Happy October!

Congratulations to our Two QuestBridge Finalists

Two of our High School Senior Fellows have been named QuestBridge National College Match Finalists.

What does this mean?

Finalists are selected based on academic achievement and financial need. Those selected apply to college partners and are considered for the Match Scholarship. Our Fellows will be ranking their match schools, and, if they match, they will be admitted early (December 1) with a Match Scholarship.

If they don't match, they will continue through QuestBridge Regular Decision.

We congratulate our finalists and wish them luck through this next stage of the process.

We also congratulate all our MTB Fellows who threw their hats into the ring for QuestBridge and were not selected. We KNOW good things come to those who strive and apply! Your turn will come!

Finally, we celebrate our MTB Leaders who supported their Fellows through this process. Thank you for leading the way!

We've been talking about communication.

One Fellow reflected on the October Full Group Meeting:



"What stood out to me most was when Ayana spoke about how to improve our communication with others. It stood out to me because I personally struggle to voice my concerns because of fear of what others might think. I learned

that communication is key to everything and if I want to be successful,

I need to learn how to step out of my comfort zone to do better in my communication skills."

We also dipped our toes into college finances, and our College Student Leaders shared their bills.

One College Student Leader shared:

"I was able to also share my financial aid package with the attendees. I shared about the preposterous amount of money for tuition and the breakdown of costs. However, I also assured them not to worry about these amounts as my contribution is infinitesimally small in comparison to what appears on the bill."

KEY POINT: Don't be misled by the scary sticker price of a private institution!

CSS Profiles!

Our Seniors, led by MTB Board Members, Cindy Goldman and Margarita Fuentes, and ably assisted by College Student Leaders Michelle, Parth, and Jackie, started their CSS Profiles.

The CSS Profile is required by some institutions, in addition to FAFSA and HESAA, for financial aid. FAFSA is currently delayed. For some of our students -- those who are applying to institutions that require the CSS and are applying Early Decision or Early Action -- the CSS application may be due on Nov. 1. Reminder: The CSS for the 2023-2024 academic year requires 2022 tax returns!

For families who want help in Spanish, questions about the CSS can be directed to Margarita, margarita@morethanbootstraps.org. Margarita will also offer drop-in office hours on Zoom for students and families with last-minute questions: Monday, October 30, 4-5 pm, and Tuesday, October 31, 7-8 pm. All questions are welcome!

Ask a Question

There's no such thing as a stupid question. Ask anything and everything by going to this form. Don't be shy! bit.ly/AskMTB

Coming Soon - Mark Your Planner!

On Saturday, October 28, at 10 AM (Zoom), we have an amazing guest speaker, for "Growing Up First-Gen and Mental Health."

Juliana Londoño is a proud Latina, bilingual, and licensed mental health therapist from Paterson, NJ. Her business focuses on the intersectionality of mental health and the Latino/BIPOC communities. She has collaborated with #WeAllGrow Latina and has been featured on Univision and NY Pix11 News. She is a community advocate and volunteers with America Needs You-NJ and Leading Young Women.

Check out her website: 

www.juliana-londono.com.

Thinking about a career in nursing? Don't forget to join us on Thursday, Nov 2, from 5-6 pm (Zoom).

Special Guest Speakers Paula Venable, School of Nursing, Rutgers University, and Dr. Gloria Boseman, School of Nursing, NJCU, will be discussing the different kinds of nursing jobs out there and the educational pathways to different nursing careers. All Fellows are welcome to attend; Leaders are also of course welcome!

Our third Full Group Meeting is on Saturday, November 18, at 10 AM (Zoom).

Task 3:

• Junior Fellows will be presenting their takeaways from their professional interviews
• Senior Fellows will be discussing their progress on their SMART goals and getting the support they need.

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