Pathways - College Life Preparation Guide- Associated Black Charities 2011

8/11/2019 Pathways - College Life Preparation Guide- Associated Black Charities 2011

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Lawrence Grandpre

1136 North Longwood Street

Baltimore, MD 21216

To Whom it May oncern,

Dear editor! My name i" Lawrence Grandpre! #dar #yira a"$ed me to do

"ome edit"%re&i"ion to the original college g'ide! #ll my addition" are in green! #ll

the original i" (lac$! That which ha" (een "tr'c$ thro'gh mean" it wa" in the

original doc'ment, ('t ) either wrote a line replacing the need *or it o* generally *elt

it wa" "'per*l'o'"! ) +'"t wanted to lea&e it in the doc'ment in "ome *orm a" a "ign

o* de*erence to the original a'thor and to allow yo' to integrate the two idea" i*

needed! My addition" certainly ha&e "ome many-. "pelling and grammar mi"ta$e"!

) catch all ) can ('t ine&ita(ly "ome many-. "lip thro'gh! /'"t writing "o yo' ha&e

a (etter idea o* what yo' are loo$ing at! #nother i""'e i" the 0per"on in which )

write in! ) ha&e (een trying hard to $eep the per"pecti&e o* the original doc'ment,

"peci*ically how it "ay" 0"t'dent" "ho'ld a" oppo"ed to 0yo' "ho'ld ('t it" 'itepo""i(le ) ha&e "lipped 'p in place" in thi" doc'ment! Moreo&er, in my attempt" to

ela(orate on many $ey i""'e" mean" ) may ha&e +'mped ahead o* the te4t in "ome

place", ta$ing a(o't "ome o* the "peci*ic" o* college proce"" in "ome "ection" ) added

in only to ha&e "ome o* that $nowledge repeated later! ) thin$ mo"t o* the time" thi"

happen" the in*ormation to'ched on i" important eno'gh to (e tal$ed a(o't in

m'ltiple conte4t", ('t ) can "ee an arg'ment that "ome o* thi" co'ld (e "treamlined!

Than$ 5o',

Lawrence Grandpre

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#""ociated Blac$ haritie" ollege Li*e e"o'rce G'ide

)ntrod'ction

So, why should you care about college?

Increasing, the people are questioning the value of a college degree. Horror stories ofabout people who have gone deeply in debt to pay for college, only to not be able to get ajob afterwards, have more young people wonderings is college worth the cost. heanswer to this question varies from person to person, but the majority of the bestscholarship on this question comes to a few simple, almost universally acceptedconclusions

1stIn terms of personal, intellectual, emotional, and professional develop the college

e!perience remains an essential step on the road to becoming

"nd#roper planning can and preparation drasticallydecrease the costs of attending

$nd

%rd&ven if the cost of attending college is high, the costs of '( attending college areeven higher in terms of future job prospects and having even the possibility of a carrier)as opposed to merely ajob).

(btaining a college degree is a life*changing event that has a positive impact onindividuals, entire families, and society as a whole. +onsider this

-esearch shows that people with higher levels of educational attainment ma$e more

moneythroughout the course of their lives than people with fewer educationalqualifications.

he di**erence (etween what people with high "chool diploma" earn &er"'" tho"e

with college degree" ha" increa"ed "igni*icantly o&er time. he difference is solarge that, if you add up the cost of college tuition and fees plus the money collegestudents are not earning while theyre in school, college students are able to ma/e thatmoney bac/ in a relatively short amount of time.

0uring the years they wor/, the average college graduate will earn appro4imately

73 percent more than the a&erage high "chool grad'ate. $nd people withadvanced degrees can earn two or three times as much as a high school graduate.

$dults with higher levels of education are, in some ways, more engaged in their

comm'nitie"healthier and productive members of their community and their society.hey are, for e!ample, more li/ely to donate blood, perform volunteer wor/, andvote. hey are also less li/ely to smo/e or be incarcerated.

ome of the (ene*it" o* higher ed'cation cro"" generational line". 2oung children

of adults with more education have greater cognitive ability and concentration s/ills.

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)ource he +ollege 3oard4

$s you can see, the benefits of higher education are huge5 o the fact that not everyonewho wants to attend college is able to do so is of great concern.

hats why $ssociated 3lac/ +harities wrote the +ollege 6ife -esource 7uide. In it,well wal/ step by step through three important stages

1. #reparing for college". &ntering college%. $nd, finally, completing a degree.

3ecause preparation is so vitally important and the years before entering higher educationtypically comprise the bul/ of a students academic career, the bul/ of this guide isdevoted to section one, #reparing for +ollege.

7etting to and completing higher education requires years of patience, planning, wor/,and, of course, money. 8eve summari9ed all of these factors into three /ey areas:academic, financial, and emotional preparation:which well cover during each of ourthree stages.

'o one can do all of the things suggested in this guide alone. ;or every college graduatethat wal/s across a stage in cap and gown each spring there are do9ens of familymembers, educators, mentors, and friends who helped him or her get there. $ccordingly,the +ollege 6ife -esource 7uide was written with the needs of the future or currentcollege students as well as members of their support networ/ in mind. tudents in grades< through 1", students already in college, parents of students of every age, teachers,family members, faith leaders, coaches, and anyone with an interest in helping youthsucceed academically will find the information in this guide useful.

8eople o* olor and 9igher :d'cation

+urrently, appro!imately => percent of young people between the ages of 1? and "= arein college, but that number is smaller for some groups than others. 8hile =1 percent ofwhites are currently enrolled, only %" percent of young $frican*$mericans and "@percent of young 6atinos attend a college or university. 3ut getting into college is not theend of the story. 8hile nearly @> percent of white students who enter college finishwithin si! years, only =1 percent of $frican*$mericans and =A percent of 6atino studentsdo so.

here are a number of reasons for these differences, and the more we /now about them,the better we can address them.

;inance"!Bany families indicate that college is simply too e!pensive.

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#cademic preparation! Binority students are less li/ely to have had access to

primary and secondary education that would fully prepare them for college.

Geography, "ocial climate and programming! here is evidence that, for $frican*

$merican students in particular, the area of the country where you attend college mayimpact your li/elihood of finishing. he support of other $frican*$merican students

and the availability of on*campus programs designed to ma/e $frican*$mericanstudents more familiar with college and what it ta/es to succeed may be a factor.

8hile there are, indeed, challenges, obtaining a college degree is by no meansimpossible. &very year, millions of students from every wal/ of life graduate frominstitutions of higher education, and tens of thousands of organi9ations, from the federalgovernment to local community groups, are committed to seeing more young peoplesucceed. #reparation and /nowledge, li/e the information available in this guide, canhelp.

