NDA Guidance Department
Welcome to the guidance page of Notre Dame Academy! The philosophy of the guidance department is rooted in the mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame and the school, recognizing and nurturing the dignity, uniqueness and potential of each individual. Notre Dame Academy’s Guidance Department has as our primary purpose, to assist students in self exploration, to offer guidance in the areas of educational, academic, personal and social problems and challenges.
You will find a wealth of regularly updated information on College representative campus visits, admissions and admissions policy news, scholarship opportunities, summer programs, grade level specific information, jobs and internships in addition to college research websites. Information for first generation college applicants, Students with learning differences, minority students and athletes is also available here.
College News
¬Smith College has decided to make SAT and ACT scores OPTIONAL for US citizens beginning 2009.
¬Boston University
Wants you to know summer is a great time to visit! Attend an information session and find out more about academics, campus life, and the details of applying. Go on a campus tour!
Call 617-353-2318 to schedule a visit!
¬Bates College offers a “Prologue to Bates” a fall visit program for traditionally under-represented , high performing students.
Travel scholarships are available. Programs and Deadlines: A October12-14 (September 12)
B November 9-11 ( October 10)
Come into the Guidance Center for application
Beginning Fall 2008
Not all online courses will be acceptable to the University of California!
There are two ways in which UC may accept online courses taken by student for purposes of UC admission
1)through UCCP Online and PASS/Cyber High programs. You need to talk with your counselor about this as the options are limited OR
2)Online courses offered through a community college.
3)The option of repeating a course for credits toward graduation/fulfilling a-g requirements at a community college remains a choice acceptable to the UC.
¬Have you ever thought about ENGINEERING?
Do you know how many kinds of engineering exist?
What DO they DO?
Log onto www.EngineerYourLife.org a great guide to engineering for high school girls. Check out the videos on the projects illuminating the various areas of engineering in which these young women excel!
Elite Colleges Report Record Lows in Admission (NY Times 4/01/08)
“…many factors contributed to the tightening of the competition at the most selective
colleges…among them demographic. The number of high school graduates in the nation has grown each year over the last decade and a half…Other factors were the ease of online applications, expanded financial aid packages, aggressive recruiting of a broader range of young people and ambitious students applying to ever more colleges.”
For example “…Ten years ago, slightly fewer than 12,000 students applied to Yale, compared with the 22,813 who applied this year…the rate of admission was nearly 18% in 1998, more than double the rate this year.”…”…At Harvard more than 2,500 of Harvard’s 27,462 applicants scored a perfect 800 on the SAT CR…3,300 scored 800 onl the SAT Math..more than 3,300 were ranked 1st in their high school class.”
Rejection is often about the overwhelming numbers rather than the merits of the individual.
JUNIORS! HERE IS A GREAT WORKSHOP FOR YOU!
YOUR ROADMAP TO COLLEGE
Comprehensive college preparation and admissions workshops will be offered the following days/dates. The Princeton Review has teamed up with professionals in the community to offer YOU the most accurate and up to date overview of the RoadMap to College.
A great workshop for 8th - 11th graders and parents!
The Princeton Review has teamed up with Admissions Experts to provide you
with a comprehensive overview of the Roadmap to College
Financial Aid
Learn how the financial aid system works. How do you qualify for aid? What deadlines are
involved?
Plan Your Junior Year
Junior year of high school is an important year. You should be using it to prepare yourself
for college and position yourself to get in to the school of your dreams. Learn how to plan
your Junior year for success!
Beat the Tests: SAT, ACT and SAT Subject Tests
A veteran Princeton Review Instructor will review how the different standardized tests are
used in the admissions process and teach you some of our trademarked approaches to
raising your score.
UC Admissions
A representative from UCLA will discuss UC Eligibility, the UC System’s requirements and
what you can do to increase your chances of getting into a UC school.
Students with Learning Disabilities
How does having a learning disability affect the college admissions process? What can
you do to make the application process and the transition to college smoother?
