Beth Anderson, College & Career Advisor
Be sure to watch for announcements with reminders about the various opportunities and deadlines mentioned below.
Career and College Advisor Notes...November 2020
Greetings Students & Families,
November is National Scholarship Month! There are scholarships awarded for nearly everything: some are for specific schools/programs, others honor excellence in sports or music or theater, and many have general-enough requirements that anyone could apply. There are awards of all kinds, designed to recognize the accomplishments of a diverse range of individuals.
But finding these opportunities is not always easy! Below you’ll find a collection of resources to help you get started on your scholarship search—many databases have similar/identical content, so try out a few platforms and pick the one or two that are the simplest for you to navigate. I’ve also included a list of tips for the search process and for completing scholarship applications. And please feel free to reach out to me with any questions that come up along the way.
In addition to scholarships, there are (as always!) great opportunities to learn about careers and post-high school educational options this month. Check out the Upcoming Events section for details.
Scholarship Tips
- Start early! It’s never a bad time to start looking for scholarship opportunities. In fact, if you start early you might find a few scholarships that are open only to younger students, and you’ll be able to get some work off your plate before the start of senior year. (Side note: our local scholarship applications are available each year in late February.)
- As with all financial aid, there’s money available for whichever post-high school path you choose. Whether you’re planning on trade or technical school, 2 or 4 year college or university, a career training program, or an apprenticeship, there’s a scholarship for you!
- Complete the entire application and submit all materials by the deadline. This one might sound obvious, but the biggest reason applicants don’t receive an award is that they didn’t submit all the required documents. A spreadsheet or dedicated file folder can help you organize your material.
- Apply for as many different scholarships as possible. Most applications ask for the same components: an essay, FAFSA or other financial information, recommendations, transcript, list of activities/honors. Once you’ve completed your first application, the next one (and the one after that…) will be easier, and you want to have a shot at as many awards as you can.
Scholarship Lists/Searchable Databases
- Fastweb (Largest database available)
- WashBoard (Washington Scholarship Coalition)
- A Complete Guide to Scholarships for Women
- Scholarship Junkies (Non-profit organization)
- Big Future Scholarship Search (College Board)
- Career One Stop (U.S. Department of Labor)
- Community Foundation of North Central Washington (Great regional scholarship list)
Free Application for Federal Student Aid
Many scholarships are income-dependent and require applicants to fill out the FAFSA and/or submit additional financial information. Seniors, make a plan to fill out the 2021-2022 FAFSA as soon as possible: see Ms. Anderson to set up a time to work on the FAFSA on your own or with your family.
Washington Apple Education Foundation Scholarship Coaching
In addition to offering over $1 million in scholarships to students with ties to the tree fruit industry, WAEF wants to help all students craft the best scholarship applications possible. Check out their resources here: https://scholarshipresources.org/.
Be well,
Beth/Ms. Anderson
Beth Anderson
College and Career Advisor
Methow Valley School District
banderson@methow.org
(509) 996-2215, x4175
Upcoming Career/College Events
NOTE: If the event takes place during the school day, students must ask their teachers for permission to participate during class time. *Students can also use morning break and lunch to log in to virtual events on their in-person school days.
Tuesdays through November 10, 9 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. • Virtual Career Expo Series
The Apple STEM Network, North Central Educational Service District 171, Spokane STEM Network, and Microsoft will host two final career expos this month:
- November 3 – Family & Consumer Sciences
- November 10 – Agriculture
Sunday, November 8, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. • NACAC Virtual College Fair
This is the big one: over 600 2- and 4-year colleges and universities from around the world will be represented at the National Association for College Admission Counseling’s online event, and there will be over 1,000 live streaming sessions covering every admissions/financial aid topic under the sun. Families are encouraged to attend!
Thursday, November 12, 3:30 – 5 p.m. • Help with FAFSA & College Apps (LBHS Library)
Ms. Anderson and Mrs. Spellman will be available live & in-person to provide application support.
Sunday, November 15 • UW Applications Due + Early Action/Early Decision Deadline
Seniors, remember that the application deadline for the UW and many early action/early decision programs falls on a Sunday this year. Be sure to request any necessary recommendations and transcripts this week, if you haven’t done so already. You’ve got this!
