College & Career Prep
Class of 2023 - College, Life & Career - June 2022
***CAREER EXPLORATION***
Looking for a job?
Click on the button below to view CC's new online Job & Internship Board* for part-time, full-time and summer positions.
Parents/Guardians: Interested in hiring students? Please send your information to Mr. Blue at dblue@centralcatholichigh.org and we'll add it to the job board.
*Central Catholic is sharing this information as a service to student. It is the responsibility of students and families to fully investigate these opportunities.
Building your Resume
We often get questions about building a resume of activities. Creating a resume is an essential skill for students on any post-high school path. They can enhance job and college applications as well scholarships applications. The resume is an opportunity to show who you are beyond the classroom. Counselors will need access to student activities to help them write recommendation letters. Check out Resume Genius for some great advice on creating a resume.
Resume Builder in Naviance Student - This the spring, students had an opportunity to utilize the Resume Builder in their English III classes. We encouraged students to list every activity initially. They can then build a resume highlighting activities that have the most meaning to them for their own use as needed.
Build Your Own Resume - Some students who have already created a resume or prefer creating their own resume instead of using Naviance. Either option works great.
Be sure to include your Christian Service activities too. We uploaded copies of each student's service record into Naviance Student in early May. Students can access it by clicking on About Me > Documents shared with me > Christian Service Record. Remember to add any new service to your resume as well.
***COLLEGE***
Summer To-Do List
Consider dedicating some time to get started this summer and make your first semester a little less stressful...
Visit colleges - Campus visits can be a great way to get a better sense of which ones might be a good fit for you. Choosing a college can be a tough decision; the opinions of those who know you best can provide helpful insight into which college is best for you. Make college visiting a family event. Although it is ideal to visit colleges during the academic year, going in the summer can be valuable too. If you can't visit in-person, check out virtual visits and information sessions offered by many colleges.
Continue to work on applications - The Common Application can be used to apply to over 900 colleges and universities. Students started it in English classes this spring and should continue working on the main part of the Common App in June and July. New: The Common App is adding over 50 new colleges in August. Click HERE to see the new additions. Sign up for any or all of the free College Application Workshop Sessions through our Summer Session. Participants will have dedicated time and support to continue your work on the Common Application and letter of recommendation process.
Recommendation Requests - Most private colleges and some of the public ones will require at least one teacher recommendation as well as a counselor recommendation. Most teachers do not start taking requests until we return to school in August. Students can work on some items to help with recommendations by completing the Recommendation Info Survey in Naviance Student and making sure your resume is ready as well.
Unless you are applying Test Optional, be sure to register for the SAT or ACT as soon as possible. Test centers may fill quickly especially for the August SAT and September ACT. See below for test dates and registration deadlines. Take time to prepare using free resources through Khan Academy Official SAT Test Prep and ACT prep.
Search for scholarships - Get a head start on searching for scholarship over the summer. Free scholarship searches can be done using Fastweb.com or Scholarships.com. Also, check out the scholarships highlighted later in this newsletter. As you find ones that you'd like to apply for, start keeping track of them using the Scholarship Tracking Tool created by the University of Portland (located under Scholarship Resources).
Choosing a College: Where Do I Start?
Choosing a college isn’t easy. If you take the process seriously and approach it in an organized and thorough way, you’ll likely feel better about your choice in the end.
Spend time on self-evaluation - Some of the most important decisions students must make have more to do with them than the colleges. It is important to understand what characteristics you need from a school to feel good and be successful:
- Do you love meeting people who are very different from you or do you thrive best in your
- comfort zone?
- Do you need to be in a class of no more than 30 people to feel that you’re connecting with a teacher or would you be okay in a class of 300?
- Do you achieve more if you’re in a challenging situation or if you’re at the top of the heap?
- Keep in mind that you’re going to live at a college for four years – what do you love to do?
- Whether it’s hiking, going to the theater, working on a newspaper or playing a sport – you need to decide where you’ll be able to do whatever you love.
Invest your resources wisely - Start the search process by doing things that won’t cost
anything: read college guidebooks, visit college websites, go to college fairs, and attend visits
from college representatives at school. The purpose of these activities is to get a feel for the
things that you and your family will have to think about as you decide which college will be
best for you.
Talk as a family - If there are strong feelings about, for instance distance from home or
religious foundations, they should be made clear as early in the process as possible. While
finances are often an important topic of discussion, it is important to remember that “sticker
price” may not be the same as actual costs. Checking out a college's Net Price Calculator will help provide better clarity.
Focus on finding a good fit - At the beginning of the college search process, there is often panic about choosing the “right” college. In this part of the process, think about which ones aren’t right to allow you to better focus on those that are a good fit.