Common Misconceptions

If a young person doesnt /now very many people who have been to or completedcollege, he or she may have heard or even said some of the following

Misconception Number 1: College just isnt for me.

here are many misconceptions of what a college student is supposed to be. he Coc/,the 7ree/, the 'erd, the -ich >>degree*granting institutions in the country offering courses in everything from robotics tohotel management, each college e!perience can be unique. here are also trade schoolsand apprenticeships in hundreds of fields. tudents should thin/ hard about what theywant to do, visit schools so that they can see what theyre li/e firsthand, then thin/creatively about the type of environment that might be right for them.

Misconception Number 2: ig!er education is too e"pensi#e.

2es, the stic/er price for some colleges and universities can be big, but one of the untold

secrets about college is that almost no one who applies for financial aid correctly paysfull price for college. 8hile the cost of tuition may seem impossible, the truth for manystudents of color, epically those who have financial need, the amount of money they aree!pected to pay is E$62 less than the stic/er price, a derived from a calculation calledthe &stimate ;amily +ontribution or &;+ )more on this later4.

&ach year, students access billions of dollars in financial aid, and as we mentioned earlier,many college graduates can pay bac/ the money they spent in years, not decades.

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-esources are available if students and families plan early. 8ell discuss some of theseresources a little later.

Misconception Number $: % dont need a college degree to do &!at % &ant to do.

his statement may have had some validity %> years ago, when fewer people went tocollege and people had lower e!pectations on what amount of education made someonequalified, but in the modern, globali9ed economy, acollege degree is much more than apiece of paper, its a basic requirement to enter the ran/s of people who are seen as evenpotentially respectableFemployable. Its proof that a young person is studious andintelligent:that he or she can set goals and achieve them. hese are qualities that willhelp no matter what career field a student would li/e to enter. $ degree can also be a greatsafety net in case that long*held dream of becoming a roc/ star doesnt wor/ out rightaway.

Misconception Number ': College ta(es too long.

ee o why should you care about collegeG in the introduction and Bisconception'umber ". Its more than worth the time.

Misconception Number : % cant afford not to &or(.

0itto. )ee o, why should you care about collegeG in the introduction above andBisconception 'umber ".4 he average, college*trained employee will ma/e =,>>> thefirst year after graduation, and many will see that starting salary double within ten years.tudents can e!pect to ma/e much less with only a high school diploma.

$dditionally, another fact about college that is generally understated is that one of thebest ways to get paid as a young person is to be a college student. Bany schools havejobs on campus that are formally or informally reserved only for students at that school)wor/ing at the school store or library for e!ample4. ;ederal 8or/ study moneysubsidi9es schools to hire students, ironically ma/ing going to college one of the bestplaces for young people to find steady, recession resistant jobs that can build theirresumes and their savings accounts. ;or the most outstanding and luc/iest students,scholarships may cover not only all tuition but also include a rebate chec/ or stipend,meaning you can literally get paid just for going to school5 In the final analysis, theproper question in terms of college and wor/ is not whether you can afford to go tocollege, but can you afford to '( have a degree in todays increasingly competitiveeconomy.

In the ne!t section, well loo/ at ways that students in grades #re*< through 1" canprepare for college.

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Section )< 8reparing *or ollege!#d&i"e *or 8arent and St'dent"!

It is literally never too early to prepare to attend college. $nd because college admissionis a selective process, the sooner students prepare, the better. &ach year, most schoolshave more applicants than spaces. he good news, however, is that what these schools are

loo/ing for is no secret great grades, high standardi9ed test scores, strong writing s/ills,and interests that e!tend beyond the classroom. tudents should thin/ and wor/ with theend in mind identify which college or university might be best, figure out what it ta/es tosucceed there, then build those s/ills and e!periences. 6ater, well discuss some of thedifferences between colleges. he following are some of the thingsparents andstudentscan do to prepare no matter where theyd li/e to go.

Pre-K through Twelfth Grade

*ncourage + C!ilds Natural ,o#e of ,earning

+hildren are born curious. #arents should read to them, and when theyre old enough,have children read aloud. +onstantly encouraging children to as/ questions and come upwith inventive ways to find the answers will develop their language and thin/ing s/ills.

-et *ducational oals

he better a students grades are, the better a college applicant he or she will be. #arentscan help by staying in constant communication with children and their teachers abouttheir childrens academic progress. #arents should ma/e success in school a requirementfor participation in any other activities.

%nsist on /uality -c!ools


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8hat are students e!pected to learn and how will they be taughtG

8hat s/ills should he or she master each quarter, each semester, each yearG

How much will happen inside the classroom and how much outside of it through

homewor/, field trips, and special projectsG

8hat is the orientationF culture of the school )student cooperative environment vs.

student competitive environment, secular vs. religious, vocational or college prep,etc4. 0oes this culture reflect what you want your child to learnFwhat you thin/ is bestfor your childG

eacher quality K 8ithin any given school, students may have a choice of teachers.#arents should tal/ to the school and other parents about whichteachers are doing the best job.

chool leadership K 8hat is the principals philosophy on the way the schoolshould wor/G 0oes the principal inspire parents to wor/with the school so that children can succeedG

;amily and community involvement K How open is the school to wor/ing withfamilies, businesses, community groups, andresidents in the community to bring in asmany resources as possibleG

est -esults K est scores are not the be all, end all statement of school quality,but they do provide critical insight into where e!actly students areacademically. ;ederal law requires states to publish informationabout how students at each school perform on standardi9ed tests.hese statistics are often available online. In some cases, schools

that show consistent levels of low student achievement must reportthis to families and ta/e big steps to turn around performance.Ba/e test results part of the conversation about school quality.

&!tracurricular $ctivities K 8hat types of activities and programs are availableto enhance students social s/ills and physical healthand reinforce what theyre taught in the classroomG

-electing Courses

3y the time students enter high school, and in many cases before then, theyll have somechoice in at least some of the classes they ta/e. he following are recommendations fromthe +ollege 3oard, a higher education research organi9ation and the group thatadministers the $ college entrance e!am, on what classes students in high schoolshould ta/e to prepare for college courses and the admissions process. 2ounger studentsshould wor/ bac/wards from this list. ;amilies should thin/ about what students can dobefore high school to prepare for these courses.

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&nglish K $t least one course per year. his can include literature, writing andcomposition, and speech.

