Taking the Next Step Resource Guide

TAKING THE NEXT STEP December 2015

Program to Encourage Higher Education

Resource Guide Table of Contents Why is College Important?...................................................................2 Where to Start?....................................................................................2 Gathering What You Need……………………….………………………..2 Standardized Testing………………………………..……………………..3-4

Essay Help…………………………………………...……………………..5 Financial Aid…………………………………………..…………………….6 Application Booster…………………………………..…………………….7 Finding the Right Fit for You! …………………….……………………….7 School Profiles……………………………………………………………...8-17 About Us………………………………..…………………………………...18

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

-Nelson Mandela

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What’s the Big Deal Anyway?

Higher Education, whether it be a 2 year college, a 4 year university, a technical school, or certification training, can be a very rewarding experience. Higher Education can increase job security and on average someone with a form of higher education makes more money. Higher Education also has other benefits such as allowing you to be more exposed to new environments, experiences, and new people. It can be a time when you learn about people that are different than you and you come in contact with new cultures. Higher Education can also help you find your passion in life. You many not know what you want to do and a form of higher education can help you figure it out.

Some facts about Higher Education: 

the unemployment rate is 1/3 of what it is for high school graduates

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Earn $1 million over someone with a high school diploma over a lifetime

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69% of those with a Bachelor’s degree receive health insurance compared to only 55% of high school graduates

Check List 

Transcript (from your high school counselor)

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ACT or SAT Scores (you can send them online)

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Application (can be found online on schools’ websites)

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Letters of Recommendation (from teachers, coaches, school staff, boss, church leaders, etc.)

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Essay or Personal Statement

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FAFSA/ CSS Profile for Financial Aid

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Application Fee (waiver’s are available through your school counselor)

Where to Start?

You should start by gathering materials you need apply to schools, as a starting point you can view the checklist on this page. You can also talk to your high school counselor for more information on anything within this packet as well as more information about financial waivers. Individual school websites can also be helpful in identifying specific steps you need to take as well as materials you might need.

Remember, all of your high school career is evaluated by admissions departments of colleges and universities. It is important to beginning thinking about college in 9th or 10th grade so that you can be prepared and you do not have to spend time catching up later on.

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Standardized Testing The ACT is a content-based test, and includes sections on English, Reading, Math, and Science. It has an optional Writing portion, which is required by some colleges. Many experts believe the ACT is a better measure of a student's retention of high school curriculum because it is more content-oriented. The SAT, on the other hand, is often considered to be more of an intelligence test because it focuses on a student's problem-solving and reasoning abilities. The SAT includes Reading, Math, and a required Writing portion. Most students today are taking both tests multiple times. If you plan to only take one test, we recommend that you do a bit of research to determine whether that test should be the ACT or the SAT. First, check with the colleges and universities to which you plan to apply. The admissions department may require one or the other, and may also offer scholarships based on scores from a specific test. If the college accepts both tests, analyze your strengths; students who are strong in math and science typically do well on the ACT, while students who excel in English and literature perform better on the SAT. (from www.powerscore.com)

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Standardized Testing Resources 

http://www.actstudent.org/sampletest/

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https://www.powerscore.com/act/help/

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https://www.powerscore.com/sat/help/ content_practice_tests.cfm

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https://www.4tests.com/act

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https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/practice

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http://www.majortests.com/sat/

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http://www.veritasprep.com/free-sat-resources/

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http://ineedapencil.ck12.org/

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http://www.kaptest.com/act/enroll? zip=48205&tab=events https://uniontestprep.com/sat/practice-test

Official Sites 

http://www.actstudent.org/

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https://www.collegeboard.org/ (SAT site)

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Essay Help Your college application essay is a great way to show colleges who you really are. This is more than statistics on a page and really allows you to personalize your application. You can write about something your passionate about, a struggle you’ve had, important live events, or anything that you think really exemplifies who you are. This is an extremely integral part of your application, so here are some great resources that can help you out.

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https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/essays/8-tips-for-craftingyour-best-college-essay

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https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/essays/tips-for-writing-aneffective-application-essay-college-admissions

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http://www.essayhell.com/2014/10/essay-hells-top-10-tips.html

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http://www.collegeessayorganizer.com/

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https://www.grammarly.com/

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http://college.usatoday.com/2014/10/23/9-essay-writing-tips-to-wowcollege-admissions-officers/

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http://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/college-essay 5

Financial Aid One of the biggest factors in pursuing higher education is the cost associated with it. This can put a lot of stress on students and their families. There are many types of financial aid.

