Scholarships 101

Hi everyone!

Here's a brief overview about scholarship information:

• When to Start Looking- Some scholarships are open to all grade levels (9-12), but most prominent ones are only open to Seniors. That being said, Senior year (or the summer before) is the best time to start focusing on getting a scholarship.


• AIMS Information- In order to get this scholarship, you need the following: 'B' or better in all 16 core classes + cumulative GPA of 3.5 in these core classes + exceed all thee sections of the AIMS by the end of your Junior year. NOTE: This only covers tuition, not anything else (room and board, books, etc.)


• The Truth About National Merit- The top 15,000 finalists are chosen from the 1.4 million students who take the PSATs their Junior year. In selecting the "winners" of this scholarship, the organization looks at: academic records, PSAT and SAT scores, recommendations, activities and leadership, and a personal essay. Each "winner" receives a $2500 scholarship. Colleges and corporations may also issue annual stipends that range from $500 to $2000 a year. For more info, go to www.nationalmerit.org .


• The Breakdown of Flinn- If you: rank in the top five percent of your graduating class, have a minimum 3.5 GPA, score a minimum of 1280 (math and reading) on the SAT or a 29 on the ACT, and are a US citizen and Arizona resident (for at least two years), you are eligible to apply. The top twenty students in the state receive: the full cost of tuition and fees for four years at an Arizona public university, a three-week overseas seminar plus two additional summer or semesters of international study-related travel, personal mentoring by Flinn Foundation professionals and university faculty. Download the application at http://www.flinnscholars.org/. NOTE: Students should apply for this by mid-October of their Senior year.


• Scholarships of the Rest of Us- If you don't feel as though you meet the criteria of these scholarships above, or want a shot at possibly some more money, check out http://www.collegeandfinance.com/32-weird-scholarships-almost-anyone-can-get/ for scholarships ranging from $1,000 for writing the best essay about why being tall is cool to $10,000 for developing a new candy!


• Other Places to Look- TUHSD's Scholarship page- www.tuhsd.k12.az.us/view.php?page=55.82. This site is updated regularly, so check it often. Fast web - http://www.fastweb.com/. Create an account and have opportunities mailed directly to you.

Best of Luck!

Shivani Kapur

Applying for Universities (Since "college" is a misnomer and "University" is a bunch of "colleges" therefore it should be applying to "University")

Steps to applying for Universities (and colleges)
1. Be a pain in the neck. In a good way though. Let everybody know you want to go to a university. Find people that can help you gently squeeze all the good advice you can get from them.
2. Push yourself; seriously, if you know what you want to do, then freaking sign up for those classes and make the most of them. Universities like persistence. Sometimes you can get college credit for classes you take during highschool; take advantage of them.
3. Explore universities; just because the university has the right major doesn't mean that it's right for you. Go the campus, talk to students, stay overnight or something. Don't let freshman orientation be your first day on campus grounds.
4. Apply to get in to the university. That's a given.
5. Apply for scholarships; Get dat cash. It's out there, and if you don't get it then some other, faster kid will. Which means APPLY EARLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Bryant (One of the College Info Coordinators)

AIMS Retakes

Next week, juniors will have a chance to retake the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) Exams. Tuesday, 28 October students will have the chance to retake the Writing portion, Wednesday, 29 October students will have the chance to retake the Reading portion, and Thursday, 30 October is reserved for Math. Juniors needed to have signed up for AIMS retakes well before today--so if you are planning on signing up now, you will have to wait until next semester -- which is when all sophomores will need to take the exams. Next semester's schedule is as follows:

* 24 February - Writing
* 25 February - Reading
* 1 April - Math
* 2 April - Science (NEW)

For those of you who want to study for this exam, you might wish to review my teacher website AIMS page, which is http://staff.tuhsd.k12.az.us/dwhite/index_files/Page1650.htm, where I have provided links to study guides, rubrics, and a practice test.

Good luck to all of you who have chosen to retake it. For those of you who have not yet taken it, no worries until next semester (I'd still take a look at the website though if I were you).