Bath K tudents should proceed through algebra, geometry, algebra II thentrigonometry, calculus, andFor statistics.

cience K wo semesters each of biology, chemistry andFor physics, in addition toearthFspace sciences, advanced biology, advanced chemistry or physics

ocial tudies K wo semesters of L.. history(ne semester of L.. government(ne semester of economics(ne semester of world history or geography(ne additional semester of the above or any other areas

;oreign 6anguages * $t least two years studying one language

he $rts * his can include music, dance, drama or visual art

+omputer $pplications * $ny course that will teach at least basic computer s/ills

$s students see/ out these and other courses, they should ta/e chances, be creative, andchallenge themselves to study things they dont /now about. 3y doing so, they maydiscover an entire field they never /new they were interested in or even e!isted.

tudents should also, if offered at their schools, ta/e $dvanced #lacement )$#4 orInternational 3accalaureate )I34 classes. hese classes are more advanced than traditionalclasses and thus will show a students commit to perusing a rigorous education. $lso,contingent on scoring well on specific $# or I3 e!ams, and the colleges policy, studentsmay receive college credit for these highs school courses.

$nd, of course, learning doesnt only happen in the classroom. +olleges want more thanjust smart students. hey want to recruit young people who will add to their campusenvironment. #articipating in e!tracurricular activities that students love:anything fromsports to music and debate:can also ma/e them better candidates for college.

0!e alue of -tudying +broad

hough more popular in college, some high school offer study abroad programs. hese

programs not only give students valuable e!perience that is applicable to college, but alsoare a good way for a student to show potential colleges they are well rounded. pending afew wee/s or several months studying a foreign language in another country can be agreat way to learn about a different country and develop independence. ;ew e!periencesare better proof of students ability to adapt to different situations, and theyll wal/ awaywith language s/ills they can use the rest of their lives. 2oull find a lin/ to informationabout one prominent study abroad program in the resources section of this guide.

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e#elop ood -tudy abits

If you want to do well in school, you have to study.

his statement has been beaten into many students ever since their first tests inelementary school. However, many students have never been taught what these goodstudy habits they have told to develop their whole school carriers actually loo/ li/e, andthus many students graduate from high school without really understanding whatstudying is. ome are so bright that, before college, it didnt ta/e much wor/ outside ofthe classroom to retain the information they needed to get by. (thers never had coursesthat were sufficiently challenging. &ither way, many students find that the depth and paceof the material they cover in college is unli/e anything theyve seen before. Cust becausethat statement is a clichM does not ma/e it any less true. o be successful in college, astudent must be good at studying, which for many students means they must develop aplan to teach themselves study s/ills.

3elow are several study habits students in just about any grade can begin practicing now.

3elow are some recommendation and tips to help students in just about any grade beginpracticing studying now

et a realistic goal for how much time is needed for studying. his can be difficult

because many students with less e!perience with studying may not /now how muchstudy time is needed to do college level wor/. tudents should thin/ about how muchthey need to get done and set aside the appropriate amount of time. his can help

ma/e study sessions more focused and efficient.

;ind a rela!ing place to study. ome people need just a neat, tidy space where they

can be alone. (thers want a place where they can sprawl and stretch out while theydig into what theyre learning.

&liminate distractions. ;rom E to friends, the Internet, and mobile phones, there are

so many things that can brea/ a persons concentration. If using a computer for typingis necessary, students should consider turning the wifi off or unpluning from theinternet if not needed.tudents should eliminate as many of these as possible, for aslong as possible.

#acing is important. 3rea/ larger tas/s of, say, studying for a history test, into smaller

goals li/e memori9ing a few /ey dates. Beeting each small goal will ma/e learningfun and build confidence.

tudents should find out what /ind of learner they are. Hearing, seeing, reading,

writing, doing there are many ways to learn and absorb information. $uditorylearners could download podcast or record lectures and listen to them later. Eisual


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leaners could research you tube videos that relate to school topics. ome studentsneed quite, and thus should consider earplugs. ome need music, and thus shouldresearch which types of music is most conducive for studying )typically musicwithout lyrics li/e ja99 or hip hop instrumental music, music in a foreign languages,or ambient noise li/e nature sounds4. tudents should e!periment order to find what

wor/s for them. ;or each of us, some ways may wor/ better than others. tudentsshould pay attention to the ways they absorb information and use that /nowledge totheir advantage.

a/e good note. tudents may be tested on material months after they first learned it.

a/ing good notes can help them brush up on what theyll need to /now.he only way to do good studying to have good notes to study from, yet manystudents have a hard time developing good note ta/ing s/ills. tudents may be testedon material months after they first learned it. a/ing good notes can help them brushup on what theyll need to /now. tudents should e!periment with whether noteta/ing on paper or using a laptop is best )laptops generally allow faster typing, but

ma/e drawing pictures harder and create distractions. 'oteboo/s are good forpictures, but may lead to writing slow and thus writing less. tudents should writemore than they thin/ is relevantD its better to ta/e notes on material not on the testthan have material on the test be missing from your notes. ;inally, the best way toretain material is to find some way to interact with the material. ome note ta/ingmethods, li/e the +ornell Bethods, have built in spaces for students to interact withthe material. his interaction generally helps with comprehension and retention ofmaterial. $nother tip is for students to ta/e notes by hand then type them up as astudying tip, or vice versa, typing up notes during class then hand writing them as aform of studying. tudents should e!periment to see which studying techniques wor/for them.

#ractice memori9ation techniques. ometimes, it helps to relate lists of new items to

something you already /now. ;or e!ample, lots of people have been able toremember which bodies ma/e up our solar system just by reciting one sentence Byvery e!cellent mother just sent us nine pies. BN Bercury, EN Eenus, &N &arth,BNBars, CN Cupiter, N aturn, LN Lranus, 'N 'eptune, #N #luto. )$las, #luto is nolonger considered a planet, but it was a great sentence nonetheless.4 2ou can have funcoming up with tric/s of your own to remember new things.

hin/ you /now itG &!plain it to someone else. ometimes helping someone else

understand what you just learned is that best way to ma/e sure you really /now it.tudents should practice teaching other people, li/e parents and siblings, some of thethings theyve learned in school.

a/e another shot. If a student does poorly on an assignment, it wont hurt to as/ a

teacher if he or she can reta/e it. ometimes, a teacher may even let the new scorereplace the old grade. &ither way, the teacher will be impressed by the studentsdedication, and the young person will master more of the material.

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tudents shouldnt be afraid to as/ for help. Bany teachers are available after school

at least once per wee/, and if theyre not, theyll ma/e the time to help them learn thematerial.

;ind friends who are academically motivated. 3eing surrounding by people who havegood goals is a great way to stay focused and e!cited about learning.

