Any teachers or knowledgeable parents that can help with college apps?

[Smartie_Pants]

My major question is:

I want to write about my extensive experience with animals, and how its taught me things about the world most people don't get. I've had many handicapped animals and that alone has taught me never to treat a disabled person differently just because they are different. (and that's a lesson A LOT of people never learned apparently!)

I just don't know what topic to classify that under. Would it be?:

1.) Evaluate a significant experience and its impact on you

2.) A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community.

3.) Topic of your choice.




Secondly, I need some guidence and information about the scholarships that are out there, which I cannot get from councelors at school. My mom makes 20-23K a year, and my dad is just drawing disability, but won't contribute. (They are divorced, and I don't ever see or talk to him - my choice, not his.)

The only college's I'm apply to are:

1.) Rhodes College - Memphis, TN
2.) Eastern KY University - Richmond, KY
3.) Murray State University - Murray, KY


There has to be a lot of scholships out there for people with fantastic grades (3.7 gpa. I've taken mostly honors and AP Classes, but they count as regular grades at my school, not weighted.) I've never been in trouble at all, not even a detention, and I have low income. Plus, apparently I'm geographically desireable to out of state colleges.

Today, I got a phamplet about the National College Match, but I don't want to go to the 25 schools they cover. However, they have a Rural Award Scholarship "For a student from a rural area in the US who demonstrates a desire for opportunities that may have been limited or inaccessible in a rural environment." That describes me perfectly, and there has to be other scholarships out there like that.


Can you help me with any of this?

 

[Crusty McPottydoodle]

Do any of your close family members belong to a union or a large corporation?

For instance, my old union had scholarships available for my children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Also, look at the Financial Aid section on the colleges to which you are applying. Often there are obscure scholarships that people either don't apply for or the criteria can be quite specific.

Apply for everything that you could be even remotely qualified for, you never know what you will end up with.

I hope this is of some help.

 

[arabookworm]

for federal aid, you have to fill out a fafsa form. I believe the website is http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

some schools will give scholarships, but you don't have to apply for those, you just are notified when you are accepted that you also got a scholarship. you can also just look for scholarships online or ask your guidance counselor. many groups have their own private scholarships. to get those you usually have to just send in an essay. they usually aren't very large amounts but you can earn a lot of them.

at my school they had a bulletin board where they posted information about scholarships that were available, so you could see if your school does that too.


and as for the essay, i think it could fit under either of the first two, but if you put it under the first, you then have to explain how it changed you as a person, but for the second you would have to explain how the experiences you gained would help your school, or make you a better addition to the school.

I just did all this last year because I am a freshman. if you have other questions you can PM me. my pm box looks lonely all empty like this

 

[Smartie_Pants]

My school doesn't do a thing to help, and when you try to talk to the guidance councelers they don't know what to do to help you.

The only person in my family who works is my mom, and she's a custodian at an elementary school in our town. She belongs to the Teacher's Federal Credit Union (which is mostly just a bank.) I wonder if they have anything? I'll check.

 

[saddina]

first question: 3
Topic of your choice.

Next, you'll need to fill out the fafsa so the schools can determine your aid package, you qualify for the pell grant and most likely state matching funds, the rest would come from stafford loans. every dollar you get in grant $ is a buck less you need a loan for.

since your father is not in the picture, you don't need his info, just fill out the section on your mother....

Once the schools have accepted your application and sent award letters, you'll be able to pick which is the better deal, also you may want to cast a wider net than 3 schools, you may be something another school is in need of, go with who gives the best value. I got a chunk taken off my freshman year bill because the school had a scholarship for drill team, they needed a majorette, and I'd put it on my interests even though I wasn't planning on twirling anymore I did a few parades and halftime shows and got $2,500 off tuition..

 

[Smartie_Pants]

I would love to apply to more schools, but the truth is I don't even WANT to go to two of the schools on the list. All the schools I like are across the country, and my mom doesn't want me to go there. I do want to be able to come home often, but there are just no good schools around here. They're all for athletes and partiers. Plus, they aren't very good quality education. I want to be a vet, and getting to vet school is more than twice as hard as getting into med school. I need to go somewhere that's going to prepare me for that.


Quote:

 

[saddina]

Well, may I suggest that your mother already had her chance to pick out a college and now it's your turn.

 

[Smartie_Pants]

I've went over that, but she has rhuematoid arthritis and kinda needs me. I also don't want to leave all of my animals. Seeing as how vet school will be in Georgia, I think I will be fine staying here for awhile. Who knows, I might not even become a vet. I have a few other things bouncing around in there as possibilities, so I think I should stick around until I make up my mind for sure.

(The other things are Forensic Science and Radiological Tech.)