The first are scholarships and grants, these are gifts of money that you do not need to pay back; however they may be certain criteria that needs to be maintained such as GPA or athletic status. Loans are another type of financial aid, that you need to pay back after completing school. Some loans are offered by the Federal Government and can have less of an interest amount and have longer grace periods. The third type of financial aid is work-study, which is basically a guaranteed on campus job to help you work while on campus and earning your degree or certification.

The biggest factors for receiving financial aid are filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to be considered for aid from the federal government. You can also apply for financial aid directly from the colleges you’re applying to and from private organizations. Some of these may require you to submit theCSS/Financial Aid PROFILE or other forms. It is also important to look out for local scholarships and scholarships offered by the school you are interested in attending. You can look for these online.

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https://fafsa.ed.gov/

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CollegeNet.com

https://student.collegeboard.org/css  Scholarships.com -financial-aid-profile  ScholarshipMonkey.com  https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/  FindTuition.com pay-for-college/financial-aid-101/ financial-aid-can-help-you-afford https://www.petersons.com/collegecollege search/scholarship-search.aspx 

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https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/ pay-for-college/financial-aid

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www.scholarshipexperts.com

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https://www.chegg.com/ scholarships

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http://www.scholarships360.org/

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https://www.cappex.com/

http://www.finaid.org/

Scholarship Searches: 

http://www.fastweb.com/

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https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/ scholarship-search 6

Application Boosters!

Some other great things that you can do in high school to improve your application include: 

Letters of Recommendation: Build relationships with your teachers, school staff, coachers, community leaders, and other influential adults in your life. This can help you build a good base to get through high school, but down the line they can also write letters of recommendation for you when you are applying!

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Extracurriculars: Programs like to see that students are well rounded. You want to get involved outside of the classroom and join a club, a sports team, or get involved somewhere in your community. This is way for you to show schools what you are passionate about. This is also a bunch of fun!

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Leadership: It is important to try and take on a leadership role in different situations.

Whether it is team captain, club vice president, taking on a role at your local church or community center, it is really important to show your leadership skills. This not only shows your involved, but it shows your dedicated and passionate.

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Awards: If you received any awards throughout high school, in any area, it can be helpful to include a list of them on your application. It can be helpful to keep track of these through the four years, so when you are a senior you remember what went on Freshman year.

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Think about what you like and don’t like: it can be helpful to start thinking about what you want to pursue in higher education. You don’t have to make any decisions right away, but it can helpful to narrow things down a bit.

Finding the Right Fit for You! Finding the right type of higher education for you can seem a bit intimidating, but don’t be afraid to explore your options and talk you counselor, parents, and teachers! On the next few pages are profiles on some schools that we thought could be of interest to you. All of this information was found on the internet, so don’t be afraid to do your research also, but we hope that this can be a good foundation and starting point for you. We wish you the best of luck with your pursuit of higher education.

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School Profiles

Wayne State University Location: Detroit, Michigan

4 years Enrollment: 25,619 Acceptance rate: 76% Most Popular Majors: Pre-Med, Psychology Nursing, and Business Minimum ACT score of 21

Average GPA: 3.2 , min: 2.75 GPA Transcript Needed Online Application Application Deadline: August 1st (for Fall Semester) Financial Aid: FASFA + CSS Scholarships of Interest: Detroit Urban Scholarship; Detroit Compact, Wade McCree Incentive Scholarship

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School Profiles

Western Michigan University Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan

4 years Enrollment: 18,889 Acceptance rate: 84.1% Most Popular Majors: Health and Medical Administrative Services ,Business Administration and Management Average ACT score of 23

Average GPA: 3.41 Online Application Application Deadline: Rolling Admission Financial Aid: FASFA They offer free scholarship workshops in the Detroit and Metro Detroit Area that could be beneficial to attend.

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School Profiles

University of Michigan – Ann Arbor Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan

4 years Enrollment: 28,395, Acceptance rate: 32.2% Most Popular Majors: Economics, Psychology, Business, Political Science, Neuroscience, Average Test Scores: ACT(30-34) or SAT(20402280) Average GPA: 3.85 Transcript Needed Letter of Recommendation Needed Online Application: Common Application Application Deadline: Early Action: November 1st, Final February 1st.

