James Hubert Blake High School
College/Career Center Newsletter
Blake's College Board H.S. Code # 210959

POSSE - SPECIAL SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY - nominations due 9/11/07- Did you know that two high-achieving Blake students from the Class of 2006 won full-tuition four-year scholarships to Bucknell and Lafayette Colleges? These students participated in several group interviews & team-building activities to qualify for one of the 40 scholarships worth $100,000 each. Again this year, the POSSE Foundation is seeking dynamic, motivated, creative, committed, powerful young leaders who are H. S. seniors in the DC metropolitan area. Students and their families are invited to an Open House on Wednesday, September 5 from 4-7 pm with university representatives from these competitive colleges: Bucknell, Lafayette, Grinnell and Sewanee University of the South. Open House Location: The ARC, 1901 Mississippi Avenue, S.E., Washington, DC 20020. Please RSVP at 202-293-3800. Blake has been invited to nominate 10 of our top seniors by September 11 to be considered for the POSSE Scholarship, so please contact Mrs. Moore if interested.

PRINCETON REVIEW HOSTS FREE SEMINAR - September 6, 2007, 7:00 pm - Get the Knowledge...to Get into College, reveals the secrets of the admissions process at America's Best schools and getting a jumpstart on your personal college search. Location: Barnes & Noble @ Washington Center, 21 Grand Corner Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD. To learn more or register to attend, call 800-2Review or visit: www.princetonreview.com/gettingin.

COLLEGE REPS VISIT THE BLAKE CAREER CENTER - Throughout the fall college admissions representatives make appointments to visit & recruit Blake juniors & seniors. These meetings are held in the Career Center and students may attend if they bring their agenda book to Mrs. Moore at least one day in advance to obtain a pass. A list of colleges that have already made appointments can be accessed from Naviance: http://connection.naviance.com/blake. All seniors have been assigned an individual password to enter. The Guest password for Blake H.S. students is: 210959. Click on "visit schedule" to see a current list of colleges visiting Blake so far (subject to change).

HOLY CROSS HOSPITAL MEDICAL EXPLORER PROGRAM is open to all students, Grades 9-12. The purpose of the program is to provide information on careers in the medical field (including medicine, health care, dentistry, nursing, research & related fields) through tours, speakers and discussion. The group meets twice per month on Monday throughout the school year.. First meeting: Monday, September 10, 2007, 5:30-7:30 pm, Holy Cross Hospital, GATE Institute Training Room, Second floor, 1500 Forest Glen Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910. $10.00 annual registration fee if you decide to join. For more info & to RSVP: halikc@holycrosshealth.org or call Carla Halik 301-754-7174.

REGISTER FOR THE OCTOBER 6 SAT TEST NOW! September 10 is the deadline to register for the October 6, 2007 SAT test. The best way to do this is online: www.collegeboard.com. Cost is $43.00, and you can charge this on your credit card. After Sept. 10 a LATE FEE applies--extra $22. If you prefer completing a mail-in registration, pick up an SAT Registration Bulletin from the College & Career Center. The SAT test is not administered at Blake but several nearby high schools serve as SAT test centers. Please include the H.S. Code for Blake: 210959.

CONSIDER THE ACT ASSESSMENT - September 21 is the deadline to register for the October 27 ACT test. The best way to do this is online: www.actstudent.org Mail-in registration packets are available in the College & Career Center. Students can choose between two test options- the ACT Assessment or the ACT Assessment Plus Writing, which includes a 30-minute Writing test (recommended). The cost is $30.00 + writing test (optional) is $14.50 more, which can be charged on your credit card. October 5^th is the LATE registration DEADLINE – extra charge + $19.00

FEE WAIVERS FOR SAT & ACT AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS MEETING ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES - The College Board and The ACT both offer waivers for students for whom the payment of fees for the tests presents a serious barrier to college entrance. Eligibility is determined primarily by membership in a family whose annual income falls within predetermined guidelines or for those whose family receives public assistance / lives in subsidized housing. Students should see Mrs. Moore for the Fee Waiver Eligibility Form and registration instructions. Students using a fee waiver can register for the SAT or ACT online with the assigned fee waiver number.

