previous test score from SAT or ACT.

PLEASE NOTE:  If you do not have a test score on file with FSU by the deadline, you will be rolled over to the next decision group and your decision will be made in March.  You may continue to update with more test scores until December but you must have a prior test on file.    If you have not already sent a test score, I would suggest doing it ASAP since the deadline is so near.   Keep your receipt from the CollegeBoard or ACT so you can show you sent it before the deadline.

On the bottom of the Part II of the application, there is a residency form.  This will need to be filled out completely and submitted but does not have to be submitted before October 14th.

Make sure you are going online to the Status Check after submitting your stuff to make sure all was received.

Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University invites all students to meet with rep from the admissions staff:

Tuesday, November 2, 2010
8:00-9:00 pm
Ft. Lauderdale Marriott North
North Andrews Avenue
Ft. Lauderdale FL

No reservation is needed.

National College Fair in Ft. Lauderdale

The National Association for College Admission Counseling will be held on Thursday November 4 at the Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center.  Times are 9:00 am-1:00 pm and 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

Hundreds of colleges will be represented and free workshops on financial aid, scholarships etc. will be provided by professionals.  Come into the College and Career Center to get the details.

Students may register online at http://www.gotomyncf.com/   Bring business cards or stickers so you will not waste time filling out information cards.

Clemson, Miami of Ohio, Binghamton, University of Vermont

Evening reception and information session for the above colleges. 

           Sunday, October 3rd, 7:30 pm
           North Broward Preparatory School

Register online to attend at:  http://www.selectivecollegetour.com/

Boston University Visit

Representatives from Boston University will hold a reception/presentation on Sunday evening, October 3, at 7:00 PM at the Boca Raton Marriott at the Boca Center on Military Trail.  Register to attend at:
www.bu.edu/receptions

Carnegie Mellon Information Session

Join the representatives from Carnegie Mellon University to hear about opportunities at this fine university in Pittsburgh, PA.  Great for engineering, the arts, and much more.  Session will take place on Thursday, October 21 at 7:30 pm at the Renaissance Boca Raton Hotel, 2000 NW 19th Street.  Register to attend at:
www.mycmu.edu/site/admission/page.counselors and use registration code of "SCOTTY DOG" OR CALL 412-268-2082

Palm Beach County College Fair

The School District of Palm Beach County will host a college fair on October 21, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the South Florida Fair Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds on Southern Blvd. in West Palm Beach.  A great way for students to visit with reps from many schools in a short period of time.  Bring preprinted stickers with name, address, and email to save you time at each booth. 

FSU Virtual Open House Webcast

Join FSU on September 29, 2010, for their Virtual Open House. Register at http://collegeweeklive.com. This event is free for students, parents, and guidance counselors. Chat live with current students, professors, and campus leaders. Watch presentations live on everything from the admissions process, to the honors program, studying abroad, finances, housing, and becoming an involved student. The FSU Virtual Open House is 2-9 pm. Be there!


Live Video Webcasts

2:00 pm: Welcome
Mr. John Barnhill, Associate Vice President for Enrollment

2:10 pm: Admissions Presentation
Amelia Mann, Associate Director of Admissions

5:00 pm: Housing Presentation
Vince Roberts, Associate Director of Housing Riva L., student representative

6:00 pm: Money Matters Presentation
Katina Hamilton, Financial Aid
Rachel Collins, Student Financial Services

7:00 pm: Honors, Scholars, and Fellows: Academic Excellence in the Classroom and Beyond
Dr. James Mathes, Associate Professor of Music Theory and Honors Program Director Dr. D. Craig Filar, Director, Office of National Fellowships Dr. Kristal Moore Clemons, Associate Director, Office of Undergraduate Research Dr. Jim Pitts, Director of International Programs Clint D., Patrice W., Katie R., Sandy N., Lexia A., Honors student delegates Lauren P., International Programs student representative

8:00 pm: Student Life Presentation
Dustin D., Student Body President
Nikki B., Homecoming Director
Ashley J., Panhellenic President
Colin O., Interfraternity Council President

POPE JOHN PAUL II COLLEGE FAIR

Seniors and Juniors and their families are invited and encouraged to attend the college fair hosted by Pope John Paul II High School on Monday, October 18th, from 7:00-9:00 pm on their school campus on Military Trail and Spanish River Blvd.  Representatives for over 150 colleges and universities will be available to share opportunities available at their institutions.  This is  a great way to "see" many colleges in a short period of time and pick up catalogues and information.  Bring some business cards printed on your computer or some pre-printed labels with your name, address and email address so that you can save time filling out the information cards at each booth.  Have fun!

