Helpful hints for seniors to read  before school starts...

Tip:  Make sure that your applications are completed and mailed well before deadlines.

All applications will require a high school transcript and most will have one or more sections for the high school counselor to complete. 

You can do the following to assist your counselor:

A.     Make certain that the student portion of the application is completed neatly, thoroughly, and accurately, before it is given to the counselor.

Tip:  Before you start to complete an application, make a copy and  use it to make a rough draft.  Double-check the rough draft to make sure the information is accurate and the essays are well written (if needed).  Type the information onto the official application (if not online).  Remember to make a copy for your files, noting the date it was submitted.

B.     See that the application is given to the counselor at least three weeks before the deadline.  Counselors have many responsibilities and will have numerous applications to complete between October and February.  Understand that it takes time and thought to complete an application correctly and/or write a letter of recommendation.

C.     If the application requires the counselor to write a recommendation, you should probably prepare written information and anecdotes with regards to your strengths, interests, talents, leadership skills and educational plans.  (The guidance office has a sheet that addresses these areas.)  You should also have the counselor a printout or copy of your “Activities and Awards” file/list.  In addition to counselor recommendations, many colleges and scholarship applications also require teacher recommendations.  If a student needs a teacher recommendation, he/she should put the request in writing and include information on what is needed, when it is needed, and instructions on where to submit it when it has been competed.  If the teacher is to mail it, the teacher should be provided with an addressed, stamped envelope.  (A thank you note to any teacher or counselor who has written a recommendation would be appropriate and very much appreciated.)

Tip:  Many colleges will notify you to let you know they have received the application.  If you do not hear from the college, you may want to call the admissions office to make sure they have received the application and that they have all the information they need.

    Apply for financial aid.           

Information on Financial Aid:  Students and parents should not assume that they cannot afford a particular college or university.  Financial aid often makes it possible for students to attend colleges they would have thought too expensive.                                     

There are basically four categories of financial aid:

1.      Grants – money that is given to the student, usually because of financial need.

2.      Loans – money that must be paid back with interest.

3.      College Work Study – money that the student earns through a campus job.

4.      Scholarships – money that is awarded because a student is outstanding in some area.

Most students will find that financial aid generally comes in the form of a “package”.  A package is a combination of grants, scholarships, loans and work-study.  Packages are awarded through the financial aid office and will vary from college to college.

To obtain Financial Aid, follow these steps: 

1.      In the fall of your senior year, complete the individual financial aid (and scholarship) application forms for each college to which you are applying.

2.      Obtain a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) from your high school guidance office in mid-December and have all of your tax information organized early.

The FAFSA is a federal form which asks for information on income and assets.  Approximately 3-10 weeks after you have mailed (or applied online) you will receive an SAR (student aid report) which will inform you or your EFC (estimated family contribution).  This is the amount they have determined you can afford to pay for your education that year.  If the cost of the college is more than your EFC, you have financial need and should be eligible for financial aid.  Contact the college’s financial aid office for further information and assistance.

3.      In addition to the FAFSA, some colleges also require the submission of the CSS/Financial Aid Profile.  The Financial Aid Profile is a need analysis and there is a processing fee.  Contact your high school guidance office for information and forms.

4.      Attend any financial aid nights and/or meetings that may be offered in your area.  Cañon City High School usually offers a Financial Aid workshop in January.

5.      Complete the FAFSA as soon after January 1 as possible.  Even if you know that you will not qualify for any need-based aid because of your income, you should still complete the FAFSA.  Colleges and organizations often want it verified that students are not eligible for need-based aid before they award non-need based aid.  You may complete the FAFSA online.

Tip:  Before you send the FAFSA, make a copy.

Applying for Scholarships:  You have probably heard people say that there are “millions of scholarship dollars unclaimed each year”.  You have probably also talked to parents who have told you that their son or daughter was an outstanding student and could not get a scholarship.  Both are true. 

The fact is, there are thousands of scholarships; however, most of these scholarships have a very specific eligibility criteria (e.g., a student must go to a particular college, be in the top 5% of his/her class and have an ACT or at least 28, or a student must belong to a particular ethnic group, race, religion, have overcome a great obstacle, have great leadership skills, a specific major, etc.).

When it comes to academic scholarships, students generally must have an outstanding GPA (3.5 or better), high test scores (27+ ACT or 1200+ SAT), excellent recommendations, and be involved in extracurricular and/or community activities.  To receive an athletic or talent scholarship, a student must truly be outstanding.

Even though it is not easy to obtain academic or talent scholarships, students and parents who are willing to invest the time and energy may find that their efforts pay off handsomely.  When locating and applying for scholarships, keep the following in mind:

1.      Start early.  Begin looking into possibilities during your junior year.  Be ready to locate and complete applications early in the senior year.

2.      Finding and applying for scholarships takes time, energy and persistence.

3.      The college the student plans to attend usually awards the larger scholarships.  Contact the college financial aid office.

4.      Private colleges are often more generous in awarding scholarships, thus making private schools competitive in price with public schools.

5.      Apply for local scholarships.  (Please refer to the end of this section for more detailed information about local scholarships).

