Diamond Bar High School

SENIOR BULLETIN #1

Scholarship and College Information

September 2011

UC/CSU

• UC and CSU Application Workshops will take place on our campus in October, specific dates and times to be announced.  This is a great opportunity to hear from a representative from each system and ask questions about the application process.

• Comprehensive Review – The CSU bases their admissions decisions on your GPA and test scores only, but the UC uses “Comprehensive Review” in deciding who to admit.  This means you really need to think about all of your high school experiences, both here and off-campus, and include as much as possible in your UC application.  These are the factors they consider:

• Academic GPA
• SAT/ACT scores
• Number of courses taken beyond the minimum requirements
• Number of honors/AP/IB courses taken
• Eligibility in Local Context (being in the top 9% of your class)
• The quality of classes taken in senior year
• The level of your academic classes in relation to what is offered here
• Outstanding performance in a specific subject area
• Outstanding work in one or more special projects
• A marked improvement in academic performance
• Special talents and achievements in a particular field
• Completion of special projects within the school or community
• Academic accomplishments in light of applicant’s life experiences
• Location of the applicant’s school

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

• The Common Application – 456 schools now use the Common Application.  Go to www.commonapp.org to see if the schools you’re applying to are Common Application members and to familiarize yourself with their application process.  Remember – all of the schools you apply to will have different deadlines and requirements – you need to look at each individual school’s requirements to make sure you don’t miss something.

• Letters of recommendation – If you’re applying to a private college or university, you probably need letters of recommendation from your GLC and two academic teachers.  The first step is to download the “School Profile” from www.dbhs.org (Guidance, then Class of 2012, then Applying to Private Schools).  This form allows you to tell the people writing letters for you all about yourself and the accomplishments and experiences you’ve had both on and off campus – spend time working on this so your GLC and teachers can write the best possible letter for you.  The second step is to deliver the school profile and your Personal Statement (at least a rough draft) in a manila envelope directly to your GLC and teachers (you must hand it to them directly).  You should list all schools you are applying to and the deadlines for those schools on the outside of the envelope under your name.  The absolute deadline to turn in a letter of recommendation request is October 3^rd, but you are strongly encouraged to deliver them sooner.  No letters are required for UC or CSU schools.

• Online application via www.commonapp.org – This year you and your GLC will be required to submit all Common Application papers online.  To notify your GLC that you would like her to complete her part (Secondary Report) online, you need to email her through the Common Application.  Once you complete your part of the application, including senior classes for both semesters, you are ready to send the email notification to your GLC.  You will need their correct email addresses:

[email protected] or [email protected]

SAT/ACT

• Time to take those tests.  You must have a score for either the SAT or the ACT with writing for all CSU’s, UC’s, and private schools.  If you haven’t taken either test, you only have a few more chances.  Go to www.collegeboard.org or www.act.org to sign up for either test.  If you take either test in December, you should rush your scores.
• SAT Subject Tests are no longer required by the UC, but the UC has said some majors at some campuses may still recommend particular tests and students are still encouraged to send in Subject Test scores to be considered during the comprehensive review process.  In addition, several private schools still require Subject Tests.  Look at each school’s admission requirements carefully to find this information.

SCHOLARSHIPS

·         Keep an eye out!  There will always be scholarships listed in the Senior Bulletin, but this should not be your only resource.  Ask your parents about scholarships through their jobs and keep an eye out for scholarships within the community.  You can also go to www.fastweb.com for free scholarship searches.  There are thousands of scholarships available out there, like this one that awards scholarships to brave souls who manufacture prom clothing out of duct tape - http://www.duckbrand.com/Home/Promotions/stuck-at-prom.aspx

·         QuestBridge College Match Scholarships – QuestBridge is a national college match program which assists outstanding low-income students in gaining admission and full four-year scholarships to leading colleges such at MIT, Princeton, Stanford and Yale. Last year 1,500 QuestBridge applicants gained admission to our partner colleges, and 310 of these students received full scholarships to the college of their choice. For information go to www.questbridge.org. Scholarship includes the full cost of tuition up to $40,000 and the full cost of room and board up to $15,000. Deadline is September 30^th.

·         Coca Cola Scholars Foundation – The Coca Cola Company is offering $3 million dollars worth of scholarships this year. That is almost twice as much as they have offered in past years. They are basing evaluations on four criteria, A) Demonstrated leadership in school, B) Commitment to community, C) Academic achievement and, D) Part-time employment.  Although they ask for family income, this is a merit based award and need does not determine eligibility. 50-$20,000 scholarships and 200-$10,000 scholarships awarded. Applications must be submitted on-line at www.coca-colascholars.org. Deadline is October 31^st.

·         Gates Millenimum Scholarship – This scholarship is aimed at African-American, Pacific Islander, American Indian and Hispanic Students who fall into the category of low income. Must have a GPA of at least 3.3. Must have demonstrated financial need as identified by the FAFSA. Must show leadership and participation in extracurricular activities and be active in community service. Must be a US citizen. Scholarships will cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and living expenses for the first year of college and is renewable.  Applications must be accessed from www.gmsp.org. Deadline is January 10^th, 2011.

·         FIRE Foundation for Individual Right in Education – This is the “Freedom in Academia” essay contest.  You are asked to view two videos on their website, then write an essay discussing “how these universities violated the featured students' rights and why these violations are incompatible with higher education.”  The essay should be 800-1000 words.  Five $1000 awards, one $2500 award, and one $5000 award.  Go to www.thefire.org/contests.  Deadline is November 5^th, 2011.

·         Dare to Dream Scholarship – A $5000 scholarship is being sponsored by Comcast. This is a very open competition that invites creativity. They want you to share how you will change the world, and you can communicate your vision through an essay, video, audio, artwork, etc. Go to www.dreamerschallenge.org.  Deadline is October 15^th.

·         Prudential Spirit of Community Awards - This award is to recognize students who have demonstrated exceptional citizenship through exemplary, self-initiated community service/ volunteer work.  Examples might be working with the disabled or with the elderly.  The activity must be either self initiated or the individual must demonstrate exceptional leadership in group activities. Go online to www.prudential.com/spirit to submit an application by November 1^st, 2011.  After you submit, you must tell Mr. Desmond you have entered your name - DBHS can only forward one representative for the state judging and a chance to earn $1000 and a trip to Washington DC.

·         Wendy’s High School Heisman Award – This awards student-athletes who excel in academics, athletics and student leadership. Must have a 3.0 GPA and be participating in at least one high school sport. Apply online at www.wendysheisman.com. You need to have your GLC review your application so notify him or her that you’re applying, and include your GLC’s email address on your application.  State Winners receive $1,000. Deadline is October 2^nd, 2011.

NATIONAL MERIT

The following students took the PSAT last year and their scores placed them in the top 1 1/2% out of the one million juniors who took the test. This places them in the nation’s elite group of National Merit Scholar Semifinalists. This is one of the most prestigious honors a Senior can receive. This year’s Semifinalists are: