DestinationCollege2019
Crosby Scholars Senior Newsletter, December 2018
Our Mission
We will assist public middle and high school students in Forsyth County in preparing themselves for successful college enrollment.
Our Vision
We seek to ensure that every public school student in Forsyth County has the opportunity to attend college.
Important Dates:
December 1 - Jaycee's Holiday Parade
December 1 - Financial Aid Priority Filing Deadline for NC A&T University & UNC Greensboro
December 1 - SAT Test Date
December 8 - ACT Test Date
December 12 - CSA #20G-I Scholarship LabsDecember 22-January 1 - Crosby Scholars Office Closed for Holiday Break
Don’t Let Senior-itis de-rail your plans!
Offers of admission are conditional upon review of your final transcript. Keep performing at the same competitive level throughout the school year so your grades do not drop. Many colleges will review both your mid-year grades and final transcript and may revoke your offer of admission if you have performed below the college’s acceptable standards. So, keep working hard through your final exams!
Do Something a Little Extra for Someone
The Holiday Season is the perfect time to spread joy and serve in the community! Submit your form as soon as you volunteer for two hours, but no later than January 31, 2019. You can take a picture of your form and text it to 336-777-7648 or e-mail it to the Senior Program @ seniorprogram@crosbyscholars.org. View the volunteer opportunities highlighted on our website. Check your Crosby Scholars Student Portal to confirm your community service status! As of November 29, only 443 seniors have submitted a form!
The Winston-Salem Foundation Offers Scholarships
The Winston-Salem Foundation's Student Aid program - the online scholarship application process - opens up soon! Check out their website to learn more about the many student aid opportunities that the Foundation offers. The one-stop application process will open online on January 1, and most applications for merit-based scholarships have an April 1 deadline. You'll also find information about scholarships administered by independent committees. It’s never too early to start looking and applying for scholarships!
DREAMer's Roadmap
Dreamer's Roadmap is a national non-profit mobile application that helps undocumented students find scholarships for college. The app was created by Sarahi Espinoza Salamanca, a first-generation undocumented student. She graduated with a two-year degree and decided she wanted to create a resource to help undocumented students find the funding they needed to achieve their dreams of attending college.
Espinoza Salamanca was recently featured in Forbes, She Has A Dream: College Scholarships For Undocumented Students.
The DREAMer's Roadmap website has more about the organization, app, and scholarship postings.
Common FAFSA Mistakes
- Not completing the FAFSA
- Not using the correct website (use https://fafsa.gov/)
- Not getting an FSA ID ahead of time (username & password you must use to log in to certain U.S. Department of Education websites)
- Waiting to fill out FAFSA after filing taxes - Now that you're required to use 2017 tax information, you have no excuse to wait.
- Not filing by deadline (check all school deadlines HERE)
- Not using your FSA ID to start the FAFSA - a lot of your information will be automatically loaded into your application
- Not reading definitions carefully -- don't rush through household size or legal guardianship (include yourself in number of family members in college)
- Inputting incorrect info -- confusing student/parent info, entering wrong name, entering wrong SSN, amount of income tax
- Not reporting parent info (Who's My Parent Chart)
- Listing only ONE college (List them ALL) - You can list up to 10 colleges.
- Not using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool -- It's available NOW!
- Not signing the FAFSA
Senior in the Spotlight
It’s the most important year of your high school career! We’d love to hear about any exciting news or great accomplishments you’ve achieved this year. Share your accomplishments with us at seniorprogram@crosbyscholars.org and we’ll give you a shout-out on our social media outlets! (Parents: you can share your senior's accomplishments with us!)
#CrosbySrSpotlight
Six Myths About Choosing a College Major - NY Times
Feeling pressure to choose a major on your college applications? Unsure which major will be best for your future? A recent issue of the NY Times - Education Life shared an article about college major myths. According to the Education Department, "30% of students switch majors at least once."
Myth 1: For the big money, STEM always delivers
- It is true that computer science and engineering top all pay rankings, but what if you don't make it to the top of the pay scale? According to the article, "the top quarter of earners who majored in English make more over their lifetimes than the bottom quarter of chemical engineers."
Myth 2: Women want to have it all.
- Women tend to choose majors that segregate them into the lower paying fields, such as education and social services. If the proportion of women in fields where men dominate increased by 10%, the gender pay gap would decrease significantly.
Myth 3: Choice of major matters more than choice of college.
- It's all about networking; these days, jobs are often acquired by knowing the right people to help you get there.
Myth 4: Liberal arts majors are unemployable.
- The competencies that liberal arts majors require--writing, synthesizing information, and problem solving--are sought out by many employers. Jobs that require both soft skills and thinking skills have seen the largest growth in employment and pay in the last three decades.
Myth 5: It’s important to choose a major early.
- If you have the option to start college undeclared, it's the best way to explore options for majors and "shop around" to find the best fit for your passions and interests.
Myth 6: You need a major.
- "Majors tend to lag behind the changes in the workplace." While it isn't as widespread, some colleges offer the opportunity to create your own major.
Read the full article here: Six Myths About Choosing a College Major
Don't Be Dismissed
Review the list of Program requirements posted in your Crosby Scholars Student Portal, then compare that list to what you have accomplished (also posted in your Crosby Scholars Student Portal) to confirm what you have left to do!
Conference Notes
There are no official conference notes due in December; however, if you are behind on your notes, this is the time to get caught up! Conference Notes 1-3 must be submitted before winter break! Contact your Crosby Scholars Senior Advisor to complete your notes! Your advisor’s e-mail address is listed in your Crosby Scholars Student Portal. When conference notes are past due, they are posted as an alert in your Crosby Scholars Student Portal. Contact the Senior Program if you have a question about your conference notes status.
Parents can monitor their senior’s Crosby Scholars Student Portal, view announcements and events, and confirm if their senior has fulfilled each program requirement by logging in to their Crosby Scholars Parent Portal. If you need assistance accessing your Crosby Scholars Parent Portal, email seniorprogram@crosbyscholars.or or call our office at 336.725.5371.
Only students who complete the Crosby Scholars Senior Program are eligible to apply for Last Dollar Grants and Crosby scholarships.
Crosby Scholars Community Partnership
Email: seniorprogram@crosbyscholars.org
Website: crosbyscholars.org
Location: 2701 University Parkway, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
Phone: 336-725-5371
Facebook: facebook.com/CrosbyScholars
Twitter: @CrosbyScholars