6.      Be aware of deadlines.  Scholarship applications become available throughout a student’s senior year and sometimes are due only weeks after being publicized.

7.      Network.  Tell everyone (including the high school counselor) that you are looking for scholarships.  Check for scholarship opportunities with your place of employment, your church, any organizations to which you belong, etc. Also look for scholarship opportunities in your local newspaper.

8.      Look for websites, books and computer programs with scholarship opportunities.  Your high school guidance office and/or library will have books that list numerous scholarship opportunities. 

9.      Applying for scholarships can be frustrating.  You may not get a response when you write to an address taken from a scholarship book or computer search.  If you do get a response, you may find that the deadline has passed or that there is no longer funding for the scholarship.

1     Be organized.  Make sure teachers and counselors are given plenty of time to prepare letters of recommendations and transcripts.  Be aware of deadlines!!

Tip:  Make copies of everything.

Local Scholarship Information

The Cañon City High School Guidance staff makes every effort to ensure that scholarship information is made available to students and parents.  College and individually funded scholarships come accessible throughout the year. The majority of these scholarships apply to seniors.  However, throughout the course of a school year, we will have scholarship and academic information that applies to all grade levels. 

The guidance office compiles a list of scholarships, including important information, criteria and due dates, and publishes a monthly scholarship list.  This list is then posted on the bulletin board outside the Guidance Office, sent by mail to those students furnishing the guidance office stamped, self-addressed envelopes or sent via email to families providing the office their email addresses. This list is published and posted/sent the first week of each month.  This list should be reviewed each month.  This should be done in a timely manner to avoid missing important deadlines.  If a student is eligible for a scholarship(s), he/she then picks up the scholarship application form in the Guidance office and completes the application.  In most cases, the student can mail the application.  Occasionally, the student’s counselor will have to “fill in” a portion of the application.  If the counselor has to complete parts of the application, the counselor will mail the form from the high school.  Again, remember if any letters of recommendations are needed, the student should furnish the counselor and/or teachers a resume’ or completed student profile sheet (available in the Guidance Office) to assist in the letter writing process. 

Cañon City High School has several scholarships provided by local organizations and individuals.  These scholarships are very competitive!  A senior meeting will be held in March and important information about the scholarships and date(s) due back will be discussed.  These scholarships are divided into two groups.  One group consists of scholarship that the donating groups or individuals select the recipient.  Each scholarship has its own application form.  A student must fill out a separate scholarship application for each scholarship in which they are applying.  This list may have different deadlines.  Please pay attention to the deadline information on each scholarship. 

Committee members of school personnel select the other scholarship recipients.  This group of scholarships has one application and one deadline.  Please be aware of all deadlines, as scholarship applications that are received late will not be considered.

Please read the insert about scholarships and last years list of scholarships.

(To be inserted here)

 Other Valuable Information

College Admissions Criteria

            A college will use some, if not all, of the information listed below when determining whether or not to accept an applicant.  For example, one college may place a great deal of importance on test scores while another college may not.

            1.  Grade Point Average (GPA)                        5.  Recommendations

            2.  Class Rank                                                 6.  Activities/awards

            3.  Strength of subjects                                    7.  Personal essays

            4.  ACT and/or SAT scores                              8.  Interviews

College Recommended Courses

            Four-year colleges recommend students complete certain courses while in high school.  These generally include:

            4 years of English

            3 years of math, including Algebra I (IA and IB), Geometry and Algebra II

            3 years of science, including two lab classes

            2-3 years of the same foreign language

            3 years of social studies

            1 year of fine arts

although not needed for admission but very beneficial, an advanced computer class.

            Students admitted into college without all of these courses may need to take remedial and/or additional courses at college.  A high school student who plans to attend a four-year college should therefore try to complete all of the above-recommended courses.  Be aware, however, that many colleges would consider the above courses as “minimum requirements”. 

            As a general rule, college bound students should take as much college preparatory math, science, English, foreign language and social studies as they can handle academically and as will fit into their high school schedules.

NCAA requirements

            Before an athlete can play a sport or receive an athletic scholarship at a Division I or II college, he/she must meet the specific academic criteria as set forth by the NCAA.  Because the NCAA has such specific requirements and because these requirements can be confusing, it is very important that athletes meet with their counselor to obtain information on all of the NCAA requirements.  At this time athletes also need to make sure that their four-year plans include courses that will satisfy NCAA requirements.

Two-year Community Colleges and Technical Schools

            Although only 20% of today’s careers require a four-year college degree, about 90% require education or training beyond high school.  A four-year college education is not for everyone.  In fact, students can often best prepare for many of today’s high growth career fields by attending a community college or technical school.

            All students should take as many academic courses in high school as possible.  Students attending a community college or technical school, however, will not be required to complete all of the recommended college preparatory courses in high school.  These students generally will not be required to take the ACT or SAT of admission either.

            Students who prefer to study courses that relate directly to their career goals and/or students who enjoy a more hands-on approach to education should consider a community college or technical school as a post-secondary option.

            Students may also begin their education at a two-year college and later transfer to a four-year college or university to complete their bachelor’s degree, provided they take courses that will transfer.

      The parents form of this is available on the counseling site called:

        http://cchsweb.org/Counseling/12thParents.htm