College & Career Center Newsletter
October 15, 2021 Edition 5
Rene Klaus - College & Career Specialist
Inside This Issue
- Message
- Upcoming Events
- Grade Level Specific Information
- Scholarships
- Klaus's Kernels
- Opportunities / Jobs / Volunteering
- College Spotlight
- Career Spotlight
- Want More?
Message
Upcoming events
College Visits - Sign up on Naviance
Here are the scheduled visits for September. Click HERE for the complete up to date list.
Virtual visits can be attended either in the Westmont Library or from a teachers room during study hall on your computer using headphones. Here are directions for signing up on Naviance.
10/18 @10:10am - Lewis and Clark College, VIRTUAL visit. Join at this LINK
10/18 @12:25pm - Illinois Institute of Technology, VIRTUAL visit. Join at this LINK
10/19 @10:10am - Campbell Police Department Explorers Program, in the Library
10/19 @12:25pm - Seattle University, VIRTUAL visit. Join at this LINK
10/20 @2pm - CSU Application Workshop for Seniors in the Library
10/20 @6:30pm - Senior Parent & Financial Aid Night. Check email for link.
10/20 @7:00pm - Spanish Speakers Senior Financial Aid Night. Check email for link.
10/21 @2pm - UC Application Workshop for Seniors in the Library
10/22 @12:00pm -Carnegie Mellon University VIRTUAL visit. Join at this LINK
10/22 @12:25pm - Purdue University, VIRTUAL visit in the Library
10/26 @ 10:10am - Albion College, IN PERSON visit. Join at this LINK
10/26 @ 4-6pm - Cash 4 College Workshop (FAFSA or CADAA) drop in. Register at this LINK
10/26 @12:25pm - Chapman University VIRTUAL visit. Register at this LINK
10/27 @10:10am - University of San Francisco, IN PERSON visit in the Library.
10/27 @12:25pm - Northern Arizona University, VIRTUAL visit. Join at this LINK.
10/28 @10:10am - University of Redlands, IN PERSON visit in the Library.
10/29 @10:10am - University of Connecticut, VIRTUAL visit. Join at this LINK.
10/29 @12:25pm - Champlain University, Vermont, VIRTUAL visit. Join at this LINK.
UC Night - 19th 4:30-5:30pm
This year most of the UCs are doing virtual visits with high schools. The following two dates provide a great opportunity to learn about the different UC campuses. I highly encourage students to attend, especially seniors and juniors.
October 19th - Meet the UC's: Berkeley, Merced, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz & San Diego
October 19, 2021
4:00 – 5:00pm Pacific Time
Participating Campuses -
UC Berkeley
UC Merced
UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Cruz
UC San Diego
College Information Sessions from All Over, Virtual and In Person
10/24, 11/2 (Art & STEM), & 11/14 - NACAC College Fairs: Virtual College Fairs with over 600 Colleges represented. Register for these fairs at virtualcollegefairs.org then login from your phone or computer on the dates that interest you.
AP Exams for 2022 - Deadline to pay Extended to October 19th on student webstore
The Westmont webstore is now open for payment for your AP Exams. Here is the link to the webstore: https://bit.ly/2QlFkmL If you have trouble on the webstore, please bring a check for the Exam fees to Student Services. The cost is $98 per exam unless you qualify for a reduced fee. If you qualify for a reduced fee, you should have received a letter with directions for how to pay for your exams. Below is the AP Exam Schedule for Westmont.
Homework Center - Tuesday, Thursday After School in the Library
Grade Level Specific Information
Senior Parent Meeting and Financial Aid Information
October 20th 7-8:30pm following the Senior Parent Presentation will be a Financial Aid Presentation given by a Financial Aid Officer from West Valley College. She will cover all types of Financial Aid and how to apply for it.
Both of these presentations will be in a Webinar format at the same link. The same presentations will also be offered in Spanish via zoom at the same time using a different link.
October 20th 6-8pm Spanish Financial Aid & Parent Night.
CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR THE LINKS TO ALL OF THESE
Cash for College Virtual Workshop 10/26 4-6pm
Seniors
- Filling out your applications
- Requesting transcripts (if you didn't already request a LOR from a counselor)
- Requesting any SAT/ACT scores if you took them (most schools are test optional this year)
- Completing your Financial Aid application
- Submitting your applications BEFORE the deadline.
Senior Check list for College Applications
Senior Checklist for College Applications
If you are planning on applying to a 4 year University, you should do the following things. Maybe you already did some of these things, but continue wherever you are. Here is a list you can print with links. You can also check out the Student Services Hub -> College & Career -> Seniors, Applying to College for the same information. Hopefully you paid attention in the Senior Meetings we held last week for the English classes.