Thursday, November 19, 3 – 4:30 p.m. • Virtual Community and Technical College Fair
Admissions representatives from Skagit Valley College, Cascadia College, Edmonds College, Everett Community College, Lake Washington Institute of Technology, and Shoreline Community College are teaming up to share more about their schools and the programs they offer. A link for the fair will be emailed to those who register in advance.
Career/College Exploration Resource List
Explore Washington’s 34 Community & Technical Colleges – search by location or area of study
Find Your Grind
Research careers based on your lifestyle assessment; free to all LBHS students
Naviance Career and college research tools available to all LBHS/ILC students
ReadyWA
Career exploration & financial aid resources for students and families
Other Helpful Resources
Paying for College
If you missed the live “Paying for College Night 2020” Zoom presentation, please watch this recording. The information shared here applies to all students who are planning to attend a trade or technical school, 4-year college or university, community college, or any other career training program.
We tackled questions related to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is the foundation of the aid process. Other topics we covered include: calculating the net price of attendance, exploring the four main types of financial aid available to students, and navigating the aid process in the time of COVID.
General Information
The College Board website provides you with all the information you need for applying to college. It allows you to compare colleges. It provides you with GPA and SAT information to how you compare with other students. It provides financial information about the cost of schools and how they distribute their financial aid. This website also has a Expected Family Contribution and a Net Price Calculator available. www.CollegeBoard.org
FairTest lists all of the colleges that do not use SAT/ACT scores for admitting students.
www.FairTest.org
List of all schools in the Western Undergraduate Exchange. Students who are residents of WUE states are eligible to apply for a reduced tuition rate of 150% of resident tuition at participating schools.
https://www.wiche.edu/tuition-savings/wue/
Common Application
Start your Common Application.
FAFSA Info
This is the official site for the FAFSA.
Scholarship Info
Scholarship Training Guide – Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF)
“Twenty-six years ago, members of Washington’s tree fruit industry formed the Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF) to develop, promote and manage the industry’s charitable works. The foundation has increased support for college-bound students annually. This year 310 students are on college campuses with help from $1 million in WAEF scholarships.”
View/download Guide
WashBoard
“Looking for scholarships? We connect Washington students of all types with Washington scholarship providers….for FREE.”
www.WashBoard.org
Fastweb
“Leading online resource for finding scholarships to help you pay for school.”
www.Fastweb.org
Unigo/Scholarship Experts
“Sign up to get matched to scholarships that are perfect for you.”
www.ScholarshipExperts.com
Books
Fiske Guide to Colleges
Best guide to colleges and universities.
The College Solution – Guide for Finding the Right School at the Right Price
Lynn O’Shaughnessy
Great book on the financial aspects of college. Her website is also extremely helpful. www.thecollegesolution.com
College and Career Counseling Program
The goal of our College and Career Counseling program is to provide students and their families with the information and resources necessary for them to make well-informed choices about their post-secondary education. Liberty Bell recognizes the diversity in our families and understands that what might be right for one student may not be a good fit for another.
Therefore, we work individually with students and their families to help them successfully develop and achieve their post-graduation goals – whether that is applying to a 4-year, 2-year or technical college, designing a productive Gap Year plan or entering the military or workforce. Some of the specific services that we offer include:
- Educating students and parents about the post-secondary educational choices available to them.
- Meeting individually with juniors, seniors and parents to help them with their college lists, the application process, college essays and financial aid needs, including the FAFSA, the Profile and College Bound Scholarship, as well as with SAT/ACT prep and registration.
- Holding college information evenings for students and parents to make sure that they have all the resources and support they need to reach their goals.
- Working with the guidance counselor to ensure that 9th and 10th graders take the necessary classes to be eligible for college admissions.
Applying to college should be a fun and exciting process; but at times it can be a bit overwhelming. If you find yourself feeling stuck, or if you have questions about any part of the application process, contact our office at (509) 996-2215.
We would like to thank the Public School Funding Alliance for their generous support of this program.