77 Harris Street, Auburn, ME 04210
Phone: (207) 784-6943
Fax: (207) 784-9243
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ELHS Guidance Department 77 Harris Street, Auburn, ME 04210 Phone: (207) 784-6943 Fax: (207) 784-9243 |
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Financial Aid
FINANCIAL AID NIGHT
Thursday, Nov 29 - 6:30 pm ELHS Music Room Get answers to your questions such as . . . How do I pay for college? What is the FAFSA? When and how do I complete it? Helpful Links Get your PIN so that you can complete the FAFSA (you should do this at least a few days before you want to do the FAFSA) www.pin.ed.gov FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Cannot be completed before Jan. 1, 2008 - but be sure to complete it as soon after that date as possible. www.fafsa.ed.gov The Student Guide to Federal Aid www.studentaid.ed.gov SAT/Collegeboard www.collegeboard.com Fastweb - Customized scholarship & college searches, college cost projector, loan calculators, career planning www.fastweb.com CSS/Fiancial Aid Profile profileonline.collegeboard.com/index.jsp More financial aid info such as college cost projector, loan calculator and savings plan designer finaid.org Superloan program www.superloan.com Finance Authority of Maine www.famemaine.com The Maine Loan www.mela.net Project Scholarship Scam www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/scholarship Taxes for Students www.irs.gov/individual/students/index.html Mapping Your Future www.mapping-your-future.org U.S. Department of Education www.ed.gov _____________________________________________________________________ $CHOLARSHIP$!
Visit www.fastweb.com to search over $3 billion in scholarships. For great information on the whole scholarship application process, visit www.ScholarshipHelp.org. Some general tips to help in preparing your application essay follow. The goal is to turn in a professional-looking essay. Write a second draft to catch mistakes and better organize your thoughts. If possible, type and doublespace your essay. Check spelling and grammar. Also, share your essay with friends, family or teachers for another proofread. Get organized. Brainstorm to generate some good ideas and then create an outline to help you get started. Don't know what to write about? Take the intimidation out of writing essays by turning your achievements, goals and interests into essay topics: - Think about current issues or events in the news that you feel strongly about. - Do you know a lot about a controversial topic? - Do you know of someone who is directly involved in an issue who might be able to provide insight? - Remember to personalize your experience. For example, what makes the volunteer and community service you’ve performed unique? - Do you still keep in touch with anyone you’ve helped? - Talk about specific interactions you may have had with others. How did you influence their lives? - How did your achievements reflect your values? Why are your achievements important to you? - Remember that judges want to hear from you as a person, not your resume. - Instead of saying, “Math is my favorite subject,” discuss a specific assignment or project that you worked on that sparked your interest and why. - Avoid saying that you selected a major or career path to “help people.” What specific actions can you take to improve the lives of others? Discuss specific values or ideas you want to develop once you get to college. - Is there a person you wish to emulate with your chosen major or career path? Someone who encouraged you to succeed? Focus on specific qualities or actions that the person has inspired in you. - Think about your friends and family, community, and the things you’ve learned outside of the classroom. Pick specific people, incidents and learning experiences to write about that will let your personality come through. Show, don’t tell. For example, if you’re describing an activity you participated in, don’t describe it in general terms. Be specific! What duties did you perform? What affect did it have on your life or the lives of others? Demonstrate originality and creativity. To catch the attention of a panel of scholarship judges, find a hook that will get the reader interested right away. Develop a theme that fits the scholarship. What sort of student is the sponsor looking for? Include elements in your essay that complement the sponsor’s expectations (without pretending to be someone you aren’t). What do judges look for? Make it past the first round by following these simple rules: - Do you qualify? Sounds simple, but students every year waste time by applying for awards they aren’t eligible to win. If you don’t qualify, don’t enter the contest. - Is your application presented well? Type your essay. Messy handwriting and excessive scratch-outs could land your application in the trash. - Did you include all required documents? Required docs frequently left out of an application include: transcripts, references and a letter of recommendation. - Did you answer all of the questions? Double-check that you haven’t forgotten any required information. |