Your Roadmap to College
Comprehensive College Preparation and Admissions Workshops
UCLA Roadmap to College Registration Form
Student Name: ____________________________ Parent Name(s): _______________________________
Address: _________________________________ City: ________________________ Zipcode: ________
Email: _______________________________________ Parent Email: _____________________________
Phone: ________________________School: __________________________Graduation Year: _________
To reserve your seats at our FREE Roadmap to College, please return the form below or visit or call us at:
www.PrincetonReview.com | 800.2.Review
Detach and fax this form to 310.234.3001 or mail it to The Princeton Review, 1964 Westwood Blvd., Suite 230, Los Angeles, CA 90025
UCLA Sunday, June 29 - 10 am - 1 pm
Location TBA
First Generation College Applicants
If you are the first person in your family to apply to and attend college you may very well have special questions or concerns about the process.
During the year the Guidance Department hosts pizza lunches just for this purpose. You will receive an invitation for lunch and the opportunity to share and ask questions in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.
Athletes
¬How can I help student athletes the months of April and May? Look in the box below from the NCAA
Have your student-athletes request final amateurism certification. This must be completed immediately in order for your student-athletes to be eligible to compete prior to enrollment this fall.
1. Have the college-bound student-athlete log in to his or her account at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net.
2. Click on the "Enter/Update Amateurism Questionnaire" link on the left side of the screen.
3. Proceed to the bottom of the screen and click on "Enter/Update Amateurism Questionnaire."
4. Review each question to make sure it is answered correctly.
5. Click on the "Exit Questionnaire" icon at the top of the screen. This will take him or her to the previous screen.
6. At the bottom of the current screen, click on the "Final Authorization Signature" icon and complete the electronic signature information.
Other Reminders
The Eligibility Center will only accept official transcripts. Transcripts that are faxed or that come from the student (or parents/guardians) cannot be used. Make sure you send the transcripts to the Eligibility Center in Indianapolis.
NCAA Eligibility Center
Certification Processing
P.O. Box 7136
Indianapolis, Indiana 46207-7136
Overnight/Express Mailing Address:
NCAA Eligibility Center
Certification Processing
1802 Alonzo Watford Sr. Drive
Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
Scholarship Opportunities
¬Free scholarship search!
www.scholarship.com (also noted on the website research page)
Southwest Airlines and the
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
Announce 4th Annual Education Travel Award Program
“Dándole Alas a Tu Éxito/Giving Flight to Your Success”
is Launched Across the Nation
CLICK HERE TO APPLY NOW
APPLICATIONS ARE DUE MAY 30, 2008
RECIPIENTS WILL BE NOTIFIED VIA E-MAIL THE WEEK OF JULY 28, 2008
SAN ANTONIO, TX – April 11, 2008– Applications are now being accepted for the 4th Annual "Dándole Alas a Tu Éxito/Giving Flight to Your Success" travel award program sponsored by Southwest Airlines and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). Through this national education initiative, Southwest will provide roundtrip airline tickets to undergraduate and graduate students across the country with socio-economic need who travel away from home to pursue a higher education. To be eligible, students must apply on-line at www.hacu.net.
In this year's program, each student is eligible to receive between one and four roundtrip tickets for the student and/or parent to use when traveling to/from the university. The complimentary airline ticket(s) can be used for travel to any of the 64 destinations that Southwest serves. To be eligible, students must apply online by clicking here. Students from HACU and non-HACU member institutions may apply. A selection of national education advocates and community leaders will determine the winners based on specific criteria. To view the criteria for the 2008 award program, please click here.
Additional information regarding the travel award program from Southwest Airlines and HACU can be found at www.hacu.net, or contact: Lorena Blanco, HACU's Executive Director of Development and Marketing, at (210) 576-3224 or development@hacu.net.
To view this year's poster announcing the program, click here.
Travel award recipients will be notified the week of July 28, 2008.
“Southwest Airlines is proud to support Hispanic youth achieving their dreams of a higher education,” said Laura Nieto, Senior Manager of Southwest Airlines Corporate Community Affairs. “We are also happy to provide air travel to families with students away from home. Southwest keeps family bonds strong while students receive a college education.”
Experts on Hispanic college students believe attainment levels would improve if students were more willing to travel longer distances to colleges well suited to meet their needs according to a Pew Hispanic Center report.
“HACU is proud to be part of the Lánzate program for the fourth year,” said Antonio Flores, HACU President and CEO. “We admire Southwest’s commitment to continue supporting Hispanic higher education by giving students the opportunity to ‘spread their wings’ while staying rooted at home.”