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Selecting a College The College Process

8re*ace = )TS >? T> #S? ;> 9:L8@

In the following sections a lot of information will be presented on the comple!ities of the

college process. +ollege selection tips, financial aid tric/s, paper wor/ advice, savingsaccount interest rate dataOit can all seem a bit overwhelming, and as a point of fact, forjust about everyone who goes through this process, it is overwhelming. 8hich is way it isimperative students recogni9e that as/ing for help is essential to successfully navigatingthe college process.

tudents often have a hard time as/ing for help. 8hether it be self*branded smart /idswho thin/ they should be able to handle the process by themselves, or /ids less confidentin their academic recordFabilities who fear the shame of revealing their issues. It isimperative students reali9e that '( ('& can handle the cornucopia of issues surroundingthe college process by themselves, and thus they must accept and even actively see/ out

assistance.

tudents of color often face specific struggles with the college process, and as such/eeping getting input from someone who /nows the process is /ey. his person could bea parent, sibling, college counselor, teacher, or even someone you dont /now who isloo/ing to help a student in need. here are a number of potential mentors that can helpsstudents navigate the chaotic waters of the college process, but unfortunately in the vastmajority of cases, these potential mentors do not find needy students on their own, and assuch students must be proactive in searching for those who can facilitate their transitionto the college world, and thus begin to challenge the assumption that so many studentsoperate under, that as/ing help a sign of wea/ness.

$n analogy may be helpful in clarifying this point. hin/ of the college process as abusiness deal. $ student ma/es a partnership )between them and their school4 where theyinvest money into the school and over time that investment yield profit for the student)better job, higher quality of life, intellectual enlightenment, etc4. 'o one would everquestion a businessperson who consulted with others about how to get the most favorableterms on a business deal, so why should students feel anything but fastidious and astutefor see/ing out those who can help them get the most out of their college investmentGeen in this light, not as/ing for help is simply a bad long term business decision.

he cost benefit analysis here can be summed up in one simple statement tudents havevery little to lose by as/ing for helpD they have potentially the entire world to gain if theyreceive it. +ollege is a high sta/es venture, with not only money but a students futureshanging in the balance, and thus students should use all the resources at their disposal togive this venture to highest chance of success.

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Selecting a College

8hat type of college will provide the right fitG 8ith a few thousand colleges anduniversities in the Lnited tates, there are a number of factors to consider.

It is important to /now there are several different ways to categori9e colleges. hesetitles do not tell you all you need to /now about a school, but can give you /ey hints tothe type of education and e!perience you will have there, and its good to familiar withthe language generally used to tal/ about colleges.

#ublic versus #rivate and ;or #rofit K

#ublic Lniversities are those that are supported by various tategovernments. tudent who have legal residence in a state can getaccess to the in*state tuition rate, which is generally much lesse!pensive than the out of state tuition rate for students who travel

across state lines for school. #rivate +ollege and Lniversities arenot supported by the state, and are often run as 'ot for #rofitentities by a foundation or a religious intuition. his is important tonote that #rivate college and for profit colleges are '( the samething. ;or profit colleges are business that usually offercertification in specific professions or an $ssociates degree, asopposed to the traditional four year colleges that offer 3achelorsdegrees that generally carry more weight.

mall versus 6arge* +olleges can range in si9e from several hundred students to tens ofthousands. ome people li/e the feeling of /nowing or at leastrecogni9ing most of the people around them while others prefer thee!citement that can come with being part of a university thats thesi9e of an entire town. &ach student should consider whats rightfor him or her.

eaching 6iberal $rts*Eersus -esearch he classroom e!perience can vary greatly depending on

the way a college or university evaluates its professors.6iberal $rts +olleges have an emphasis on a well*roundedcurriculum,and often at these schools, the quality ofteaching is what matters most. $t research institutions,teaching may not be the most important thing professorsare e!pected to do. Instead, they may want their faculty todo research and publish lots of papers. he advantage to

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that research focus is that students may be taught by peoplewho are leading e!perts in their field. he downside is thatthey may not have very much access to those professorsoutside of class. here are benefits and drawbac/s at eachtype of school. If a student enjoys interacting with teachers,

a smaller college that emphasi9es teaching may be right forhim or her. (n the other hand, if students /now theyd li/eto perform their own research before finishing college, aresearch university may offer many more opportunities todo so.

Lrban versus -ural or ubFemi LrbanBany students believe theyll want to get as far away from home aspossible when they go off to college, and while some are right, many findout within just a few months that being away from the people they /nowand love can be hard. tudents should consider the additional cost and

logistical challenges of travel when ma/ing a geographic decision onschool, and ma/e plans for how they will deal with adjusting to a differentenvironment )for e!ample, many student of color from urban settingsreport trouble adopting to rural settings and vice versa4.tudents shouldthin/ about how often they might want to come home and whether a rural,suburban, or urban environment is right for them.

In additions to these broad categories, there are many additional factors that should beconsiders when ma/ing a decision on where to attend school.

0iversity +ollege can be a wonderful opportunity to meet people from all over theworld, and some campuses offer more opportunities to do so than others.

&!tracurricular $ctivities 8hile some parents might disagree, the truthis, students cant study every single hour ofthe day. 8hile e!tracurricular activies areoften seen as secondary when pic/ing aschool, in many ways they are one of themost important factors to determiningwhether a student has a productive andenjoyable college e!perience, because it isthere where student ma/e lasting social andprofessional connections and throughsociali9ation develop their personalities.7iven this importance, students shouldma/ing research e!tracurricular programspart of their process for researching schools.Bany colleges have ama9ing facilities tohelp students unwind and have fun all bythemselves or as part of a formal group.

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tudents should thin/ about what theyd li/eto do in their spare time and find out if thecolleges theyre interested in can ma/e iteasy for them to do that. $lso, somee!tracurricular activities, such as sports,

band, or debate, offer scholarships specificto that activity, and this should be researchedalong within financial aid process, as theyoften require separate applications from thegeneral financial aid pac/age. he sports ore!tracurricular offered, the levels ofemphasis the school puts on variousactivities, and the culture of thoseteamsFgroups varies wildly from school toschool, and students should be ta/e this intoconsideration when researching and pic/ing

schools.

+ost ;or many people this the primary concern when loo/ing at schools. 8hilethe stic/er shoc/ of the tuition rate may scare many, attending a qualitycollege or university is such a worthwhile investment that cost does nothave to be the main consideration. $s we mentioned earlier, students haveto thin/ about not only what the price tag is now but how a degree canimpact their health and earnings throughout the rest of their lives. 3ut withthat being said, colleges can differ tremendously in costs from a fewthousand dollars per year to J>,>>> and more. #ublic colleges in the statein which a student lives are often far less e!pensive. In fact, they havedifferent prices for residents versus non*residents, since it is ta!es onpeople who live in the state that ma/e it possible for the university to e!istin the first place. ;inally, its important to remember that its not the statedcost of tuition, but the specifics of financial aid pac/age the school givesthat determines the final cost of attending a school, which well delve intoa little later.