2006-07 TESTING FOR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS

To be eligible for accommodations on College Board tests like the PSAT or SAT, a student must:

have a disability that necessitates testing accommodations;
receive and use the requested accommodations for school-based tests due to the disability; and
have documentation on file at school that supports the need for the requested accommodations and meets the College Board Guidelines for Documentation.

To be approved by the College Board for accommodations on College Board tests, students must submit a Student Eligibility Form to the College Board. Students are encouraged to complete the Student Eligibility Form well in advance of the first College Board test they plan to take.

A Student Eligibility Form submitted through Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) must be mailed by MCPS and postmarked no later than five weeks prior to the test date.
A Student Eligibility Form submitted by the student or parent directly to the College Board must be postmarked no later than seven weeks prior to the test date.

*SAT Special Needs Testing Locations**: 2007 - 2008 -* MCPS provides a central testing site at the schools listed below for most students pre-approved for accommodations on the SAT. Students requiring the use of a reader and/or writer will test at his/her home school. For additional information contact Maryann Bullion for questions concerning the Northwest High School site (301 601-4635) and Sue Hartung at the Walter Johnson High School site (301 571-6920)

Date	Location	Contact	Tel.
2007
10/06/07	Walter Johnson HS	Sue Hartung	301-571-6920
11/03/07	Walter Johnson HS	Sue Hartung	301-571-6920
12/01/07	Northwest HS	Maryann Bullion	301-601-4635
2008
01/26/08	Walter Johnson HS	Sue Hartung	301-571-6920
03/01/08	Northwest HS	Maryann Bullion	301-601-4635
05/03/08	Northwest HS	Maryann Bullion	301-601-4635
06/07/08	Walter Johnson HS	Sue Hartung	301-571-6920

Information on requesting accommodations on College Board tests may be found on the College Board website's Services for Students with Disabilities page.

SAT PREPARATION COURSE - The Montgomery College Workforce Development & Continuing Education office offers an SAT Prep course in several of the MCPS high schools. Students take a 32-hour course which meets either after school, in the evening, or on Saturday mornings. This six-week course (seven weeks on Saturday) is designed to help students achieve a score that better reflects their knowledge and abilities by practicing with REAL SATs, teaching test format, proven test taking strategies, reviewing content, and raising test taking confidence.

The cost of the course is $260 for county residents and $400 for non-county residents. You may register by mail or fax. The SAT Prep registration form is available online at www.montgomerycollege.edu/wdce and for customer service call 240-567-5188. Dates, times & locations are available online or pick up a brochure from your College & Career Center or the School Counseling Office. Flyers advertising courses to prepare students for the October, November, December and January SATs are direct mailed at the end of July to all incoming juniors and seniors. A second mailing, advertising classes to prepare for the spring administration of the SAT will occur in late December.

NOTE: Many MCPS high schools offer SAT Prep classes during the school day, for which a student receives a half credit for the semester. The curriculum for the in-school semester course is much more in depth and gives a teacher the opportunity to work more closely with individual students to focus on content, polish math skills, and develop critical reading & writing skills.

Special Note: Registration for the SAT exam is a separate process. SAT Prep courses do not include registration for the official SAT test. Although registration forms are available at high school College-Career Centers students are “STRONGLY” encouraged to register for the SAT test online @ www.collegeboard.com. The registration fee must be charged to a credit card and the admission ticket is printed immediately. Students with limited family incomes should see their College/Career Information Coordinator regarding fee waiver eligibility.

COLLEGEBOARD SAT PREP – free online practice

The College Board offers a FREE online SAT Prep site for Montgomery County public high schools. To access the free online course go to: www.collegeboard.com/satonlinecourseschool/ . In the “Students” box, click on “Register Now.” Enter Blake high school’s CEEB code: 210959. Sign in with your collegeboard.com account or create a new one. This Free, Online SAT Prep Course offers in-depth test coverage to help student fully understand the SAT's math, critical reading, and writing sections. The course features

* Interactive instruction organized into 18 lessons.