HACU, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, represents approximately 450 colleges and universities, including Hispanic-Serving Institutions which collectively serve more than two-thirds of all Hispanic higher education students in the United States. HACU's international membership includes leading higher education institutions in Latin America, Portugal and Spain.
Student help websites
First generation college applicants, low-income and minority students
¬CSO College Center is a student gateway to college access and success!
It is an online clearinghouse of college programs, scholarships and admissions information serving first generation, low income and minority students. Find colleges
and programs that are tailored for YOU!
¬Scholarships for African American and Hispanic Students
Find minority scholarships
Apply for scholarships and more at this scholarship gateway!
¬Scholarships for Hispanic students
In addition to scholarship opportunities a blog is featured with guest columnists ranging from national leaders to college entrance prep to how to finance your education.
www.scholarshipsforhispanics.org
Summer Programs
¬Professional Theatre Apprenticeship Program
In Ventura hosted at CSU Channel Islands a 3 week intensive international theatre program taught by master faculty from Juilliard, CSU Channel Islands, Cal State Northridge, and University of Illinois. Training in acting, vocal, movement styles including Commedia, Clown, Mask and Kabuki culminating in a performance for industry professionals and festival attendees.
Application and information www.RITF.org
Scholarships available
¬Oxford Advanced Studies Program
Summer Course July 1-25th 2008 History, Politics, math, science, music, drama and more! Contact www.oasp.ac.uk or email oxedge@optonline.net
¬Summer Transportation Institute
The purpose of this institute is to create awareness and stimulate interest among high school students to take full advantage of opportunities in the transportation industry: new frontiers in highway design, transportation of people and cargo, intermodalism, laws, regulations, environmentalism, and career opportunitites.
FULL scholarships available for up to 20 students.
Criteria
10-12th graders
Pre Algebra
CUM 2.0
Interest in Engineering
2 letters of Recommendation
Essay
Transcript
Go to the Guidance office for more info.!
¬Academy of Business Leadership
This unique program for high school students is specifically designed to prepare leaders for the next generation.
What do you get?
Over 225 hours of instruction
Critical reading, writing, and thinking skills
Presentation skills
Entrepreneurship training
Leadership training
Personal finance training
Field trips to Fortune 500 corporations
And so much more!
Is this program for you? Go to www.goabl.org to download application OR come into the Guidance center.
¬MEDUSA
Future Doctors! This summer program offers a blend of lectures, workshops,
Clinical sessions and even live surgery. The 8 day course informs, prepares,
And motivates you for a career in medicine.
Go to www.medusa-us.com
¬MICROSOFT wants any qualified 9-12th grade girls to apply to DigiGirlz
Summer camps.The URL https://www.microsoft.com/about/diversity/programs/camps.mspx has scence form previous camps and videos created by participants promoting the camps.
Camps are held all over the country. These camps were developed to provide girls with a better understanding of what a career in technology is all about. .You can expect hands-on learning sessions, career/technology hours, resurme and interview workshops , .and this 3-5 day experience is FREE
Go to https://www.microsoft.com/about/diversity/programs/camps.mspx
¬UCLA EXTENSION SUMMER 2008 PROGRAMS FOR 7-12TH GRADE
Course include:
English, Expository writing, Algebra 1A, creative writing, analytical writing, Geometry, Algebra 2, PreCal, Intro to Psych, college Essay, Spanish I
GO to www.uclaextension.edu and click on Quick Enroll OR call 310-825-9971 OR come into the counseling center. A great way to make up classes approved by the UC!
¬University of Illinois Chicago College of Architecture and the Arts offers summer
Study programs. A sample of the offerings:
Graphic design
Photography
Architecture
Art History
Music
Studio arts
Theatre
¬Apprentice Program 2008
See same under job opportunities, internships and apprenticeships
¬UCLA department of design and Media arts invites you to participate in the Design/Media Arts Summer Institute this summer from June 23-27 and July 14-18 earning 2 units of TRANSFERABLE UCLA credits! Graphic design,web design,game design, audio/video design. Workshops! Field trips! Guest lecturers!
www.dma.ucla.edu/dummerinstitute OR 310-267-4907
¬Oxford Advanced Studies Program
From July 1-25th
Strong academic program in a range of subjects taught at the college level
Stimulating lectures
A calendar full of cultural and historical visits within and beyond Oxford.