$lumni (ne good indication of whether or not a particular college or university canhelp students get to where they want to go in life, and in their career, is thepeople who have previously attended that school. In terms of professionalsuccess, alumni of schools often prefer to hire or help out students of thatschool, creating alumni networ/s that can be helpful in terms of astudents future professional prospects.he si9e and focus of a school alsoaffects the usefulness of its alumni networ/.3igger schools obvious haslarger alumni networ/s, but smaller schools who are academically strong orwho are have emphasis on specific major or profession may have higherquality alumni in those specific fields. ;inding out information about aschools alumni can help you figure out both what a student can e!pectboth at a school and what to e!pect when they graduate, so students should

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begin to search out and find information on alumni of schools they areinterested in. 8here are they now, and what do they have to say about theschoolG $ good question to as/ a college admissions officer is how oftenand how quic/ly their graduates find wor/ in their chosen field.

tudents can learn a great deal about a school online and in guide boo/s, but nothingbeats actually seeing a campus. tudents should develop a list of schools theyll apply toand visit as many as they can. $n admissions officer will be glad to sit down and tal/about the school if students call ahead.

pplying to College

&ach year, colleges and universities in the Lnited tates receive more than two millionapplications from high school seniors. Bany schools consider a few /ey things.

High school transcript

&ntrance e!am scores

he college essay

&!tracurricular activities

6ets briefly e!amine each of these components one at a time.

High chool ranscript

$ high school transcript is the document that records all your grades all the classes astudent ta/es during their time in high school. +olleges will loo/ for at least two things,

grade point average and the level of difficulty of a students courses. hus, it isimprotants /eep their grades high starting their freshman year, as this too is on thetranscripts. $lso, it behooves students to ta/e advances classes if possible, as collegeswill loo/ for favorably on

&ntrance &!am cores

hough a small but growing number of colleges do not require students to submit scoresfrom an entrance e!am, most still do. hose that do typically want students to have ta/eneither the $ or $+.

ee the chart below for some of the differences between the two tests. 3oth arestandardi9ed tests, which means that the content, question format, scoring andadministration of the tests dont change much from year to year. Billions of students ta/ethe same test under the same conditions so that the biggest difference between testers istheir performance on the test and mastery of the material it covers. 3oth tests are offeredseveral times per year for a fee at tens of thousands of locations throughout the country,often at a nearby high school.

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College Entrance Exams Compared

Test SAT ACT

6ength3 hours, 45minutes ~ 4 hours

est ections

Critical Reading,Writing,Mathematics English, Math, Reading, Science

core -ange !"" to #4"" $ to 3!

$verage core $5"" #$

#rice %4& %33Phe $+ offers an optional writing section at an additional cost. he writing sectionwill add to the total test length.

Bany people cringe when they hear the term standardi9ed test, but that standardi9ationor consistency in the test can be a great benefit. ometimes, after several years, thepeople who design the tests may change it in slight ways in response to feedbac/ fromcolleges or students. 3ut apart from these relatively small changes, to ensure that oneadministration of the test is comparable to another, the test designers often dont changevery much this means that studying the test format and recent versions of the test can be atremendous help. tudents can do this on their own by purchasing official practice testmaterials or with a test preparation company. If they decide to wor/ with a test prepcompany, watch out for questionable claims. here is no substitute for hard wor/.8hether they pay "> for a boo/ that will help you study on your own or a few hundred

dollars for a class, they want to wal/ away with at least three things an understanding ofthe format of the test, including how points are awarded and deductedD actual testmaterial, not just questions someone developed to loo/ li/e the questions given on thetestD and practice ta/ing old versions of the test under conditions that are as close aspossible to what youll see on test day.

(ne often repeated bit of advice that students may find helpful is this saying

tandardi9ed tests are '( tests of what you /now. hey are tests of how good you areat ta/ing that specific test.

his advice can be helpful to students who have inconsistent or sha/y academic records,as it remind students that these tests are more a/in to a game than a comprehensive test ofaccumulated /nowledgeD simply putting in the time to learn how to play the game wellcan let students who may have had some academic difficulties do well on these tests.tudents who are confident in their academic abilities should ta/e head of this adviceDjust because a student is smart does not mean he or she will be prepared to engage inthe specific types of thin/ing they will be tested on by a standardi9ed test. ;or either

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group of student, this means studying is not only recommended, it is e""ential forstudents to perform well on these e!ams. here are test prep resources in the bibliographyfor students to access if needed.

he +ollege &ssay

$s part of the application process, most colleges require students to write a few hundredwords in response to a prompt such as 8hat wor/ of art, music, science, mathematics,or literature has influenced your thin/ing, and in what wayG or ell us about a situationwhere you have not been successful and what you have learned from the e!perience.

he college essay does several things at once. 8ith it, colleges can get some sense ofhow clearly students can e!press themselves as well as their mastery of grammar andwriting style. his is also a colleges opportunity to loo/ beyond grades and test scores toget some sense of a students personality.

he college essay, then, is a tremendous opportunity to let colleges /now who studentsare and what theyre capable of. If students are years away from writing the essay, theyhave the advantage of time. hey should consider what theyd li/e to be able to tellcolleges about themselves three, si!, or even ten years from now, that is, whenever it isthat theyll apply, and go ma/e it happen.

If students will be writing the essay over the ne!t few months to a year, this is still awonderful opportunity. he other parts of the application do the tal/ing for them, but withthe college essay, students get to grab the microphone and tell their own story. Here are afew things students should thin/ about.

1. ell the truth and nothing but the truth. Honesty and integrity are important to colleges.8hen you submit your essay, you may be as/ed to sign a statement indicating that itsyour wor/. 8rite the essay yourself and ma/e sure you can stand behind every word.

". hin/ of the essay as a story. &veryone loves a good story, especially when its true.$nd no one /nows your life better than you do. 7ive your essay a beginning, a middle,and an end. #ut yourself in their shoes, and wal/ readers through these events in your lifein a way thats both entertaining and informative.

%. ypos and grammatical errors are evil. heyre so very easy to ma/e, but one small

mista/e can have a hugely negative impact on what schools thin/ about you. Lse thespelling and grammar chec/ function on the computer then read over your wor/ carefully.+omputers dont catch everything. $nd if youre the least bit uncertain about how to usea certain word or how to construct a certain sentence, grab a boo/ on grammar or find agood website that will give you tips.

=. pelling and grammar are the nuts and bolts of good writing, but theres more to agood essay than dotting every i and crossing every t. It should flow smoothly from

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beginning to end. $ great tric/ to see if your essay is doing just that is reading it out loud.If you find yourself stumbling over a word or having to bac/ up to ma/e sense ofsomething, that may be a sign that theres a better, simpler, more elegant way ofe!pressing the same thought.