* Personalized score reports.

* Six practice tests and hundreds of practice questions.

* Explanations of answers.

Another free website for SAT or ACT prep: www.number2.com!

RETAIL & HOSPITALITY JOB FAIR - Tuesday, September 18, 12-4 pm, sponsored by Montgomery Works. Location: Montgomery Works Sales & Service Learning Center, Westfield Wheaton Shoppingtown. Retail and hospitality Employers in this area are beginning the holiday season hiring process now! Be the firest to meet the most in-demand employers looking for both seasonal and long term employees. Contact: Emily at emalsch@montgomeryworks.com for more information.

SENIOR ORIENTATION - Wednesday, September 19, all day - The Guidance staff will be meeting with all senior English classes to discuss the college admissions process and other postsecondary options. The amphitheatre has been reserved for this Power-point presentation and valuable information will be given to students regarding college testing (SAT/ACT), how to request your H.S. transcript and recommendation letters, etc.

ENGINEERING EXPLORING PROGRAM at Lockheed Martin - Saturday, September 29, 1:00-4:00 pm, Open House at the headquarters: 700 N. Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 20879. Target group: Grade 9-10 (especially girls interested in math & science). For more information: http://exploring.external.lmco.com, 301-240-7625 or email: bob.ekman@lmco.com.

COLLEGE INFORMATION SESSIONS (held locally)

Washington & Lee University (VA), Wednesday, September 5, 2007, 7:30 pm, Bethesda Marriott, 5151 Pooks Hill Road, Bethesda, MD, 301-897-9400 OR Thursday, September 6, 2007, 7:30 pm, Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner, 8661 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA. 703-448-1234.

University of Pennsylvania, Tuesday, September 11, 2007, 7:30 pm, Bethesda Marriott, 5151 Pooks Hill Road, Bethesda, MD, 301-897-9400 OR Monday, September 17, 2007, 7:30 pm, Tysons Corner Marriott, 8028 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA. 703-734-3200.

Georgia Institute of Technology, Thursday, September 20, 7:00-8:30 pm, Rosslyn Metro Center Building, Suite 1910, Arlington VA. For more information and to register to attend: www.admissions.uga.edu/infosessions.

Washington University in St. Louis, Tuesday, October 2, 2007, 7:30-9:30 pm, Bethesda Marriott, 5151 Pooks Hill Road, Bethesda, MD, 301-897-9400 OR Wednesday, October 17, 2007, 7:30-9:30 pm, The Westin Tysons Corner, 7801 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 703-893-1340.

Dartmouth (NH), Wednesday, October 3, 2007, 7:00 pm, Walt Whitman High School, 7100 Whittier Blvd., Bethesda, MD. RSVP on website: http://inyourcity,dartmouth.edu/infosessions/

Oberlin College Preview (OH), Tuesday, October 9, 2007, 7:00-8:30 pm, Georgetown Day School, 4200 Davenport Street, NW, Washington, DC 20016. RSVP online: www.oberlin.edu/admissions/rsvp.

Brown University (RI), Wednesday, October 10, 2007, 7:00 pm, Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, Nolan Performing Arts Center, 1524 35th St., NW, Washington, DC OR Thursday, October 11, 2007, 7:00 pm, Washington-Lee H.S. Gymnasium, 1300 North Quincy St., Arlington, VA. www.brown.edu/administration/admission/gettoknowus/brownnearyou.html.

Morgan State University (MD), Friday, November 2, 2007, 9:00-4:00 - Open House on the Morgan campus. Register to attend online: www.morgan.edu.

COLLEGE NIGHT at BLAKE

The Blake Counseling Department will sponsor a COLLEGE NIGHT for sophomores, juniors & seniors on Tuesday, October 9 at 6:30 pm. Students in Gr. 10-12 and their parents are strongly encouraged to attend. Don't miss this important informational meeting.