Subject: All Girls - High School Scholars' Program- Underwater Nature Documentary-Hawaii- June 2008
Scholars' Choice Expedition to Hawaii: June 2008
Imaging Foundation (IF) is a nonprofit organization that creates natural history productions to educate, inspire, and promote actions to protect our blue planet. It is completely volunteer run and its team includes some of the top players in documentary filmmaking.
Once a year we run a Scholars' Choice Expedition and invite a select group of young women to be expedition team members. Not only can they learn SCUBA skills and marine biology, but they also walk away from the program with insight into alternative career paths and with a strong sense of empowerment.
Last year we brought a group of high school and college freshmen women with us on expedition in the Cayman Islands. We spent a week diving the reefs and learning about marine biology and documentary production. The trip was a delightful success and many of last year's team members will be joining us as student leaders on this year's trip. I would like to invite other qualified young women to join us this year.
There are two options this year, a one week and a three week program during June 2008. We will bring the team to Kona, Hawaii and will focus on the art of documentary storytelling. A maximum of fourteen girls will be onboard.
The IF team includes:
Georgienne Bradley - IF Director, Women's Divers Hall of Fame Inductee, Marine Biologist, Documentary Producer (Alumnae Stuart Country Day School (All female high school in Princeton, New Jersey)
Kelly Coskran - Emmy Award nominated editor "Deadliest Catch", Paramount's "Wild Things", "Monster Garage" and many others
Jay Ireland - National Geographic Photographer, High Definition Videographer, Founder of Stingray City, Co-Owner of Bradley Ireland Productions
Maida Taylor, MD, responsible for most published research on female physiology at depth, Women's Divers Hall of Fame Inductee
Carrol Florkiewicz - 31 year veteran - Director of Physical Education Department, Stuart Country Day School
More information about dates, costs, the topnotch live-aboard accommodations, objectives, our experienced support staff, last year's highly successful program, and other details can be found at our website:
http://imagingfoundation.org/expeditions/Kona_scholars_volunteers.htm
We are interested in making this trip available to students interested in pushing their envelope, who are passionate about environmental stewardship, and who work well with a team. Candidates will be required to complete an application and receive a letter of recommendation from their dean or advisor.
Students are not required to have SCUBA certification prior to this trip, but they can become certified while onboard.
¬LEAP Leadership.Excellence.Accelerating Potential.
Offers a program designed for motivated and ambitious young adults, ages 15-26, who are eager and ready to get a head-start in life. LEAP’s 2008 Summer Leadership Program will be held on UCLA’s campus, August18th-August 23rd. The program is hands on focusing on time management, interview skills, confidence building, money management and networking with mentors among other topics.
MORE INFO? Go www.LEAPFOUNDATIONUSA.org There are scholarships available for participants who show need.
Job opportunities, Internships and Apprenticeships and Service
¬City Year is a nonprofit organization that unites young people of all backgrounds for 1) a year of demanding full time service 2) volunteer opportunities for high school students! NDA currently has 3 alums in the full time program!
¬02 MAX Internships
O2 MAX is a new fitness ‘hub’ exclusively for teens in Santa Monica. More than a gym, it is a safe haven for after school, weekends and school breaks. It offers workout classes, one on one personal training, a Homework/Study Lounge with professional tutors available onsite from the Princeton Review. With computers music and certified trainers this ‘home away from home’ is a positive environment developed just for teens.
Requirements: 20 hours a week for a 4 week commitment
During your internship you get:
¬FREE 02 membership for duration of your internship
¬1 FREE personal training session
¬great resume builder
¬invaluable networking opportunity with key sponsor and advertisers
Media Intern: Assist with writing content for mini videos and play a key role in development of 02 MAX teen fitness/reality show
Art&Design Intern: the lounge is being transformed into a artist showroom for display of art, photography and paintings by talented local teens.You will contact local schools, oversee the display of the art and may edit and post photos to the 02 MAX Flickr, Facebook and MySpace pages.
Communication & Public Relations: Write articles for magazines and newspapers and play a key role in maintaining the O2 MAX Blog
Marketing, Graphic Design, Web Master, Accounting & Finance , Fundraising are more opportunities.
