DestinationCollege2018
Crosby Scholars Senior Program Newsletter - August 2017
Seniors...Start Your Applications!
Timelines for Success
Test Prep!
Are you planning to retake either the ACT or SAT this fall? In addition to our August SAT/ACT Boot Camp, here are some FREE online test prep resources you can use. As little as 30 minutes of practice each day until your test can make a real difference!
ACT.org -- Information about the test including a practice test with answers
Khan Academy (SAT) An official partner of The College Board (SAT).
CFNC.org (SAT & ACT) -- Log in and click the "Plan" tab at the top. Under that, click on the "For College" tab. From there, you will click on "College Test Prep" under "Plan for College" and choose your respective test.
Number2.com (ACT)
BWS Education Consulting (SAT & ACT) -- Vocabulary Study Guide, printable practice tests, tips for handling test anxiety, and more
PrepFactory.com (SAT & ACT)
SparkNotes.com (ACT) -- Information about each section of the test, plus tips and strategies for studying for and taking the test
Kaptest.com (ACT & SAT) -- Free Turbo practice tests for ACT and SAT ( you put them in a shopping cart like you will have to pay, but the price is $0.00) This site is an official partner of ACT. Paid options here, too, look for Free Resources tab at top of page, a variety of options.
Timing is Everything -- Know When to Apply by Maya Read
At many colleges and universities, there is more than one application deadline. Understanding the difference between these deadlines can allow you to apply at a time that offers you the most advantage.
The Regular application deadline is the standard deadline for submitting applications and is usually in January or February. Schools send their decisions around March. These decisions are not binding--you can choose to either accept or reject the offer.
Early Action is similar to the Regular deadline in that the decision is also not binding. You submit your application around November (some are as early as October) and receive your decision as early as December. Colleges sometimes require students apply Early Action in order to qualify for scholarships; if your school does this, you should consider applying at this deadline. However, for students who need to retake the SAT or ACT or improve their GPA during the first semester of senior year, this may not be the best choice.
The deadlines and notification dates for Early Decision are similar to Early Action, but it is important not to confuse these options. Early Decision is binding. This means that if the college or university accepts you, you must withdraw your application from all other schools you applied to and enroll at that school. If you have one school that you are absolutely sure about, you should consider this option.
Some schools give priority to students applying by these earlier deadlines but not all. This is different from school to school, so you'll need to do your research to find out if there is an advantage to applying early at your schools.
Finally, some schools offer Rolling Admissions. With Rolling Admissions, you can submit your application over a longer period of time. Colleges review the applications and send decisions as they come in. It is usually to your advantage to apply earlier, but this allows you some flexibility if applying early is not an option.
Most schools give you several deadline options. Make sure to choose the deadlines that give you the best chance for admission and financial aid.
Upcoming Senior Academies
Register in your portal for the Senior Academies that match your needs and your schedule best.
Telling Your Story: Writing Your College Application/Scholarship Essays -- Aug. 8th & 21st, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. (pick one)
Essay Writing Boot Camp -- Sept. 23, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. (We are planning to add more space in this academy. Check your Remind.com texts for more information.)
More Academies to Choose From
We’ve added three new senior academies, two for seniors and one just for parents:
FAFSA Night on October 16th from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. is a boot camp-style academy offering you free help to complete and submit your FAFSA.
Freshman Survival on March 19th from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. will feature a panel of admission counselors and college students who will give advice on how to not just survive, but thrive during your first year of college.
Surviving your Child’s Freshman Year on April 16th from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. is an academy just for parents* of seniors. Learn what you can do to help make your child’s first year at college exciting and stress free for everyone.
*Students don’t need to attend, and this event does not count toward the 2 academy requirement for seniors. Parents: If you’re interested in attending, have your senior register for you in their Crosby Scholars portal.
We are not planning to add any additional academies. Please choose the best academies for you and sign up now.
College Admission + Full Scholarship = QuestBridge
If you’re a high achieving, low income student, QuestBridge College Match Program is well worth a look. This program helps qualified students get admitted to highly selective colleges and universities with full scholarships (without loans) that include tuition, room, and board. Schools nearby, like Davidson College and Duke University participate, but you could also be matched with schools around the country like MIT, Stanford, or Princeton.
Senior Advisor Assignments
Your Senior Advisor’s name will be posted in your Crosby portal as soon as we've assigned them to you. For most of you, this will be by August 31st.
Advisors are required to attend one training session held in August. The training dates are now posted in the advisor portal and on our website. Crosby staff will email advisors about the training sessions. However, if you self-selected your advisor, you should discuss the training dates with them as well.
Remaining Senior Advisor training dates:
August 22nd at 6:00 p.m.
August 30th at 10:00 a.m.
August 31st at 10:00 a.m.
College Visit/College Fair Deadline: October 31st
You can also attend your high school's college fair in October (find the dates and times here). Don't forget to visit at least four colleges and ask their representative sign your Crosby Scholars form. Contact Jodi Wynblatt (jwynblatt@crosbyscholarsiredell.org) if you have questions.
Senior Program Requirements
Iredell County Crosby Scholars Senior Program
Email: jwynblatt@crosbyscholarsiredell.org
Website: crosbyscholarsiredell.org
Location: 124 4th Crescent Place, Statesville, NC, United States
Phone: (704) 873-5005
Facebook: facebook.com/crosbyscholarsiredell
Twitter: @iredellcrosby