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OVERNIGHT COLLEGE CAMPUS VISITS:

CONNECTICUT COLLEGE Overnight Multicultural Weekend - October 6-8, 2007 or November 10-12, 2007 - Explore is a multicultural program for underrepresented students and those interested in issues of diversity who are interested in Connecticut College. Application required: www.conncoll.edu/admission/adm_explore.htm. 860-439-2200

UMCP Overnight Program for prospective students:

The University of Maryland College Park is offering an overnight program for prospective students the night before two Open House dates on October 7 and November 8. Register online now: www.resnet.umd.edu/osp/ or call 301-314-4255.

SEWANEE: UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH (TN) MULTICULTURAL WEEKEND - November 8-10, 2007 - for high school seniors - Apply by September 28, 2007, as space is limited. Travel & other expenses covered for students interested in diversity and applying to Sewanee. Submit nomination form signed by guidance counselor and official copy of H.S. transcript & test scores. http://admission.sewanee.edu or email: admiss@sewanee.edu or all: 800-522-2234

WELLESLEY COLLEGE (MA) Fall Open Campus/Overnight program - October 14-15, 2007 - for high school seniors. Register before October 9, 2007, space is limited. Schedule & Registration: www.wellesley.edu/admission/fall2007 or call 781-283-2270.

TRINITY COLLEGE (CT) MULTICULTURAL PREVIEW WEEKEND - November 3-5, 2007 - Deadline to register: October 15, 2007.

High school seniors with at least a "B" average are encouraged to apply for this preview weekend. The program highlights the experiences for African American, Latino, Asian-American, Native American & multi-racial students. Selected students will receive financial assistance for transportation, housing & meals. Contact: 860-297-2577 or email: admissions.office@trincoll.edu.

VASSAR COLLEGE (NY) MULTICULTURAL BUS TRIP - November 10-12, 2007 - Stay overnight, meet students, sit in on a class, meet the faculty and tour the beautiful campus. Space is limited. Apply online before October 20, 2007 at http://admissions.vassar.edu/bustrip/. More info: bustrip@vassar.edu or 800-827-7270.

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HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE TOUR - March 16-19, 2008 - Colleges visited: Clark-Atlanta, Morehouse, North Carolina A & T, Bennett, Johnson C. Smith, Hampton, Virginia State, Virginia Union University. Cost: $405 ($135 deposit due by 1/7/08; no checks after 2/18/08. Includes bus transportation, 3 nights hotel, all breakfasts & lunches. For additional info: 301-265-8326 or 301-248-8833. Trip sponsored by Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church. Registration forms in Blake Career Center. A briefing session for all registrants will be held on Feb. 21, 2008 at 7:00 pm.

PSAT REGISTRATION - This year, the PSAT will be administered on Wednesday, October 17 at all Montgomery County High Schools. Both ninth and tenth grade students will take the PSAT at no cost through a partnership between MCPS and Montgomery College. However, juniors pay a $14.00 fee to register for the official PSAT in the Blake School Counseling Office. For the Juniors who pay, PSATs are scored by College Board and student scores are considered for the National Merit Scholarship Competition. PSAT registration forms will be available soon in the School Counseling Office for juniors. Turn both the money & registration form into Ms. Money, the secretary. A mailing about PSAT registration will be sent to the home of every JUNIOR in September .

MONTGOMERY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP CONFERENCE - Can you afford not to attend? - Saturday, October 20, 2007, 8:15-2:30 pm, Germantown Campus, High Tech Building. FREE information: financial aid, scholarships, transfer resources & representatives from regional colleges. Keynote address: "The Scholarship Workshop," presented by Marianne Ragins, author of "Winning Scholarships for College."

MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY STUDENT PAGE PROGRAM Seniors who are at least 16 yrs old who are legal residents of the State of Maryland are eligible to apply for the student page program at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, MD. Interest in state government and history, average or above average academic record, social security number, good conduct, competent, reliable, courteous, outgoing personality are all characteristics sought after by the selection committee. Application online: www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/studentaffairs/sao/page. For further information call: Karen Crawford, 301-670-1419. Deadline for applications: October 26, 2007. Students who are selected for the page program will be notified by November 15, 2007.

KIDS COLLEGE - MC Youth Programs - These enrichment courses (grade 4-12) are offered from October 2007-January 2008 after school and on Saturdays at Montgomery College's campuses. For more information pick up a flyer in the Career Center or visit their website: www.montgomerycollege.edu/youth or call 240-567-7264 or 7917.

HOLY CROSS HOSPITAL SCHOOL OF RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY is currently accepting applications for the class due to start in July 2008. A health occupations aptitude test is required in March and class selection will take place in May. Application fee:$30; Tuition: $2,000 for two-year program; Books: $750. For more information: Stacie Maier, Program Director, 301-754-7889 or maiers@holycrosshealth.org.

BLAKE COLLEGE ADMISSION PROCESS is online

The "Life After High School -- Collegebound" packet that seniors are given when they meet with their counselor to discuss future plans is now online. It includes: How to Process College Applications & Transcript Requests, Sample Resume, Student Brag Sheet, Parent Brag Sheet, Request for Teacher Recommendation Letter, Fall Senior Timeline and websites for Exploring College/Career Goals. Go to: www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/blakehs/ Click on "Career Center." Choose: "College Admissions Process."

SAT - OPTIONAL SCHOOLS - There is a list of colleges that do not use SAT or ACT scores for admitting substantial numbers of students into their bachelor degree programs. Some schools exempt students who meet a certain grade point average, while others use SAT or ACT scores only for placement purposes. Please check with the college's admissions office to learn more about their requirements. The National Center for Fair & Open Testing publishes this information at: www.fairtest.org.

NCAA INITIAL-ELIGIBILITY CLEARINGHOUSE ONLINE REGISTRATION
Students who plan to participate in intercollegiate athletics at an NCAA Division I or II school are encouraged to register online. The NCAA website includes online registration for the Clearinghouse. Visit the website at http://www.ncaa.org, pull down the Parent/Prospect page from the Custom Home Pages pull-down menu. From there, click on "Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete."

U.S. SERVICE ACADEMY NOMINATIONS - Deadline: October 19, 2007 - Congressman Chris Van Hollen will consider nominating top candidates for the U. S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy or U.S. Merchant Marine Academy if they apply before October 19, 2007. Interested students must complete an application form for Cong. Van Hollen (available online at http://vanhollen.house.gov or obtain paper copy from char.rosnick@mail.house.gov) AND apply directly to each desired academy. Include SAT/ACT scores, official transcript, three recommendation letters. More information available in the Blake Career Center.

HORATIO ALGER SCHOLARSHIP - Deadline: October 30, 2007 - for graduating seniors who have demonstrated integrity, perseverance in overcoming adversity, strength of character, U.S. citizen or permanent resident, significant financial need (family income less than $50,000/yr), a good academic record (min cumulative GPA 2.0), commitment to pursue a college education, involvement in community service & extracurricular activities, and a desire to contribute to society. Apply online: www.horatioalger.com/scholarships.

UPCOMING COLLEGE FAIRS:

Washington DC Performing and Visual Arts College Fair - Sunday, September 23, 2007 @ J. F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington DC from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

McDonald's College Expo - Saturday, September 29, 11:00-2:00 pm at the Historic Carnegie Library in Washington DC and Sunday, September 30, 11:00-2:00 pm at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, MD. For detailed information: www.mcdonaldseducates.com or call Laura Hubbard at 703-741-7500 or email: lhubbard@goinharris.com.

