Helpful Sites
The following are links to important sites: |
|
| collegeboard.com | Students can register for the SAT I & II on this site and get information about the tests. Information about the PSAT is also available here. Sandia Prep's School code for both the SAT and ACT is 320042. |
| act.org | Students can register for the ACT here. Information about the ACT and PLAN tests is available. Sandia Prep's School code for both the SAT and ACT is 320042. |
| wiche.edu | The Western Interstate Commission for High Education is the clearinghouse for information on the Western Undergraduate Exchange, a program in which New Mexico students can receive a reduced rate of tuition at colleges in 13 western states. Click on Student Exchanges and Western Undergraduate Exchange for information about which schools participate. Criteria and application deadlines vary though many institutions require an early application. |
| commonapp.org | The Common Application is a single form that can be filed at more than 200 colleges nationwide. Private institutions comprise the majority. Students can either print the form or file online. |
| fafsa.ed.gov | This is the homepage of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Families seeking need-based aid must file the form as soon as possible after January 1 for students who plan to enroll in college the following fall. |
| http://apps.collegeboard.com/ fincalc/efc_welcome.jsp |
How much need-based aid are you likely to qualify for? This program, housed on the College Board's Web site, will allow you to anonymously enter basic information about your finances to find out the likelihood that you will qualify for need-based aid. |
| finaid.org | This site offers a comprehensive financial aid resource. Features include a financial and eligibility estimator, links to scholarship sites, and information on every facet of financial aid. |
| fastweb.com | The Web's best free scholarship search site. |
| ncaa.org | The NCAA's site lists schools that offer athletic teams in Division I, II and II as well as rules relevant to scholarship and recruitment. |
Greetings from Sandia Prep's College Counseling Office!
The following is an overview of the College Counseling calendar in the coming months for the SPS Class of 2009.
We kicked-off the college search process at Junior College Night on Monday, January 7, 2007, and there are a few topics that we would like to address now:
Standardized Testing
On Monday, September 17, the junior class will again take the Preliminary SAT. This test serves as practice for the SAT. For the majority of students, scores on this test will carry little or no significance in the college application process. However, approximately four percent of the test-takers nationwide who score high will become eligible for recognition from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. A percentage of these students are awarded merit scholarships. Though there is not a make-up test for students who miss the PSAT, those who do miss it can qualify for the National Merit program by taking the SAT.
The PSAT includes three components: Writing Skills (grammar and usage), Critical Reading (reading comprehension and vocabulary) and Math Problem Solving. On Wednesday, September 26, juniors will be given a copy of the PSAT student bulletin, which includes a practice test and strategies to help students do their best. More detailed preparation materials are available for check-out from the college counseling office, or for purchase in book and software stores. Results from the PSAT will be available in early December and mailed home.
More crucial than the PSAT to the college admission process are the SAT and ACT – the two admission tests required by colleges and universities. (The vast majority of institutions accept either to fulfill the standardized testing requirement.) Students will have their choice of dates for either or both of these tests. Our recommended date for the ACT is April, though many students also choose June and a few choose February. Students who take the SAT generally choose March, May, or June. The SAT Subject Tests are hour-long tests required by some highly selective institutions. Our recommended dates for these tests are May and June. Students and parents with questions about the PSAT should feel free to contact one of us or their teachers in relevant subjects. Questions about other standardized tests will be addressed on January 7.
Program on October 15, 2007
On Wednesday, October 17 at 7:00 p.m., the college counseling offices of Sandia Prep, Albuquerque Academy, and Bosque School will team up to offer a joint program for college bound eleventh and twelfth graders and will be held in the Albuquerque Academy theater. Admissions officers representing over a dozen colleges will attend. The program will offer an introduction to the college search with break-out sessions.
Initiating the College Search
We strongly encourage students to begin their college search in the fall of eleventh grade. The college counseling office has abundant resources that can provide an introduction to the many possibilities. In addition, representatives from approximately 75 colleges will visit Prep during the fall. A list of the colleges which have scheduled visits to campus is posted on the college counseling page of Prep’s Web site. Juniors are invited to these sessions during their free periods or with the permission of their teachers. We ask that students sign-up for the meetings in advance in the college counseling office.
Many of the colleges will visit during the week of October 15 because of the annual college fair, to be held this year on Sunday, October 14 from 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
Representatives from more than 150 colleges will be in attendance and we are asking all eleventh graders to attend.
Final Note
For families who plan their calendars in advance, we encourage students to begin visiting colleges in the spring of eleventh grade, and we suggest that you bear in mind the possibility of one or more college visit trips in March, April, or May.
We look forward to seeing you on January 7, 2008 when we formally begin the college search.