Consider the source of your information - Gathering information about colleges is like doing
research for papers. While information from colleges is good and reliable, it’s also
promotional. Advice from your school or college counselor is always valuable. They may know about colleges that you’ve never heard of that would be a good fit for you. Alumni have great firsthand information, but may not be up to speed on what’s happening on campus. Current students can be helpful too, especially about the academic and social climate.
THE COMMON APPLICATION
All students had the opportunity to start their Common App during our presentations in Junior English classes this spring. Students will still need to rollover their account in August but can work on the main part of their Common App over the summer. Here are some helpful reminders for their Common App account:
The start term and deadline dates that you see in your account are for the current application year (2021-22). When the new application launches at the beginning of August, you will see the correct terms and deadlines for your applications.
When you log into your account at the beginning of August you will rollover your current account. Most of your answers from the Common App tab will rollover at that time but we may ask some new questions.
Any answers that you have in the My Colleges tab (college-specific questions) will not carry over in August. You should wait to complete those sections until after you rollover your account.
Also, the Common App site is usually unavailable toward the end of July as they update their system for the new application cycle. Students should anticipate taking a break from being able to work on their application during this time.
6 Myths About the Cost of College
#1 Myth: College is unaffordable.
Most students don't pay full price, so don't rule out a college simply because of the cost. Students and families can use a Net Price Calculator to get an estimate of what they will actually pay after including some types of financial aid. Students pay for college in a variety of ways including financial aid, earnings from part-time or full-time jobs, savings and money from parents and family.
#2 Myth: I can't get financial aid.
Everyone can get financial aid. The FAFSA and ORSAA/WASFA forms are free, so there’s no reason not to apply. No matter your circumstance, you will be eligible for some type of financial aid (grants, scholarships, work-study and/or loans) to help pay for college.
- Part-time student? Federal financial aid is available for students who attend at least half time.
- Older sibling in college that didn't get aid? The number of family members in college can make a difference in financial awards.
- Undocumented? Oregon and Washington offer state aid for eligible students who complete the ORSAA/WASFA, and many scholarships don't require U.S. citizenship.
- Not low-income? The federal government has a formula that determines the amount your family is expected to contribute to your college costs. Any costs above that could be covered by financial aid. Plus, there are a few sources of financial aid that are not need-based such as the unsubsidized Stafford loan and parent PLUS loan.
#3 Myth: The cost of college only includes tuition.
College costs can include tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, personal expenses, and transportation.
#4 Myth: It's hard to apply for aid.
When students and families gather all their information ahead of time, applying for financial aid usually takes less than an hour. Scholarship applications can vary in length. Work on them a few hours a week and you could earn thousands of dollars for college. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! There will be a Financial Aid Night next fall and there is lots of support online.
#5 Myth: It's too late to save money for college.
It’s never too early or too late to save money for college! There are even special savings accounts just for paying for college. Any amount you and your family are able to save will help and likely won’t affect how much financial aid you receive. Here's why: Under the federal financial aid formula, what matters most is the parents’ income. Savings typically have little impact in the government calculation of Expected Family Contribution.
#6 Myth: I should avoid taking out student loans—I don't want to be in debt!
Despite the horror stories you often hear in the media, just 53% of 2020 graduates of Oregon 4-year colleges had student loan debt, with an average debt load of $26,504. In Washington, 43% graduated with an average loan debt of $23,999. It's important to understand student loans so you can borrow responsibly.
- In general, federal loans are better than private loans, and subsidized are better than unsubsidized. Parent loans should be a last resort.
- Build a budget first and accept only what you need. You don’t have to borrow the full amount offered to you in your financial aid package.
UPCOMING EVENTS
OREGON PRIVATE COLLEGE WEEK: JULY 25-29
During Oregon Private College Week, twelve of Oregon’s private, independent colleges host concurrent sessions that will offer informational presentations about admissions, financial aid, and academic programs. Visit up to ten private colleges in only five days! Details and registration links for each college or university are available HERE. Be sure to register soon as space is limited.
COLLEGES THAT CHANGE LIVES FAIR: AUGUST 4
The Colleges That Change Lives, Inc. (CTCL) story begins in 1996 when a book by the same name — Colleges That Change Lives — was published by retired New York Times education editor and journalist Loren Pope. He sought to change the way people thought about colleges by dispelling popularly held myths and challenging the conventional wisdom about college choice. Many of the colleges featured in the book began working together to further promote this philosophy of a student-centered college search. The Fair is one of those cooperative efforts.
The program begins at 7 pm with a 30-minute information session at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Portland. A college fair follows immediately afterwards, lasting approximately 1.5 hours. This program is open to the public and free of charge.