College Expos Fair – Wednesday, October 10, 2007 @ Discovery Sports Center, Gaithersburg, MD

9:45-12:45 and 6:30-8:30 pm. (Blake will take interested seniors to this event from 10:00-12:00. Students must complete the permission form and return it to the Career Center by October 3 to participate. Valuable evening workshops offered on financial aid, athletic recruiting, and the importance of early college awareness. Parents of sophomores, juniors & seniors are encouraged to attend this fair with their student during the evening hours!

Black College Expo - Saturday, October 20, 2007 @ Prince George's Sports & Learning Center, 9:00 a.m. over 50 HBCUs and educational seminars (some on-the-spot acceptances & scholarship opportunity). For more information: www.blackcollegeexpo.com or call 1-877-427-4100 or email: jasmine@blackcollegeexpo.com.

Congressman Albert Wynn's Annual College Fair & Financial Aid Workshop - Saturday, October 27, 2007, 11:00-3:00, Northwestern High School, 7000 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782, 301-773-4094.

Hispanic College Fair – Tuesday, November 6, 2007 @ Universities at Shady Grove Conference Center, Gaithersburg, 9:30-12:30, MCPS high school field trip for Latino juniors & seniors. Permission forms required one week in advance; free bus transportation.

Greater Washington, DC National College Fair - Thursday, November 8, 2007 @Washington Convention Center, Washington DC from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., & 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Baltimore National College Fair - November 12-13, 2007 @ Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD. / Nov. 12 = 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., & 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Nov. 13 = 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

ASVAB (ARMED SERVICES VOCATIONAL APTITUDE BATTERY) is a career exploration test administered free to interested tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students. Blake H.S. will offer the ASVAB on November 8 at 7:30 a.m. The test helps identify the student’s interests and aptitude in the following areas: verbal, math, science & technical skills. When the individual scores are interpreted, students learn how their interests & skills relate to the demands of more than 400 occupations, helping them to identify suitable career options. The ASVAB is an excellent career exploration tool and we encourage students to take it to determine their strengths. Taking the ASVAB in no way involves a commitment to the military. MCPS policy: ASVAB results are released only to the student and not to the armed services. Should a student wish to use his/her ASVAB results as part of an enlistment conversation with a military recruiter, he/she can provide his/her scores to the recruiter.. Participants will receive their scores on December 13 @ 8:30 am.

FINANCIAL AID WORKSHOP at Blake The Financial Aid Workshop will be held on November 14 at 7:00 pm. Parents of seniors should plan to attend this event in the amphitheatre. Our speaker will be the Director of Financial Aid from Montgomery College, Melissa Gregory. She will discuss the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and answer all your questions about how to find money for college. FAFSA forms should be available for parents to take home and begin completing. The completed FAFSA should be submitted between January 1 and March 1, 2008.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP GREATER WASHINGTON PROGRAM - Application Deadline: November 16, 5:00 pm - Cost: $150, but no student will be turned away for financial reasons - This group connects promising young leaders and gives them the tools they need to make a difference in their community. 35 high school sophomores & juniors from the DC metro area obtain intensive hands-on leadership training once a month beginning in January 2008. YLGW Contact person: Kenneth Barrow, 202-777-4496 or kbarrow@lgwdc.org or go to the website: http://lgwdc.org/cs/root/programs/ylgw to print an application offline. Completed applications mailed to: 1725 I St., NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006.

SCHOLARSHIP SCAMS -- be on the lookout!

Have you received a telephone call or letter offering assistance in finding scholarship money? Often it involves a "free" meeting with a financial aid consultant. BEWARE! Many times these services cost between $500-$1,000 for scholarship searches that you can do on line yourself for free. Here are some traps to avoid: "You've been selected" by a 'national foundation' to receive a scholarship..." or "You're a finalist" in a contest you never entered. "The Scholarship will cost some money." "We'll do all the work." "I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship." "You can't get this information anywhere else." "The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back." REMEMBER: no one can guarantee you a scholarship! Students must apply for scholarships themselves. No one else can enter competitions or write essays for you. Never give out your credit card or bank account information unless you have initiated the contact. For more info. or to report a scam, contact the FTC at 1-877-FTC-HELP or www.ftc.gov.

