Please see Ms. Gill for further information and other opportunities. Other useful websites are available on the Guidance web page and links below:

Guidance Deadlines – Last updated: Sept 4, 2012

ATTENTION SENIORS!!!

All seniors should plan to attend!

 COLLEGE NIGHT!

Monday, September 17, 2012

6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.

SEBRING HIGH SCHOOL

Smith Center

 What is College Night?

·         An evening where seniors can get scholarship and financial aid information

·        Representatives from approximately 50 universities, colleges, community colleges and military will there.

·        Refreshments will be served!!!

                                                 Sponsored by:

                                                            The School Board of Highlands County

                                                            Department of Student Services

HORATIO ALGER SCHOLARSHIP

            Requirements:

• Must have exhibited integrity and perseverance in overcoming personal adversity.
• Must be a U.S. citizen
• 2.0 GPA
• Strong commitment to pursue and complete a 4-year bachelor’s degree in the U.S.
• Critical financial need ($50,000 or less adjusted gross income per family)
• Involved in extra-curricular and community activities

Awards range from $5,000-$20,000

Apply online at:  www.horatioalger.org/scholarships

Deadline:  October 25, 2012

COLLEGE FOR A DAY – Thursday, September 27

You received information about College Day from Mrs. Wilson last week.  The deadline for returning the permission form is September 14.    Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to learn about college life.

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY IN TALLHASSEE

• A representative will be on campus on Monday, September 17 during all lunches
• They will be in the Commons. 
• See Guidance for more information.

 Daughters of the American Revolution Essay Contest

             Topic:

“How Did the Faith and Courage of Christopher Columbus Give to Mankind a New World?”

 Length 800-1200 words

 Due to Guidance by end of October

Must be handwritten, typed or prepared on computer word processor in black ink with non-script font no smaller than 12 point and no larger than 14 point.  Handwritten essays must be written in black ink and written neatly, so they can be easily read.

Title Page Requirements on information sheet that can be picked up in Guidance.

Come to Guidance for more details about how it is to be written.  Information was also sent to all English teachers.

Senior Year

·         Continue to excel;  maintain a G.P.A. at or above 2.0 to graduate

·         Know graduation requirements, retake FCAT Read/Math as necessary, look at alternative testing (ACT, SAT)

·         Create a Resume (talk about you outside of academics)

o   School activities

o   Community activities

o   Community service*

o   Sports

o   Awards and recognition

o   Hobbies

o   Work experience

·         Read magazines provided through the Guidance Office

o   Careers & College  www.careersandcolleges.com

o   College Bound Magazine  www.collegeboundmag.com

o   Florida Leader  www.floridaleader.com

o   Florida’s Trend Next Magazine www.floridanext.com

o   Next Step Magazine www.nextstepmagazine.com

·         Visit colleges and / or shadow a role model in a likely career field

·         Retest on ACT or SAT, if necessary

·         Apply to your “Choice” Colleges

o   Obtain / Complete applications

o   Observe Deadlines

o   Submit Transcript & Test Scores

·         Apply for Financial Aid – Parents & Students must do their income taxes first.  Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) after January 1^st at www.fafsa.ed.gov

·         Apply for Bright Futures Scholarship before graduation, beginning Dec. 1^st.   www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org

·         Contact the Financial Aid Office at the colleges of your choice and secure forms and make deadlines

·         Apply for Local Scholarships through the Guidance Office

·         Free Scholarship Search Services   www.finaid.org                                               www.college-scholarships.com/100college.htm

·         All Eligible Males Must Register with the Selective Service  www.sss.gov

   ReadAllTheScreen 

LOCAL SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION

·        Student will be provided a Senior Scholarship Notebook early in the school year.  It will include information that will be helpful for both students and parents.

1.     Applications for most local scholarships will not begin until late November or December.  Most of the scholarship applications will be advertised and submitted second semester.  You can begin looking for national (most deadlines are early fall) and state scholarships online at any time.  Caution: do not pay any fees for these searches, they are all free.

2.     When local scholarships become available, announcements about availability, requirements and deadlines will be published in the following sites:

a.     LPHS web page – click on “Scholarships”

b.     Announcements on DNN

c.      Guidance Department Bulletin Board in Room #304

d.     Postings in selected senior classes

3.     If you have any questions about scholarships, see Mrs. Wilson or Mrs. Weber in Guidance, or Miss Gill during period 2A.

4.     To help you prepare for your application process, you need to do the following:

a.     Apply for college in the fall

b.     Make sure you have taken the SAT or ACT

c.      Prepare a resume (a typed list of all your activities in and outside of school during your four years of high school)

d.     Ask for general letters of recommendation (and keep copies of them) from teachers, employers, church leaders, coaches, etc.

e.     Type an essay about your goals and educational plans for the future and how you intend to achieve them.  Include how you would benefit from this scholarship.  Save it so you can tweak it to fit different scholarships.

5.     You will receive scholarship handouts (newsletters) from guidance periodically.  Your scholarship notebook is a perfect place to keep all the scholarship info organized.

http://www.highfivescholarships.com/

Welcome to High Five Scholarships, a website created to help you find free money for college.  We are a scholarship mat5ching service and we will find hundreds of scholarships that match your personal characteristics, goals, and interests, free of charge.

We have been collecting scholarship awards for over 15 years and have accumulated more scholarships and grants than any other source.  With millions of scholarships, and over $45 billion in total awards, the best place for you to find a scholarship is High Five Scholarships.