Florida University System Webinar

On Monday evening, September 20th from 7:00 to 9:00 pm, you or your parents can join in online for an information session given by Judi Robinovitz from Score at the Top entitled :

             State University System of Florida:  What does is take to get in?

This informative seminar will present tips and facts about all 11 state universities and how to go about presenting your application in the best possible way.

The seminar is free and you can register to participate at:  https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register695212304
 

ATTENTION JUNIORS

All college bound Juniors should register this week, September 13-17, to take the October 13th PSAT.  Registration will take place in the cafeteria during lunch.  Even if you took the PSAT in the 10th grade, the 11th grade PSAT will be more closely correlated to your score on the real SAT when you get ready to take it.  It is also the only test that can qualify students for National Merit Scholarships, National Achievement Scholarships, National Hispanic Scholarships and much more.  When the results are back in December, you will have valuable feedback on your strengths and weaknesses for the SAT and great tips on how to prepare properly.

Registration is $13, payable by cash or check made out to BRCHS. Any student on Free/Reduced lunch may obtain a fee waiver by registering in the cafeteria.    Hope to see you there this week!

Discover Duke University

Admissions representatives from Duke University will present an information session on Monday, September 19th at 4:00 pm at the Miami Courtyard Coconut Grove Hotel in Miami FL.  You can register to attend at:  http://www.admissions.duke.edu/   

Explore Johns Hopkins

If you are interested in attending an information session for admission to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, you may want to attend their presentation on Saturday, October 16 at 4:00 pm at the Pine Crest School in Ft. Lauderdale.  Register to attend at:  http://apply.jhu.edu/visit/explorehopkins.html

FAU Honors College AICE Scholarship and Open House

All students in the AICE program are invited to attend the FAU Honors College open house Saturday, October 23 from 12:30 - 4:30. The Honors College offers a limited number of IB/AICE scholarships worth $5,000 per year. Of course, many of the IB/AICE applicants also tend to be good candidates for the Flagler Scholarship there To be awarded an AICE or Flagler Scholarship, students must be invited to Scholars Day in February which means they must complete the FAU and Honors College applications by December 15th. Start this process by attending the open house.  More details on the FAU Honors College Website.

College Representative Visits to Boca High

Check out the College Visit List page which can be found on the right side of the page.  This will let you know who is coming to Boca High to speak to seniors regarding college admissions and opportunities.  This list will change frequently so make sure to check back often.  If you want to attend any of the listed sessions, you must sign into the book in the College/ Career Center to get a pass to permit you to attend.  Attendance at any college presentation is at the discretion of the teacher whose class you will be missing.   NO PASSES WILL BE ISSUED THE DAY OF THE VISIT.

Confusion over New SAT Policy

There has been some recent confusion among students and teachers over the new SAT guessing policy.  I have emailed the College Board and their response is as follows:  For the 2011 AP tests, there will be no penalty for guessing on the Multiple Choice questions. You will not lose credit for wrong answers. This new policy will NOT be in force for the SAT Reasoning Tests which most students take for college admissions.  The penalty for guessing on the SAT has not changed and students still need to try guess only when two or more choices can be eliminated.

InLikeMe

I have added a link on my blog to an awesome website that may answer some of your questions about college admissions. This is a great website written by an alumnus of MIT that has a wealth of information regarding all topics college-related.  On the website, click on Students Tab (or any other tab) and read the list of informative articles on the right hand side of the page. 

You can find the link to InLikeMe in the Helpful Links column on my blog

Free Seminar on College Applications

Join in on a free teleseminar on College Applications.  Gain an understanding of the college application process from the experts:  types of college admissions, elements of the application, Common Application benefits, essays, interviews, testing, organizing your activities etc. 

             DATE:  Tuesday, August 17th
             TIME:   8:00 pm
             PHONE:  712-338-8065
             PARTICIPATION CODE:  6079#

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