BLACK COLLEGE COMMON APPLICATION
Students can apply to 34 Black Colleges with one application and one $35.00 application fee. Once the application has been submitted, students are required to send their transcripts, test scores, recommendations and essay to all of the colleges they are interested in attending. Applications and information are available online at www.eduinconline.com. Member colleges include Norfolk State, Tuskegee, Clark Atlanta, Coppin State, Fisk, Morgan State, Virginia Union, Virginia State and many more.

SAE ENGINEERING SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM - Deadline: December 1, 2007 - Scholarships are available from corporate sponsors ($1,000-$10,000), as well as university sponsored awards ($400 - full tuition) for students intending to earn a degree in engineering or a related science (including math, chemistry, physics, biology, technologies, computer science). Other requirements: must be U.S. citizen & H.S. senior, meet minimum standards with regard to GPA and SAT/ACT scores as outlined in the individual requirements for each scholarship. Students are encouraged to retrieve the application and information online at http://www.sae.org/students/engschlr.htm.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT FIT - Many magazine and newspaper articles broadcast the increasing selectivity of college admissions and this leads students to believe that "most selective" means "best." There is no such thing as a "one size fits all" college -- what is right for one student may not be right for another student with similar characteristics. A student's success in life is not determined by the college they attended. Do not select a school based on reputation, but instead on how well it fits your requirements. Studies have shown that students who have been accepted at one of the most prestigious institutions but choose to attend a lesser known school attain the same financial success as those who chose the more selective college. It is the student's attributes like drive, intelligence, work ethic and leadership qualities that will lead to a successful career. That being said, be aware of the college characteristics most important to you. Try looking beyond the reputation and amenities (beautiful campus and buildings) and focus on the students, professors, opportunities and course offerings. Choose colleges that support the way you learn best and where the institutional philosophy is in line with goals for your own education.

WHY CONSIDER LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES? Liberal arts colleges are small and focus on the undergraduate. They provide students with a broad based knowledge in science, the humanities and art. Students are actively engaged in the learning process and critical & analytical thinking and writing skills are stressed. Classes in liberal arts colleges are taught by faculty (not graduate assistants) and professors interact with students in and out of the classroom. The experience of students at a liberal arts college differs from that of students at large public institutions. There is an emphasis on individualized instruction in a primarily residential environment. A 1998 study found that although only 3% of all American college graduates were educated at residential liberal arts colleges, they accounted for 19% of the U.S. presidents, 23% of Pulitzer Prize winners in drama, and 8% of Forbes magazine's listing of the wealthiest CEO's in America. Graduates from liberal arts colleges are twice as likely to earn a doctorate degree in science and are disproportionately represented among leaders in education, public service and business. (from www.thecollegeadvisor.net, Nov. 06)

STUDENT JOBS
School work comes FIRST, but some students feel the need to have a part-time job. Here are websites to check out: www.mycoolcareer.com, www.snagajob.com, www.gazette.net or www.studentjobs.gov. On occasion, employers notify the Blake Career Center of vacancies. In that case, a small ad is posted on the Blake Career Center webpage (look under "JOBS"). Students should be aware of federal rules that apply to working teenagers. For example, a 14 or 15 year old can only work up to three hours on a school day or 18 hours during a school week between the hours of 7:00 am and 7:00 pm. There are 17 jobs that have been declared hazardous by the secretary of labor that are prohibited for teens under the age of 18. Visit http://www.youthrules.dol.gov.

GOVERNMENT SUMMER JOBS - Apply Early! Applying for summer positions within the government is now available online. Visit www.studentjobs.gov & www.usajobs.opm.gov to see job listings and apply. A "resume builder" is built into the program to store your resume for application purposes. Some clerical positions/internships with the Dept. of Health & Human Services are listed on : www.hhs.gov/jobs/. These positions are competitive so start completing the paperwork now. Some student employment/intern programs exist within NIH (paid/unpaid): www.nih.gov.