Take care,

Mr. White

Consider Internships

So as your looking at what your going to do next year, or if your looking at your computer screen wondering what you can do, you should look at some internships. Internships are a great way to get experience, possibly get some money, and get exposed to a field you want to major in or pick in the future. For example there is an array of internships down at ASU. The one that I know best is Biodesign, this is an internship where they teach you how interact with various cells and as the name suggests, it relates to Biology. My sister, Mugdha Golwalkar, can answer some of your questions regarding this particular internship, but it requires attendance of at least twice a week excluding weekends. Many internships will require such hours, think of an internship like a job. If you only show up one day or two days at your job, your not going to get paid much and your not going to get that much experience as opposed to going everyday. There is an array of internships around us, all you have to do is look. I suggest looking on the SAGE blog for posts about internships as well asking any of us about them. Remember if you have any questions email us at mailto:dvsagedvsageclub.com@gmail.com. If you have any questions regarding the above internship email me at shardul.golwalkar@gmail.com.

--Shardul

Sage Meetings

Hello all!

For anyone who wonders when SAGE meetings are, here is a complete list of all the dates:

11/5
11/20 ** Thursday
12/3
12/17
1/14
1/28
2/11
2/18
3/25
4/8
4/22
4/29
5/6

Also, don't forget PSATs this weekend! good luck everyone! Get a good night sleep, and eat a nutritional breakfast.

And, everyone age 18 or over: Don't forget to register to vote, and if you're already registered, then VOTE!

-Ellen

PSAT Woes

Dear me, it seems to be the time for PSATs again! The SAGE Club's PSAT help session has been moved to Thursday, October 16, due to the half day presented by the Homecoming Parade.

If you're not a junior yet, you don't have to worry as much about doing super-well. This is another year of practice for you, and also for the SAT.

If you're wondering what in the world PSAT stands for, its more or less "pre-SAT." SAT has no real meaning these days. Its simply a test that colleges use to judge your ability to take a test.

So, back to the PSAT. Juniors, yes, you should worry about doing well--If you score high enough (in the top 1% of the nation) you will qualify for National Merit. In doing so, it opens many doors for you, especially in scholarships. Becoming a semifinalist will earn you a lot of money for in-state colleges, and as a finalist, some prestigious private colleges such as USC will also award you a scholarship (granted that you are accepted to said university). Even if you're not interested in going out of state, you should try your best to score as well as possible. It never hurt to try!

If you haven't been studying, well, hopefully, you will at least run through a few sections of practice PSAT. Don't be afraid to ask a teacher or two why you missed a problem if you don't quite understand what the book's explanation tells you.

And as always, make sure you not only get a good night's sleep the day before, but also a decent amount of sleep a day before that. Depriving yourself of sleep one night, then sleeping well the next doesn't quite return you to full mental capacity. Make sure you get up early enough the day before as well, so your body is somewhat used to the earlier wake-up time, so you won't have to be dragged out of bed by your parents in order to make it to the PSAT on time!

Don't forget to eat a good breakfast. Make sure you have your carbs and your protein--nothing too sugary. Sugar is good for a quick spurt of energy, but after that runs out your mind will start to lose its thinking capacity, impairing you later. Complex carbs, found in bread and whole-grain cereals will last a lot longer. Protein will also help you think straight. And don't forget to have a banana to help your body absorb and use those carbs!

Bring a snack--having enough energy is crucial to surviving a long test. A protein bar, a banana, or a PB&J sandwich (using whole wheat bread is even better!) will help you maintain focus and not succumb to hunger or mental fatigue (maybe I'm being a bit too health-conscious...but it will help you keep focused on your test!)

Lastly--don't stress about the PSAT. After you take it, you can't change anything. So don't worry! If you've prepared adequately, you will not have anything to worry about. For actual college admissions, the PSAT isn't considered, so if you bomb once, its perfectly fine! So stop worrying that much! 

So, my underclassmates, I wish you luck in your endevours in the wonderful world of standardized testing!

--Brian Djaja

Fall Break!

Weclome to Fall Break! :)

SAGE will be taking a break from the blog this week, but we will have a new post next Tuesday.

Enjoy your break and don't forget to RELAX.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to email us at dvsageclub.com@gmail.com or leave a comment here!

* Next Meeting: PSAT Review Session-->Wed. Oct. 15, 2008 in library right after school.