Spring is an exciting time in the College & Career Center. We are busy advising students about navigating their high school years and planning for their post-graduation plans. Seniors are receiving their college decisions in the coming weeks. We'll be celebrating all of our Seniors during Academy on April 29th. (see the Senior section for more info).

I am encouraging ALL students to be thoughtful about how they use their time over the summer. It's a great time to explore interests (classes, volunteer, etc) and get involved in meaningful projects. This not only looks good on college and job applications, it expands their minds! You'll see links to summer opportunities below for all grades.

March 16: Academy - DVC registration for all other seniors (in E13)

March 22: DVC Parent Night Talk, 6:30-7:30pm Zoom link here

RACC (Regional Admission Counselors of CA) will be holding an Out-of-State College Fair on our campus. Any grade is welcome, especially Juniors. Colleges attending are: Baylor University, Clarkson University, DePaul University, Dickinson College, Drexel University, Elon University, Franklin University Switzerland, High Point University, Hult International Business School, Illinois Tech, Indiana University Bloomington, Marist College, Miami University, Purdue University, Salve Regina University, Seton Hall University, TCU, University of Alabama, University of Arizona, University of Idaho, University of Iowa, University of Minnesota, University of Nevada Reno, University of Pittsburgh, University of Roehampton London, University of Southampton, University of Tennessee, University of Utah, University of York, Washington State University. The event is free and you can signup here.

Register here.

Zoom link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/78731350022?pwd=aNlt1NCv58tjczHfsmxoZ_oj4x7Fql.1 

Zoom link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/79511591861?pwd=-x5l9H78DWuTnWuY5uHdsePkgjUPUL.1 

CAMPO FIRST2G0 PROGRAM

Are you considering college and will be a first-generation-college-student (first generation in your family to go to college)? Join us for guidance during lunch in the College & Career Center on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month beginning in February. We'll answer your questions and help you figure things out. Sign up here.

In December, Congress passed a massive legislative package that included emergency pandemic relief measures, funding for the federal government, and a number of policy changes related to higher education. Notably, the bill included provisions to overhaul the financial aid application process and expand Pell Grant eligibility. Most of the bill’s provisions go into effect on July 1, 2023 (for financial aid award year 2023-24). The updated FAFSA will be available starting on October 1, 2022.

Click here or here to learn how it affects the 2023-24 FAFSA cycle.

Thousands of prospective UC Berkeley students can sigh with relief, Governor Newsome signed a bill to restore numbers following a court decision ordering the university to maintain enrollment at 2020-21 levels. Read article here

Below is just two of the recently added programs. Dozens of other programs nationwide can be found here.

These 1-2 week classes allow high school students to explore various career opportunities. Subjects include Animation, Business, Cybersecurity, Engineering/Construction/Manufacturing, Environmental Engineering, Engineering Technology, Health, Culinary/Hospitality, Biotech, Police Academy, and Robotics. Registration opens on April 1st. More information here.

Enrollment started February 15—and tends to fill up pretty quickly! To register and enroll directly, visit UCLA Summer Sessions.

Be sure to check out free online classes taught by major universities on Coursera and EdX, as well as all online courses offered at California community colleges.

Both scholarships have an application deadline of April 1. You can visit the Moraga Rotary Scholarship page here. 

BUCK SCHOLARSHIP  

The submission deadline is Sunday, April 10, 2022. To learn more, please visit their website www.buckscholars.org/apply. If you have any questions, email humphrey.manacsa@buckscholars.org.

ELEVATE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS SCHOLARSHIP - This scholarship is for students who have been affected by mental health challenges. Their hope is that the scholarship inspires greater awareness about mental health and fuels innovative solutions that help the millions of people who are suffering. The application deadline is May 31. More information here.

March 16: Academy - DVC registration for all other seniors (in E13)

March 22: DVC Parent Night Talk, 6:30-7:30pm Zoom link here

Date: Friday, April 29     Location: College & Career Center, E13

QUESTIONS? Please come into the College & Career Center for help or make an appointment here.

You’ve written essays, completed applications, filled out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) and applied for scholarships. 

Now, you know where you’ve been accepted — congrats! — and it’s time to figure out what you will need to pay. To help do that, you need to carefully review your award letters. This can be confusing because it’s not exactly a streamlined process. “Despite government efforts, every school has a different award letter format,” says Joe Orsolini, former chapter president of the Independent Accountants Association of Illinois and cofounder of College Aid Planners. In other words, award letters are written differently, and comparing them to see how much aid each school is offering isn’t a simple task. In fact, it’s really easy to miss key details. Continue reading here

COLLEGES THAT CHANGE LIVES

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. A longtime student advocate and independent college counselor, Mr. Pope sought to change the way people thought about colleges by dispelling popularly held myths and challenging the conventional wisdom about college choice. His groundbreaking ideals were welcomed by students and the college counseling community alike. As a result, many of the colleges featured in the book began working together to further promote this philosophy of a student-centered college search.

You can read more about their philosophy and the colleges they've selected by going to their website: Colleges That Change Lives. Two of their colleges are spotlighted below.

In Colleges That Change Lives, their President states "We have courage to try new ideas. We have an entrepreneurial spirit." As proof you can look at the college's curriculum, which is full of interdisciplinary programs valuable for their emphasis on connecting ideas from different fields. Students learn to pull together information from disparate sources and analyze it in the context of a central question or idea. For example, in Science, Technology & Society class, students examine the intersections of science and history technology politics, and philosophy, and then look at how these factors influence decision making and values in public and private realms. Other examples abound such as in Environmental Policy and Decision Making; the Global Development Studies program; Business program, and much more. They also have an in-depth Pacific Rim/Asia Study-Travel Program.