J. Lse concrete e!amples. (ne thing that many people who want to write for a living aretold is, how. 0ont tell. Its one thing to simply say that something is true, but itsmuch better to use at least one e!ample to illustrate how true that thing is. 2ou want youressay to have a good balance of big, general points and specific evidence.

@. 8hats the ta/e*awayG 8hatever were doing, people li/e to feel that their time hasbeen well spent. 8hat do you want your reader to wal/ away withG 3y the time youfinish telling this true story about your life, you want the college admissions staff to thin/two things this school is definitely right for this applicant and this is a student who willadd a lot to campus life. he conclusion of your essay is where you can drive these pointshome.

A. Have someone else read it. 2ou should not get anyone elses help in writing the essay,but theres nothing wrong with letting someone else read what youve written and tell youhow it sounds. If they tell you that something is unclear, thin/ about how you can do abetter job of e!plaining those points.

&!tracurricular $ctivities

#erforming well in the classroom is a good start, but colleges li/e to see students who arealso well*rounded, have interests and passions that will add something unique to their

college community, and are able to wor/ well with and even lead other people to achievecommon goals. &!tracurricular activities are a great way to develop these s/ills andinterests. ;or e!ample, playing a musical instrument can be a great way to learndiscipline, competing in athletics can show determination and teamwor/, and debatetournaments can be a great way to sharpen critical thin/ing s/ills. howing increasedlevels of involvement or responsibility in a particular activity year after year showsleadership. 8ith e!tracurricular activities, students can send positive messages tocolleges simply by pursuing some of the things they love.

!inancial Preparation

#reparing for the academic challenge of college is hugely important, but higher educationis also a financial investment, so figuring out the best way to pay for that investment isimportant. $s with everything, the earlier students and families prepare, the better. 3utwhether a student is loo/ing at college years or months from now, much of the followingwill be useful.

-a#ing for college

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here are a number of ways students and families can begin saving for a collegeeducation. 8hen saving money over a number of years, compounded interest can be yourbest friend. 6ets use a simple e!ample. uppose for a moment that I have 1>> that Idli/e to grow over a number of years so that I can later have money, for e!ample, to buyboo/s for school or use as part of a payment for a computer. I have a number of options

for investing my money, but I find out that one ban/ has a savings account that will giveme five percent of whatever amount of money I leave in the account for an entire year.hat means that, after one year, my 1>> will earn me J, and my account balance, evenif I dont add a dime to it, will be 1>J. 'ow, I could ta/e that J I earned and spend it,but that would defeat the purpose of saving the money for my future goal. If instead Ileave that 1>J alone, at the end of another year, the ban/ will add five percent of my1>J, J."J, so that my total after two years will be 11>."J.

hats called compounding, allowing the interest youve earned to build on your initialinvestment year after year so that you earn even more interest. 0o that for eight years,and youll earn nearly half )=A.AJ4 of what you originally invested. $fter fourteen years,

youll earn an amount almost equal to your original 1>> )?4. $nd thats with arelatively low interest rate of five percent. he more interest you earn each year, the morequic/ly you can multiply your initial investment.

ome families may thin/ that they cant afford to save for college, but every dollar helps.In the face of five figure tuition bills, many thin/ saving for college is pointless.However, its important to remember that its not necessarily the tuition this money will bespent on )that should be covered by financial aid4. Boney from savings goes to cover thethings often '( covered by financial aid, li/e boo/s and food, and in this conte!t evena few hundred dollars can be E&-2 important )i.e. the difference between having boo/sfor class or not4. $s/ any starving college student whether they wished they have savedsome money from their high school summer job and they will almost universally answeryes.Boreover, a small amount each pay chec/ can add up to a few hundred dollars each year,which can double and triple if invested wisely and for a long enough period of time.$dults should as/ their employer if there are special savings plans available foremployees. ;ind out whats available at ban/s in your area, and tal/ to a professionalfinancial advisor.

It is important that as soon as a student is of legal age, they open a chec/ing andForsavings account so that they can have access to the financial services necessary to beginsaving for college. his also helps students gain the financial literacy necessary deal withthe comple!ities of the college finance process.

here are many options available, from stoc/s to bonds to savings accounts. (nefinancial instrument that was specifically designed to help families save for college iscalled a J" #lan or qualified tuition plan.

here are two types of J" #lans prepaid tuition plans that, essentially, guarantee todaythe price youll pay for tuition at specific colleges or universities years from nowD and

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college savings plans, which do not loc/ tuition at a certain price but allow you to spendthe money you save on a wider range of college costs. $s long as you spend the moneyearned on the types of college e!penses laid out in the plan, you do not have to payfederal ta! on plan earnings. ome plans are e!empt from state ta!es also. o find outmore about J" #lan options in Baryland, go to www.collegesavingsmd.org.

3inancial +id

;ree $pplication for ;ederal tudent $id );$;$4

8hile college can be e!pensive, few end up paying the full cost. &ach year, familiesaccess billions of dollars in financial aid:grants, financial awards that you dont have topay bac/D loansD and other help:that ma/e attending college more affordable.

he process for determining how much financial aid a student is eligible to receive startsby completing the ;ree $pplication for ;ederal tudent $id or ;$;$. 3y filling out

information about family income, assets, and other household information, the L..government, which provides a number of grants for students, can determine a students&!pected ;amily +ontribution )&;+4, the amount it thin/s a family could reasonably bee!pected to pay. chools also use &;+ in determining how much they can offerapplicants in grants and loans. he L.. 0epartment of &ducation wal/s families step bystep through filling out the ;$;$ atwww.fafsa.ed.gov.2ou may also find primary andelementary school systems and community organi9ations providing help in completingthe ;$;$ during the winter and early spring of each year.

$fter receiving information from your ;$;$, the colleges to which students areaccepted will often provide a financial aid pac/age that includes a mi! of money theylle!pect them to pay directly with the remainder covered by grants, wor/ study, and loans.

;$;$ begins accepting application in Canuary, and it is imperative that students turntheir ;$;$ as early as possible. he federal government allocates a finite amount offinancial aid every fiscal year, and thus is important students get into that pot of moneywhile it its there. $lso, the ;$;$ is usually a prerequisite for schools to enter a studentinto their own financial aid process. +onsidering the amount of paperwor/ necessary tocomplete the ;$;$ this can often be a time consuming process, and thus the sooner astudent begins the process they better off they are.

8ell discuss each of these components below.

7rants

he L.. 0epartment of &ducation administers federal #ell 7rants, a 1 billion programwhich funds low*income students at appro!imately J=>> colleges and universities eachyear.

"1
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/


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2ou may also be eligible for certain forms of free aid provided by the state government inthe state in which you live. In Baryland, he Baryland Higher &ducation +ommission)httpFFwww.mhec.maryland.govF4 administers a number of programs.