Financial Aid: FASFA + CSS Scholarships of Interest: Detroit Urban Scholarship; Detroit Compact, Wade McCree Incentive Scholarship

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School Profiles

Eastern Michigan University Location: Ypsilanti, Michigan

4 years Enrollment: 18,208 Acceptance rate: 68.8% Most Popular Majors: Business, Health, Education, Psychology Average ACT score of 22 Minimum GPA: 3.1 Online Application Deadlines: January 15th for Financial Aid, July 1st for Fall Semester Application Deadline: Rolling Admission Financial Aid: FASFA , they have many scholarships available, please visit their website www.emich.edu.

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School Profiles

College For Creative Studies Location: Detroit, Michigan 4 years Enrollment: 1,401 Acceptance rate: 48.6% Average Test Scores: ACT(22) or SAT(1059) Transcript Needed 5-8 Piece Portfolio Needed Online Application Application Deadline: Early Action: December 1st, February 1st for financial aid, Rolling Admission through May Financial Aid: FASFA Scholarships of Interest: 36th District Court Sponsored Project Scholarship, Mitch Albom Detroit Dream Scholars Fund, Mitch Albom Detroit Dream Fund, CE City Scholarship , Detroit Society of Women Painters and Sculptors Scholarship, Ford WPP Team Detroit Scholarship,

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School Profiles

Oakland University Location: Rochester Michigan

4 years Enrollment: 16,935 Acceptance rate: 67.4% Most Popular Majors: Business, Health, Communication/Journalism, Education, Psychology Minimum ACT score of 18

Minimum GPA: 2.5 Average GPA: 3.2 Online Application Deadlines: March 1st for Financial Aid, After: Rolling Admission Financial Aid: FASFA , they have many scholarships available, please visit their website www.oakland.edu.

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School Profiles

Spelman College Location: Atlanta, Georgia 4 years Historically Black College for Women Enrollment: 2,135 Acceptance rate: 54.0% Most Popular Majors: Psychology, Biology, Political Science, and English Average GPA: 3.6 Average Test Scores: ACT(22) or SAT(1027) Transcript Needed 2 Letters of Recommendation Needed Online Application: Common Application Application Deadline: Early Action: November1st, February 1st Financial Aid: FASFA Scholarships of Interest: they have many scholarships available, please visit their website www.spelman.edu

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School Profiles

Howard University Location: Washington D.C.

4 years Historically Black Co-Ed College Enrollment: 7,013 Acceptance rate: 48.4% Most Popular Majors: Communications, Social Sciences, Business, Health, Biology

Average Test Scores: ACT 23.7 or SAT I Math/ Reading 548 Average GPA: 3.38 Online Application: Common Application Deadlines: Early Action: November 1st, Deadline February 15th Financial Aid: FASFA , they have many scholarships available, please visit their website www.howard.edu.

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School Profiles

Oakland Community College Location: Atlanta, Georgia 2 years Enrollment: 2,135 Acceptance rate: 54.0% Most Popular Majors: Psychology, Biology, Political Science, and English Average GPA: 3.6 Average Test Scores: ACT(22) or SAT(1027) Transcript Needed 2 Letters of Recommendation Needed Online Application: Common Application Application Deadline: Early Action: November1st, February 1st Financial Aid: FASFA Scholarships of Interest: they have many scholarships available, please visit their website www.spelman.edu

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School Profiles

Wayne County Community College Location: Washington D.C. 2 years Enrollment: 7,013 Acceptance rate: 48.4% Most Popular Majors: Communications, Social Sciences, Business, Health, Biology Average Test Scores: ACT 23.7 or SAT I Math/ Reading 548 Average GPA: 3.38 Online Application: Common Application Deadlines: Early Action: November 1st, Deadline February 15th Financial Aid: FASFA , they have many scholarships available, please visit their website www.howard.edu.

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About Taking The Next Step

Contact Us Kathleen Hurley

This program was developed by a group of students as part of a class through the Community Action and Social Change Minor through the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan.

Our group choose to create this project in hopes of helping offer more information to students about higher education and the resources they can use to pursue it. We hope that students benefited from our in class programs and will continue to benefit from this resource guide. Our target audience was intended for 9th and 10th graders to begin to start thinking about college early in order to be prepared later on when the time comes to apply. If you have any questions about the program or this resource guide, please feel free to contact us.

December 2015

kchurley@umich.edu

Riley Banks banksrk@umich.edu

Stephen Lin lindon@umich.edu

CASC Program cascminor@umich.edu