College Guidance Services » admin

Be Careful with College Loans

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 09:57:54 +0000

Colleges give students loans for personal expenses but don’t go overboard. You will have to pay all this back. Calculate carefully what you truly need and don’t go nuts buying things you may not absolutely need.

The Junior Goal

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 05:25:22 +0000

Hey, you are a junior in high school. What are your college plans? This is the year to get it together. Get busy taking your ACT/SAT and see where you fall within college levels. Once you know your score, you’ll know where you should apply.

Seniors Getting Ready for Fall

admin — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 13:36:14 +0000

Seniors in high school need to be ready for fall by having many things in hand.

One, have teachers selected that you will ask to write you letters of recommendation to colleges.
Two, have essays written for colleges you plan on applying. Have teachers look over the essays before the school year gets busy.
Three, take the ACT/SAT for the last time if you think you want to raise your scores.
Four, check application deadline and plan on applying in October or November to be in sequence for the college admissions process.

Not taking these steps will increase stress and lessen chances for scholarships and grants.

Double Check Status

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:36:27 +0000

It is almost August and it is time to touch base with the college and roommate. Is everything in place for you to begin classes? Do you know the exact time and place for your orientation? Is everything turned into the Financial Aid office so that process will be smooth for funding? Do you know what your roommate is bringing and does your roommate know what you are bringing? Are you prepared to spend $300-700 on books? Have you applied for work-study jobs or put in applications locally for jobs?

There are many details that need to be dealt with for the transition into college to be smooth.

Talk to your College Roommate

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:45:24 +0000

It is July and time to begin planning your dorm room with your roommate. By now, your college has probably paired you up with someone with similar likes, dislikes and habits. Give them a call and decide who is bringing what for the dorm room. Find out how large the dorm rooms are, first. There may not be room for that chair, television screen, or other large items. Is it okay to loft beds? Are blinds or curtains provided? How large are the closets and dressers–what will fit? Some beds can be raised to leave up to 30 inches of space for bins and storage beneath. Some colleges have commons areas with pool tables and high definition televisions so you may not need to bring yours. You’ll feel better if you don’t bring too much. On visits home, you can always bring something later if you desperately need it. So, contact your roommate and plan now so things are not rushed next month.

Don’t Miss the FAFSA Deadline!!

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:03:04 +0000

In many states, it is too late to file the FAFSA for financial aid. But, some states like Iowa have deadlines coming up the end of June. Even if you don’t think you will qualify for financial aid, file the FAFSA because this will determine if you will get loans!! The FAFSA results (EFC) will determine just what kind of loans you qualify for. Low interest and subsidized vs. higher interest and unsubsidized. You want the subsidized with the government paying your interest for you while you are in school. For many, it is not too late if you act swiftly. The deadlines are on the FAFSA site or you can call your desired colleges and ask them.

Summer Preparation for College in the Fall

admin — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 11:36:43 +0000

So, you have a summer job. That’s great but what to do with the money earned? Save it. You will want to do fun things once in college and you’ll want to ration how you spend your money. There are those pizza parties at midnight and weekend outings to local locations that will be a great break from studying. So, let’s say you make about $3,000. This means you can only spend about $300 a month or $75 a week. That may seem like plenty, right? It will go very quickly if you don’t put yourself on a budget and put on the spending brakes. Pace your spending so you don’t run out by January.

Update Resume This Summer

admin — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 01:15:15 +0000

Whether you are a junior or senior for next fall, summer is a perfect time to update your student resume. Why now? Because by fall you will probably forget about some of the activities and awards that should be on the resume. Oh, you didn’t plan on compiling a resume, you say? Just a note to the wise–you will be competing with applicants to college that do have resumes. And, what about local scholarships? Attaching a professional looking resume with your scholarship application is a nice and classy touch. You’ve worked hard throughout high school and now it is time to promote yourself. Put your best foot forward with a well-written resume.

You May Not Need to take the ACT or SAT

admin — Mon, 31 May 2010 21:50:15 +0000

It is a common belief that every student going into college must take the ACT or SAT. Actually, that is not true. There is a growing trend to NOT require the ACT or SAT for admission. To find out which colleges do not require these tests, visit Fair Test. Many colleges that are not demanding ACT/SAT scores are upper level colleges that realized creative thinkers don’t do as well on these standardized tests. They could be eliminating the very students they say they want. Check out Fair Test and see if your favorite colleges are on the list. Call admissions and ask how important the tests are. Some colleges still prefer that you take the tests even if they are on the Fair Test list.

How to Use Your Summer

admin — Tue, 18 May 2010 11:27:01 +0000

If you have recently graduated from high school, use your summer to get ready for the fall in college. Communicate with your roommate and coordinate who is bringing what so you don’t end up with two refrigerators and no television. Save money if you have a job. You may be surprised how little expenses add up on campus.

If you are a junior in high school, use the summer to update your resume and write those college application essays. That way you will hit the ground running when school begins and be ready to apply to colleges in the fall. That will place you in the proper time sequence for admission and scholarship competitions. Don’t forget volunteer work and update that resume!!