Contact:
Shirley Brown
At O2 MAX Fitness Center
310-867-1650
SERVICE:
The Wonder of Reading Program matches struggling students at Overland or Cloverfield schools with a caring Reading Partner volunteers. Each volunteer reads one-on-one during ½ hour weekly sessions.
Free training:
Go to www.wonderofreading.org
Website Resources
The following websites may be very helpful in the college research, discernment and selection process. This is by no means an exhaustive listing of resources as new sites spring up with great regularity.
Log onto this site for SAT II & II registration , College search, a financial aid estimator ( Pay for College) and advice about personal statements.
Princeton Review site focuses on : college search/research, SAT/ACT prep, paying for college as well as an abbreviated version of their The Best 366 Colleges as well as Best Colleges Region by Region. The SAT/ACT section does encourage students to use their prep service but it also supplies a good deal of information about the tests as well as sample questions.
There is an Apply section facilitating applying online to hundreds of colleges and the Pay for College has a financial aid estimator as well
For numerous articles, scholarship database and some search options are on this site. Full college ratings are accessible only if you subscribe to the “Premium Online Edition”
Researching college websites
You don’t need the exact ‘address’ to find a college. An efficient way to locate a college’s website is to type in (for example) www.uwisconsin.edu OR www.uwisconsin.edu/world/univ/state OR www.allaboutcollege.com
College applications
Most colleges have online applications accessible through their websites.
300 schools use the Common Application that can be accessed through www.commonapp.org . This site offers complete information on a school’s contact information, Early Action or Early Decision options, application fees, deadlines, and whether or not there is a supplement to the Common Application.
There are also services where you can fill in key information only once while completing numerous applications log onto www.commonapp.org .
California State University online application may be found at www.csumentor.edu
University of California online application may be found at www.ucop.edu/pathways/appctr.html
There is a common application for (historically) Black colleges. One application fee, one application 31 colleges. Go to:
The Personal Statement
This site offers over 100 free sample essays and a lot of tips but they will want you to subscribe
The University of California has online personal statement help as well. www.ucgateways.org click on ‘Apply to College’ and click on ‘Personal Statement’
SAT & ACT Registration and Score Reporting
www.collegeboard.com (SATI & II)
www.act.org ( for the ACT)
If you are applying to the California State University System, you may report your scores to all of your (CSU) schools through the CSU Mentor site, as well as explore all CSU campuses, create a student planner, and file your application on line.
Test Preparation
In addition to books/dvds a great deal of information can be obtained from:
www.collegeboard.com , www.act.org , www.princetonreview.com www.EurekaReview.com , www.gocollege.com (provides a free full length SAT and ACT)
www.freesat1prep.com offers problem solving advice.
Athletes
Are you thinking about playing your sport in college OR using your sport to access colleges or scholarships? If so, log onto www.ncaaclearinghouse.net The NCAA Eligibility Center has NCAA registration information, core course listing, recruiting regulations and more!
Financial Aid
The FAFSA, the form required by ALL colleges and universities to make their internal financial aid awards decisions with may be accessed and filed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov , you will need to get a personal identification number (PIN) at www.pin.ed.gov . This form (FAFSA) is necessary if you file a CalGrant (California money going to California residents attending a California college) as well.
A supplementary financial aid tool used by some colleges is the CSS Profile and can be accessed on the www.collegeboard.com website.
FAFSA 4caster: This site helps students and families assess their eligibility for federal student aid by visiting www.FederalStudent.ed.gov you can calculate:
Estimated EFC (Expected Family contribution)
Eligibility for federal Pell Grants
Reduce the time needed to fill out the FAFSA and click on the FAFSA4caster link
www.finaid.org This site also assists with the EFC. Go to the Estimator. This site also provides Title IV and Profile codes that are needed as you complete financial aid forms. There is also information about the financial aid process in general and the types of aid available.
Scholarship Searches
www.fastweb.com free, extensive and up to date.
www.scholarships.com includes scholarships by category
www.blackexcel.org scholarships for African American and Hispanic students. Find and apply for scholarships and more at this gateway.
www.scholarshipsforhispanics.org In addition to scholarship opportunities a blog is featured with guest columnists ranging from national leaders to college prep to how to finance your education.
www.nextstudent.com scholarship and some loan information
www.800headstart.com This site says it offers the “world’s largest private sector scholarship list.