Register online in advance of the program - Click HERE
Colleges anticipated to be in attendance include:
Agnes Scott College • Allegheny College • Antioch College
• Bard College • Beloit College • Birmingham-Southern College •
Centre College • Clark University • Cornell College • Denison University
• Earlham College • Eckerd College • The Evergreen State College •
Goucher College • Hampshire College • Hendrix College • Hiram College
• Hope College • Juniata College • Kalamazoo College • Knox College •
Lawrence University • McDaniel College • Ohio Wesleyan University
• Reed College • Rhodes College • Saint Mary’s College of California •
Southwestern University • St. John’s College • St. Olaf College
• University of Puget Sound • Ursinus College • Wabash College •
Whitman College • Willamette University • College of Wooster
***SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES***
Breakthrough Junior Challenge - Students ages 13 through 18 are invited to create a short (under 90 seconds) video explaining a challenging concept in physics, mathematics, or the life sciences in an engaging, illuminating, and creative way. Don’t miss your chance to win a $250,000 college scholarship.
By June 25
Cameron Impact Scholarship - The Cameron Impact Scholarship covers the full tuition, fees, and books at any accredited U.S. based college or university. Scholarships are awarded annually to 10-15 exceptional high school students who have demonstrated excellence in leadership, community service, extracurricular activities, and academics. To be considered, students must have a minimum of a 3.7 unweighted GPA and be a US citizen.
By September 9 at Noon PT (Applications are received and reviewed on a rolling basis and the Foundation is limiting the number of applications they will review to 3,000)
Planning ahead...Potential Scholarships of Interest
Next year, you will continue to receive a monthly college and career newsletter. In it there will be information regarding scholarships available for students. Here are a few examples that might be worth checking out now...
Act Six Scholarship - This is a full-ride, leadership scholarship to attend Corban University or George Fox University. Act Six is seeking Portland’s most promising emerging urban leaders. They look for young people who want to use their college education to make a difference on campus and in their communities at home.
Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship - The Evans Scholarship is a full tuition and housing college scholarship for high-achieving caddies with limited financial means. To qualify, caddies must meet the requirements of having a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need and outstanding character. Applicants must have caddied, successfully and regularly, for a minimum of two years and are also expected to caddie and/or work at their sponsoring club during the summer when they apply for the scholarship. Applicants must have above a B average in college preparatory classes. Applicants must clearly establish their need for financial assistance.
Emory University Scholar Programs - Emory offers partial to full merit-based scholarships as part of the Scholar Programs. Scholars also receive mentoring and participate in cultural, social and educational events. Nominees should have outstanding academic records, extraordinary personal qualities, and have made significant contributions to their class, school or community.
North Carolina State University Parks Scholarship - Park Scholars are selected on the basis of outstanding accomplishments and potential in scholarship, leadership, service and character. These four-year scholarship awards cover tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, travel and personal expenses.
Regeneron Science Talent Search - Your science, engineering or math research may be eligible for the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious STEM competition for high school seniors! Students who have completed independent research projects are encouraged to apply online for the chance to win up to $250,000!
Seattle University Sullivan Leadership Scholarship - Seattle U annually awards nine renewable full-tuition plus room & board scholarships to students who have shown outstanding leadership skills. Recipients typically have pursued a rigorous curriculum with a GPA of 3.7 or higher. They have also demonstrated leadership through school activities, public service and community involvement.
The Robertson Scholars Leadership Program - Scholars receive full tuition, room and board, and most mandatory fees at Duke and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Scholars also have access to generous funding for up to three summer experiences, funding for conferences throughout the academic year, and for two semesters of study abroad. Although all Scholars do matriculate at one of the two universities, they have full student privileges at both Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill.
University of Oregon Stamps Leadership Scholarship - Scholars receive U of O tuition, room, and board for four years of undergraduate study. Recipients will also benefit from enrichment funds to be used over four years to help them pursue study abroad, unpaid internships, or other experiences. Scholars are also automatically granted admission to the Robert D. Clark Honors College.
COLLEGE ADMISSION TESTING
ACT Test
July 16 - Register by June 16
Testing dates for this fall:
September 10 - Register by August 5
October 22 - Register by September 16
December 10 - Register by November 4
Since the the SAT has eliminated the optional essay portion of the test, many colleges no longer require it with the ACT Test as a result. Be sure to check the policy for each of the colleges on your list.
REGISTER - HERE
FREE ACT PREP - HERE
SAT Test
Anticipated testing dates for this fall:
August 27 - Register by July 29
October 1 - Register by September 2
November 5 - Register by October 7
December 3 - Register by November 3
REGISTER - HERE
Most juniors should already have a College Board account.
DO NOT create a new one -- use the one you have!
Free SAT Prep - HERE