Guidance: College Planning/ - Financial Aid

Education Quest Newsletters

College Planning by Month

by Brenda Siffring

March 14, 2006

EducationQuest Foundation
College Planning Bulletin
A monthly college planning guide for Nebraska high school students

September 2007

pdf version - opens in Abode Acrobat Reader _________________________________________________________________________

It’s College Fair season!

During September and October, EducationQuest will sponsor six College Fairs featuring representatives from as many as 200 colleges. Mark these dates on your calendar and plan to attend.

Norfolk Area College Fair, Sun., Sept. 9, 1:00-3:00 p.m. – Northeast Community College
Grand Island Area College Fair, Sun., Sept. 16, 1:00-3:30 p.m. - Heartland Event Center
(NEW LOCATION)
Tri-State College Fair, Sun., Oct. 7, 1:00-3:30 p.m. – Marina Center, South Sioux City
Scottsbluff/Gering Area College Fair (NEW!), Sun., Oct. 14, 1:00-3:30 p.m. –
Gering Civic Center
Lincoln Area College Fair, Sunday, October 21, 1:00-3:30 p.m. – Southeast Community College
Omaha Area College Fair, Sunday, October 28, 12:30-4:00 p.m. – University of Nebraska-Omaha

Follow these tips to make the most of the College Fairs:

Review a list of participating colleges to determine those you wish to visit (for a list, see the College Fair article at www.educationquest.org, and prepare a list of questions. Ask about admission deadlines, fees and criteria.

Prepare pre-printed labels with your name and address to stick on information cards at college booths where you want additional information.

Attend a College Fair financial aid program to learn about types of aid and how to apply.

Educational Planning Programs feature “mini college fairs”

If you can’t make it to a College Fair, attend an Educational Planning Program at a school in your area (see Upcoming Events at www.educationquest.org for schedule and locations). These “mini college fairs” feature representatives from state and regional colleges and universities along with college planning and financial aid information.

The importance of getting involved!

Start the school year by getting involved in extracurricular activities to increase your chances for scholarships and admission to your top colleges. Use the Activities Resume at
www.educationquest.org to track your involvement throughout high school – then the information is readily available when it’s time to apply.

Senior students and parents…start preparing for college admission!

College may still seem far off, but admission deadlines will start hitting later this fall. Follow these steps to stay on track:

1. Contact your top colleges NOW and ask about application deadlines for admission, college-based scholarships and financial aid; if you need a separate application for scholarships; and about application fees.

2. Visit with college representatives at College Fairs, Educational Planning Programs, during campus visits, and when they visit your high school.

3. Apply to your top 3-4 colleges before the deadline. Along with your application, the colleges will require your high school transcript, class rank, GPA and ACT/SAT score. They may also request a list of your extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, an essay and an interview.

September “To Do” List

Juniors and Seniors... complete these college-planning tasks during September:

__ Attend a College Fair or Educational Planning Program in your area.

__ Visit www.educationquest.org to:

__ estimate your FAFSA results using the College Funding Estimator

__ sign up for the Countdown to College e-mail service

__ Seniors, register by August 15 for the September 15 ACT.

__ Seniors, register by September 10 for the October 6 SAT.

__ Seniors, register by September 21 for October 27 ACT.

__ Juniors, ask your guidance counselor about PSAT registration deadlines and test dates.

For free help with college planning, contact EducationQuest Foundation:

Kearney
308-234-6310
800-666-3721