- Research: Determine what you want, make a list of colleges that fit you, then find out what the applications for those colleges need. Check out these 3 Helpful College Search Resources for help making your list.
- Self-Description: Determine how to present the best possible YOU. Complete your brag sheet to write down your accomplishments, write a personal statement, and request any letters of recommendation from teachers or counselors if needed.
- Gathering Information: Get everything you need for your applications; create accounts, get transcripts, check on letters of rec, finalize essays, test scores, etc.
- Implementation: Complete online applications and submit them by the deadlines. Complete Financial Aid Applications (FAFSA or CADAA). Possibly have interviews with college representative (although not required.)
- Clean Up: Monitor applications by reading emails and checking application portals.
- Results: Evaluate offers and decide which college to attend, then complete the Next Steps for that college.
California State University (CSU) Application NOW OPEN
Just go to Calstate.edu/apply and get started.
October 20th 2-3pm - CSU Application Workshop in the Library
University of California Applications
Create your account, select the campuses you want to apply to and the majors for each campus. Then enter your grades and answer 4 of the 8 Personal Insight Questions. Pay your fees and submit between Nov 1st and 30th.
Juniors
Sophomores
You survived your first attempt at that dreaded PSAT on Wednesday October 13th and now you know what to expect from those dreaded standardized tests. Congratulations! When the test results are in we will have a virtual presentation on how to read your score report. This will be December 14th. Watch here for more information on this later issues.
Hopefully you are learning your way around Westmont and getting involved in some clubs to find out what you like to do and are good at. Keep up with your school work because this year is important if you are planning to go to college. If you are having any difficulties with any classes make sure to go to your teachers study hall and tell them you need help. Now is the time to speak up. Don't wait until you get your first D or F. Act now to avoid those grades.
If you are thinking about what you should be doing now in regards to college, check out the College App & Admissions Timeline from the College Essay Guy and see what you should be doing to stay on track.
Freshmen
Scholarships
2021-2022 Scholarships Spreadsheet
Voice of Democracy Scholarship: $1000-$16000 is open to students in grades 9-12 by the Oct. 31 deadline. Students submit an essay and 3-5 minute recording of themselves reading their essay on the topic "Is this the Country the Founders Envisioned?" For more information go to: https://www.vfw.org/VOD
ELKS "Most Valuable Student" Scholarship: $500-$50,00 Seniors who have high GPA, leadership experience and are US citizens should apply by November 15th. For more information go to enf.elks.org/mvs.
Juno, a company that can help you get money cheaper
Cost of College: For information about how to lessen the college debt, check out the partnership between our Inventavation Club and Juno, a company started by a group of millennials from Harvard University who realized young people were drowning in student debt and wanted to do something about it.
They realized that if they got a bunch of people together, they could use the power of group buying (similar to a Groupon or Hotels.com) to negotiate a better deal for everyone. They’ve done it successfully for three years now and opened up the negotiation group to anyone who’s interested.Anyone who wants to join can do so on their website. It takes 2 minutes and just needs some basic info. It’s also totally free and there’s no commitment to take any of their deals. It’s just another option on the table for saving money. Just to name a few things you'll find are interest rate discounts for undergrads and grads, 0.25% rate discount for refinance and up to $2,000 signing bonus for people who refinance.
They also have several scholarships including a monthly one for $1,000 that can be applied to current tuition or towards your existing loans if you already have some. On their website, you can explore multiple other scholarships.
If you’re interested, you can sign-up here: https://joinjuno.com/p/Inventavation?grow=inventav
Klaus's Kernels
So MANY COLLEGE VISITS are happening now. The in Person visits are the best. If you haven't been to one, signup for one this month. They will be over in early November. Here are some FUN FACTS from some of the visits this past month.
Mount Saint Mary's University in Los Angeles has a campus called Doheny which is west of downtown. The Doheny Mansion on this campus has appeared in numerous motion pictures and television series throughout the years. One that was pointed out to me was "The Princes Diaries". They also have a Direct Entry for Nursing so if you want to be a nurse, check them out.
University of Arizona's mascot is the Wildcat, but their motto is "Bear Down". This started in 1926 when their student body president and varsity quarterback, John "Button" Salmon, was critically injured in a car accident. Just before his passing he shared a message with his coach to pass on to the team which was "Tell them... tell the team to bear down" It remains their most enduring tradition and battle cry.
