Is your dorm haunted? October 2015 Newsletter #ForwarDirections

October Newsletter 2015

Motivation Monday at ForwarDirections! Facebook Page:
“A failure is not a loss. It’s a gain. You learn. You change. You grow.”
— Michael Barata

Which college campuses have haunted dorms? Find out by joining the ForwarDirections network and reading more here !

Happy fall from the team at ForwarDirections!

We provide this monthly newsletter free of charge, so feel free to share it with others.

Our senior cohort of students is busy working on their college applications and essays. Our junior and sophomore cohorts are exploring colleges that meet their interests. Many students are in the process of scheduling or studying for the ACT and SAT tests which many colleges use for admission requirements. Students who will be applying to college in fall 2016 will be taking a different version of the SAT. For the SAT update and study tips, check out this website: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/.

If you’re a senior and looking for application assistance, there is still time to join us, but don’t wait too long! We continue to build our sophomore and junior cohorts to help them to be prepared for applying to college in the future. The more prepared students are ahead of time for attending college the better options students will have.

We are happy to share that we have both completed the Certificate in College Admission Counseling from UC Riverside that consisted of six courses over the past year and a half. All of the coursework was done online. We also enjoyed attending the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) in San Diego earlier in the month. We learned about the latest trends in college and career counseling and interacted with college reps from across the world (Yes, even from Ireland, Scotland, and Italy!).

Our mission is to empower students to be college and/or career ready by helping them discover their passions and bring their future into focus

It is not too late to join our network! Just fill out this form , and we’ll get in touch with you to get you started.

Joining ForwarDirections provides:

• Initial consultation process to determine student interests and goals
• College or career selection based on interests and goals
• Ongoing online support via group and individual meetings
• Ongoing network for collaborating and sharing with one another
• Ongoing support and guidance through the first year of college

In addition, we invite you to check out our website , as well as our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/forwardirections/) – in fact, we’d love you to “Like” it, and share the articles we post there with your friends and family members.

Updates

For high school students:

• High School Counseling Website: Check your high school counseling website to be aware of any school counseling deadlines, college visits, college representative visits and/or future scholarships.
• Make sure that you are giving your schoolwork your very best effort. Identify how you are managing your time so you can complete everything at a high level of quality. Consider making adjustments as needed.
• Seniors: Get your FAFSA ID now (https://pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/appinstr.jsp). Complete this first stage of the FAFSA, even if you don’t think you will need federal aid.
• Scholarships: For those applying for scholarships, check your high school counseling website about your eligibility. Also, consider registering for Fast Web scholarships (http://www.fastweb.com/). Note: If you don’t apply, there is no way to receive any money!
• Scholarship Deadline: The Gates Millennium Scholarship is open for Latino and African American seniors who are planning to attend a 4-year college and meet certain income criteria. https://www.gmsp.org/publicweb/AboutUs.aspx 

For college students:

• The first weeks of college can be challenging. Read about some recommended “Dos and Don’ts for Your First Year of College” here: http://college.usatoday.com/2015/08/18/8-dos-and-donts-first-year-orientation/

For parents:

• College Financing: There are four ways to finance college: savings/pay as you go, scholarships/grants, student loans, or students work as they attend. Which option are you planning for your child?
• Savings/Pay as you go: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/how-to-save-for-your-childs-college-education/
• No Savings: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/18/your-money/a-financial-aid-map-for-families-who-have-saved-nothing.html
• Some tips about Financing College and filling out the FAFSA (something almost every college going student does today): http://business.time.com/2013/01/25/10-tips-for-getting-the-most-out-of-college-financial-aid/
• What Happens After the FAFSA is completed in January? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/evelynne-blatt/fafsa-the-starting-point-_b_6614022.html
• Regardless of what stage your child may be in in terms of determining what colleges he/she wants to attend, these tools can help you and your child understand the options.
  • College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/)
  • College Navigator (https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/)
  • College Data (http://www.collegedata.com/)

If you are the parent of a senior:

• College App Essays: Ask your child to share the essays they have written with you. It’s a lot of work to write these essays, and your child will appreciate sharing them with you.
• FAFSA: Have your child get his/her FSA ID now. It’s important to complete this first stage of the FAFSA, even if you don’t think your child will need federal aid: https://pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/appinstr.jsp

Further articles and considerations for students and parents:

• 39 Foods all College (and High School) Students should know how to make: http://college.usatoday.com/2015/08/11/staple-college-foods-to-cook/
• Early Planning Aids College Success: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2015/09/21/early-focus-on-academic-success-can-aid-college-applications
• 5 Ways to Make the Most of an Internship: http://college.usatoday.com/2015/09/24/make-the-most-of-your-internship/
• Top Students in Ca Guaranteed Admission to UC: http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-uc-guarantee-20141225-story.html
• Happy Halloween! And for fun: Is your College Dorm Haunted?http://www.usnews.com/education/slideshows/universities-with-haunted-dorms