8or/*tudy

8or/ study programs help students find jobs, often on or near campus, with thee!pectation that they can use some of their earnings from that job to pay for schoole!penses. 3ecause colleges recogni9e that wor/ing too many hours can be detrimental toa students academic performance, wor/ study pac/ages often come with restrictions onhow many hours the student may wor/ per wee/.

6oans

Bany students will have to ta/e out some loans to get through college. Bany studentshave misperceptions when it comes to loans. ome students fail to understand the

comple!ity of them and use them too readily, piling up unnecessary debt. (ther have adeep fear of loans, needless limiting their options for fear of having to pay bac/ largesums of money, not reali9ing that loans can allows students to invest in an education thatwill pay dividends down the road. he comple!ity of loans is too much to be coveredhere, but students need to ma/e decisions on loans based on theirQspecificeconomicsituation. 'o single, simplistic stance )loans are great vs. loans are evil4 matches up withreality, however it may helpful for student to remember the following advice

tudents should treat loan how they treat other four letter words. hey can be helpfulsometimes, and even necessary in rough situations, but using them too often is probablybad, and as a general rule they should be avoided when possible.

6oans can come from any number of sources, but federal loans are typically the safestplace to start. ;or those who qualify, federal loan programs offer some of the lowestinterest rates. In some cases, the federal government will even cover the interest on theloans while students are in school. he #roject on tudent 0ebt)www.projectonstudentdebt.org4 is a great resource for anyone interested in differentfederal loan programs and good questions to as/ before signing up for loans from privatecompanies.

cholarships

cholarships are another potential source of funding for higher education. In simpleterms, scholarships are money offered at no cost to cover tuition andFor other feesassociated with higher education. cholarship donors can be governments, non*profitorgani9ations, businesses or individuals, and they typically establish one or more criteriafor who will be eligible to apply for the funding. hese criteria could be based on race,se!, age, income, academic achievement, residency,participation in e!tra circularactivities, or a combination of factors. It is important for students to remember that for

""
http://www.mhec.state.md.us/financialAid/index.asphttp://www.mhec.maryland.gov/http://www.mhec.state.md.us/financialAid/index.asphttp://www.mhec.maryland.gov/


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many schools, there are separate applications for many school based scholarship fromboth thecollege application and the financial aid application.ometimes, the scholarship application process is quite similar to the college applicationprocess, with similar deadlines and ma/e up. However, this is not always the case, and itis imperative that students who wish to apply for either school based or private

scholarship get their applications in as soon as possible, as there is a finite amount ofscholarship money that is given out on a first come, first serve basis. It can be worthinvesting time and energy for parentsinto finding scholarships for which your child iseligible.

$ few good online resources are fastweb.com, collegeboard.com, and scholarships.com.

:motional 8reparation

7oing away to college can be one of the biggest steps a young person ta/es towards

adulthood, and li/e any big change, its not always easy. 3elow are a few tips to ensurethat students and families are emotionally prepared to deal with the many changes thestart of college can bring.

al/ to people who have been to college.

&ven if no one in a students immediate family has been to college, chances are that anadult they /now through school:li/e a teacher, principal or guidance counselor:has.tudents should tal/ to them about what their college e!perience was li/e. 8hatchallenges did they face, and what did they do to get through themG

a/e advantage of opportunities to spend time on college campuses.

Bany schools have pre*college programs that offer high school students an opportunity toget a taste of life on campus for a few days or a few wee/s. Bany colleges will also hostevents that students who have been admitted but are still finishing their last year of highschool can attend. his may include campus tours, the opportunity to sit in on classes,and sleeping overnight on campus.

tudents should thin/ about how theyll deal with the following

0o they plan on commuting to and from campusG his could save a good deal of

money compared to living on campus, but the travel can be tiresome and it might beharder to feel li/e theyre part of campus life.

8ill college put distance between the student and friends, a boyfriend, or a girlfriendG

tudents should give themselves time to settle into school before they ma/e promisesabout how often theyll see their friends and significant others and thin/ creativelyabout how they can stay in touch )e.g. email, cell phone, and video chat4. $s theybegin to settle into a new environment, they shouldnt be surprised, if they meet otherpeople with whom theyd also li/e to spend some time.

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Is a faith community an important part of a students lifeG If so, it might be worth

doing a bit of research to see if there are communities with which they can practicetheir faith on campus or nearby.

-emember that homesic/ness is absolutely normal. 8ell discuss this more in section

two.

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Section ))< :ntering ollege

6i/e marriage, the first full*time job, and buying that first home, entering college is a bigpersonal milestone and a cause for celebration. uch a big change comes with its share ofadventures as well as a few challenges. 3elow are tips on how students can ma/e their

transition into college life as smooth as possible.

cademic Success

(ne of the first things many students are struc/ by when they enter college is how muchfreedom they have:freedom to pic/ a major, to choose courses, to stay up late, sleep in,or even miss class.

;or e!ample, each year, the Higher &ducation -esearch Institute interviews thousands ofgraduating college students for the +ollege enior urvey. In the ">> survey, %? percentof seniors reported that theyd fallen asleep in class at least occasionally and 1@ percent

said theyd failed at least one class during their time in college.

$ll of this new freedom means that success in college could require a level of selfdiscipline students have never had to use. he survey indicates a number of things collegeseniors did on their way to graduation. ;or e!ample, J percent of students indicated thatthey studied with other students and the vast majority, A percent, made use of the library.;or some, studying and homewor/ too/ up a significant amount of time, as one*fourth ofrespondents reported that they spent 1@ hours or more each wee/ on these activities.

In addition to friends and a students own effort, there will be a number of resourcesavailable for anyone having trouble with a class. Bost instructors have office hours,during which they welcome students to come and discuss course material, and studentswill often be able to find a free tutor. hey may also be assigned an academic advisor,who will help them select the courses theyll need to graduate and generally serve as aresource whenever they encounter problems.

!inancial Stability

+ollege is less li/e one big e!pense than a way of life that comes with many differentcosts over several years. he price you see for tuition, room and board tell only part ofthe story. heres also boo/s, computers, and other electronic equipment, andtransportation, the cost of which can vary greatly depending on how far college is fromhome. $ccording to the +ollege 3oard, during the ">>*">1> school year, the averagecollege student spent more than =,>>> on boo/s and supplies, transportation, and othere!penses.

tudents should /eep this in mind as they enter college and thin/ ahead to how theyllpay for it. If they have to wor/ during the school year, they may want to loo/ for jobs thatwill allow them to study, such as a part*time position in the library. hey may also be able

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to use paid summer jobs or internships to ma/e money and save for some of their schoolyear e!penses.