University of Nevada, Reno has the largest earthquake lab in the country. In fact, they can simulate live earthquakes and shake the campus! If you want to be an Engineer of any kind, I recommend adding this to your college list. It's close and the price is close to that of the UCs and much more reasonable to get admitted to.
Saint Mary's College in Moraga near Berkeley, had a baseball player who is now a pitcher for the LA Dodgers, Tony Gonsolin.
Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ was in the first every college football game against Princeton. This was over 200 years ago, and Rutgers won that game!
Drexel University in Philadelphia graduated 2 students who went on to create the Barcode which is used on just about everything you purchase in a store now.
Opportunities / Jobs / Volunteering / Help
Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad - Now Hiring
Call (408) 395-7433 for more information.
Wirlix Internship
Wirlix Internship https://forms.gle/P9AtUqAfmKkH2EYW8
Wirlix is a social media company that is looking for people to basically test our app. . We are looking for high schoolers to sign up. This is an official internship that you can put on your college application. It is a good experience and is especially good for learning about argumentative speech and debate.
Lockheed Martin’s Engineering Exploring - 10/27 @6pm virtual meeting
Youth age 14-20 are invited to Lockheed Martin’s Engineering Exploring Meeting Oct 27, 2021 6 PM
Register in advance for this meeting:
Get involved by contacting Exploring Executive Susan.Vinh@scouting.org
Check out our website at www.svmbc.org/programs/exploring
Exploring events are at www.svmbc.org/events
UC Davis Women in Business Seminars
High School Outreach Program - Hosted By UC Davis' Davis Women In Business
Workshop Overview:
Workshop 1: All Things College - October 28th, Thursday 7:00-7:45pm
Workshop 2: Career Exploration - November 18th, Thursday 7:00-7:45pm
Workshop 3: Professionalism and Networking - December 2nd, Thursday 7:00-7:45pm
Workshop 4: Interview Prep - January 6th, Thursday 7:00-7:45pm
Workshop 5: Resume 101 - January 27th, Thursday 7:00-7:45pm
Workshop 6: Self Care - February 17th, Thursday 7:00-7:45pm
Workshop 7: Investments and Budgeting - March 10th, Thursday 7:00-7:45pm
Workshop 8: Leadership - March 31st, Thursday 7:00-7:45pm
We ask all students who are interested in the program to fill out this registration form: https://bit.ly/dwib-hs-rsvp
STEMpower
Cabin Leader for YMCA Outdoor Science School
Need Academic Help? Check out Grizzly Tutoring
Grizzly Tutors offers bay area students online one-to-one tutoring from UC Berkeley undergrads. Whether your student needs help in a specific class, someone to help them stay on top of their homework, SAT/ACT prep, or guidance to get into a top-tier school like UC Berkeley, our tutors are perfectly placed to assist them.
On average, our tutors raise CUHSD students’ grades by over one full letter grade, or maintain them at a strong A.
Visit the website now for a discount!
College Spotlight
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities by Heather Tran
Set in the booming city of Minneapolis this University is home to a diverse student body. Since its founding it has grown to become a very distinguished public research university. Some notable alumni include Walter Mondale, the 42nd Vice President of the US, and Bobby Bell, a Hall of Fame football player. Two of its alumni Norman Borlaug and Melvin Calvin have Nobel Peace Prizes for helping the environment and making advancements in chemistry.
The University of Minnesota is home to a great study abroad program. Students can apply for exchange programs with partners in places like Iceland and Japan. There are experiential seminars with options like South Africa and Ghana. Also, students don’t need to wait for their junior year and can do it as a first-year learner.
The school is home to many Division I sports teams for both men and women sports. They have over 675 student-athletes in over 25 sports. More recently four athletes went to Tokyo for the 2020 Paralympics and brought home two gold and three silver medals.
Quick Stats:
51% acceptance rate
65% four-year graduation rate
17 to 1 student to faculty ratio
34,437 undergraduate students enrolled
93% retention rate
22% students living on campus
Top areas of Study:
- Social Sciences
- Engineering
- Business
- Managements
- Biomed Sciences
Career Spotlight
Senior Campaign Strategist
This week the Civics Club hosted a Career Talk with Senior Campaign Strategist, Bill Schwulst. During this virtual visit (last minute change from in person), Mr. Schwulst gave students some great tips on how to start getting involved in political campaigns. Mr. Schwulst has worked on many campaigns in his career including Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders.
His advice to our students was to start out volunteering in any number of ways: text banking, blogging, advertising on social media, help at or host voter registration events, etc. Once you get some experience you can then take on more of a leadership role and manage others in these operations.
This was a very informative talk organized by Maddon Hoh-Choi. Great job Maddon!