If students havent had to do so already, college could be a good place to learn how tolive within a budget. tudents should thin/ about what their wee/ly and monthly

e!penses are, leave themselves a little play money on top of that amount, if possible, andtry not to go over that limit. 8hatever they do, they should avoid unnecessary debt.+ollege is where many people sign up for their first credit card, and if students are notcareful and responsible about how they use credit, they could be paying for those t*shirts,video games, and tacos for a very long time.

"motional #ealth

$s we mentioned earlier, adjusting to a new environment can be difficult. 8hen thingsare tough, its natural for students to thin/ theyre the only one having a hard time, butresearch shows thats rarely the case. $ccording to the +ollege enior urvey, J= percent

of students feel lonely or homesic/ at least occasionally, and some feel that wayfrequently. #erhaps even more surprisingly, when as/ed if they ever felt overwhelmed byall they had to do, only ? percent said no. hat means that, if you had 1> college studentsin a room, nine would have felt an intense level of stress at some point.

tudents are never alone, and there are a number of resources they can use to stayhealthy, happy, and smart.

(ne of the most importantdeterminates of a students happiness while in college is thequality of their interpersonal relationships and social networ/s. ;inding a group ofstudents who li/e some of the things they li/e can lead to an instant social circle. Bostschools have do9ens of clubs students can join to do everything from playing sports todancing and e!ploring outdoors. 'o one can study all the time. 3alancing wor/ with funwill ma/e the young person a better student.

If things ever get especially tough, students may want to tal/ to someone whos trained tocounsel people. $lmost every school has free counseling services and no one should beafraid to use them.

$s students dig deeper and deeper into their chosen field of study, they should /eep aneye out for people who have already achieved some of the things theyd li/e to do.Bentors can be great resources and help them /eep things in perspective.

$fter theyve e!perienced a few semesters of college, students may notice that there arespecific events or wee/s that are more difficult than others. ;or e!ample, its only naturalthat they might feel a bit more stressed during final e!am period than during the firstwee/ of class. If they can begin to recogni9e those situations that they find especiallydifficult, theyll be able to deal with them better.

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6astly, students should /eep in mind the fact that college is a safe place to learn moreabout themselves, what they do well, and what they still need to wor/ on. hey shouldta/e advantage of these opportunities for personal development. igning up for a class ortwo that they thin/ might be too hard, tal/ing to someone who loo/s nothing li/e them:with so many peers and supportive adults around, college is the perfect place to ta/e a

healthy, calculated ris/.

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Section )))< S'cce""*'lly ompleting ollege

In our discussions of preparing for and entering higher education, we wal/ed one by onethrough academic, financial, and emotional factors that can affect success. (ur coverageof many of the academic factors has been pretty e!tensive. ecuring a quality college

preparatory education in grades < through 1" with a wide range of challenging courseswill improve a students chances of managing and enjoying college*level materialtremendously. $nd if they have trouble along the way, students should see/ help fromprofessors, tutors, and academic advisors. 3ut one study by #ublic $genda, a nonprofitresearch group, shows that, for many minority students, after being accepted to college,some of the largest barriers to finishing were financial.

$ccording to the study, a number of students leave college because the stress ofmanaging wor/:sometimes full*time wor/:and school becomes too difficult. $ndmany students are facing the financial challenge of school alone.

Binority students who did not finish college also indicated that they did not have enoughinformation on how to choose a college before enrolling in school, and there wasevidence to indicate that those who left college early may not fully understand thebenefits of a higher education.

In other words, while college can be stressful and challenging, successfully completing adegree has a lot to do with how familiar students are with the demands of college andtheir ability to maintain a stable financial situation. he good news is that there are lots ofpeople and organi9ations that are willing to help. Indeed, this free guide, theorgani9ations mentioned within it, and the resources that went into preparing it, presentone e!ample of groups that want to see lots of students succeed.

8hen young people ma/e higher education a priority and leverage the support of caringadults, the benefits can be seen in the lives of individuals, families, communities, and inthe country as a whole. he fact that you are reading this guide means that you are astudent ta/ing control of his or her future or an adult who wants to support a youngperson in doing just that. han/ you. 8e hope youve gained something from $ssociated3lac/ +harities +ollege 6ife -esource 7uide and that you will share it or some piece ofwhat youve learned with someone else.

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e"o'rce"

Baltimore Scholar" 8rogram /ohn" 9op$in" Ani&er"ity.

#rovides full*tuition scholarships for 3altimore +ity #ublic chools students admitted tothe university. +ontact the Cohns Hop/ins Lniversity (ffice of Lndergraduate

$dmissions for more information, including other program prerequisites.httpFFwww.jhu.eduFadmisFinde!.html

Big Brother" Big Si"ter" and the Maryland Mentoring 8artner"hip

(ffering mentors for boys ages eight to 1" and girls ages seven to 1J.httpFFwww.biglittle.orgF

enter *or St'dent >pport'nity ollege enter

#rovides information on resources for first*generation college*bound students.www.csocollegecenter.orgF

entral Scholar"hip B'rea'Helps students in Baryland reali9e their academic and professional goals with interest*free loans and grants to attend accredited institutions within the Lnited tates.www.centralsb.org

The ollege Bo'nd ;o'ndation

#rovides guidance and financial support for 3altimore +ity students navigating thecollege admissions process.www.collegeboundfoundation.org

The ollege Sa&ing" 8lan" o* Maryland

(ffers financial tools to help families save for college e!penses.www.collegesavingsmd.org

The Maryland 9igher :d'cation ommi""ion

2our lin/ to several college grants and scholarships administered by the state ofBaryland.www.mhec.maryland.gov

N'm(er2!com

High quality, free test prep for $ and $+httpFFwww.number".comF.

8ro+ect on St'dent De(t

Ruality information for families who need to borrow money to finance a collegeeducation.httpFFprojectonstudentdebt.org

Scholar"hip Search :ngine"

;astweb.com

"
http://www.jhu.edu/admis/index.htmlhttp://www.biglittle.org/http://www.csocollegecenter.org/http://www.number2.com/http://projectonstudentdebt.org/http://www.jhu.edu/admis/index.htmlhttp://www.biglittle.org/http://www.csocollegecenter.org/http://www.number2.com/http://projectonstudentdebt.org/


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+ollegeboard.comcholarships.com.

A!S! New" and World eport

elect the &ducation tab for descriptions and ran/ings on colleges and universities around

the country.httpFFwww.usnews.com

5o'th *or Ander"tanding AS#

(ne of many organi9ations giving young people access to enriching e!periences inforeign countries.www.yfu*usa.orgF

%>
http://www.usnews.com/http://www.yfu-usa.org/http://www.usnews.com/http://www.yfu-usa.org/


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Pathways - College Life Preparation Guide- Associated Black Charities 2011

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