Tips for Those Interested In Scholarships

Photo Source: https://www.fastweb.com/college-scholarships/articles/2963-12-tips-on-winning-a-scholarship

Some of you are seniors this year and some of you are not quite there yet, but all of you should be thinking about what you want to do after high school.  For some students, college is the goal and graduating with a Bachelor’s degree.  Others may be more interested in earning their Associate’s degree or obtaining a certificate from a trade school.  There are many options for students interested in continuing their education after high school.  We hope each of our students at MEWA goes on to pursue a higher education, but we know money can sometimes be a factor in making this decision.  To help with this, there are a number of different opportunities for students to earn money towards their education.  Today’s blog is going to offer some tips on one of these: scholarships.

1. Don’t wait until the last minute to apply for scholarships! For everyone who is not yet a senior, start looking at the ones you may qualify for now so that you don’t get caught off guard when all the sudden it’s May of your senior year.  Also, keep in mind there are some scholarships that can be won for students who are already in college, or who have not entered high school yet.
2. If you use a scholarship matching website (such as Fastweb.com), give answers for the optional questions.  This will help the site return twice as many scholarships that give you a better chance of winning them.
3. Keep an eye out for local scholarships.  Ask your counselors if they know of any in the area that you may qualify for.
4. Apply to any and every scholarship you qualify for, no matter how big or small the monetary return is.  Many small scholarships can add up quickly and can be less competitive.  Be sure to save any of your essays as often they can be tailored to fit the responses required in multiple scholarships.
5. Don’t miss any deadlines.  Stay organized as you work through the process of finding and applying for scholarships.
6. Read the instructions and tailor your responses to match the goals of the scholarship sponsor.
7. Personalize your essay responses and show who you really are through your writing.  Bringing out your passion and community impact will help you stand out among the other applicants.
8. Google your name and clean up your digital footprint.  Make sure your Facebook or other social profiles are free of immature or inappropriate posts.
9. Proofread your essays for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.
10. Make a copy of your application before you mail it.  Save the copy for your records and reference it for future applications.

(Source: https://www.fastweb.com/college-scholarships/articles/2963-12-tips-on-winning-a-scholarship)

Talk to your academic counselor about what opportunities are available to you.  They are here to help you choose the right path and find the means to help you achieve your goals.

What other opportunities are you pursuing to fund your education?

Choosing the Higher Path & Brief MEWA Announcements

In high school, students are faced with a number of choices, decisions and challenges as they shape their future.  One of these decisions is that of higher, or continuing, education.  Why should I go to college?  How am I going to pay for continued education?  Is this something I really want to do?  Each of these questions can only be answered by the individual student, as higher education is a personal choice.  An article from CollegeView.com offers some great insight into beginning to answer these questions and choosing the right path for you, the student.  One of the biggest reasons to attend an institution of higher learning, according to the article, is opportunity.  This opportunity comes in many forms and is based on the goals and vision a student has for their future.  For some, the opportunity to receive a college degree is a desire to continue learning, growing, and asking questions.  Others find opportunity in the financial benefit of earning a higher income with a college degree.  Still other students will find the opportunity is in being the first member of their family to earn a college level degree.  Opportunity.  As a student, each one of you has the opportunity to create and achieve your goals. “Attending college provides students with the knowledge and experience they are unable to receive from a secondary education, and finding a way to fund a higher education now can pay off in a huge way in the years to come.”

(Source: http://www.collegeview.com/articles/article/importance-of-college-education)

At MEWA, we encourage students to consider the opportunity of a higher education.  Our counselors are available to assist students in determining what their future goals are and how to best work to achieve them.  We invite each of our students to think and plan ahead so they can be ready for life after high school.  Our education process is designed to prepare students for the more independent college or employment setting.  We hope each of our students will take advantage of talking with our academic counselors about what their opportunity looks like.  Choosing the right path for the future is important and at MEWA we want all our students to strive for a successful future.

Important Announcements…

Don’t Forget!  Our incentive program is in full swing.  We will have a drawing on November 22, 2013 for a giveaway of two iPod Touch 16GB players.  To enter, students must login every school day, work at least 1 hour on coursework while logged in each school day, and complete 5 assignments per week that are submitted for grading.  We hope all MEWA and GED students continue to participate!

Holiday: Monday, November 11 is Veteran’s Day & Metro East will be closed.  Enjoy the day off!

Let Us Help… We will begin an Open Support Class that will meet each Thursday from 1:00 to 3:00, beginning next week to assist in clearing up any issues students & parents are having with the new Genius/Brain Honey learning management system.

Our Parent Booster Group will have the next meeting November 20^th at 6:00 PM at MEWA.  Participation in this group is open to all MEWA parents, grandparents, guardians, and staff members.  The focus of this group is to organize and support activities that promote our school and provide enrichment and growth opportunities for students and staff.

MEWA Gold Card Program.  We have an exciting new incentive program for the drop-in laboratory. Each time you achieve your study goals that you've listed on a Gold Card, you'll be able to turn that card in for a weekly prize drawing. Currently we have two weekly prizes for students: a $10 Starbucks gift card or a free lunch from Big Town Hero. We look to add different prizes in the future. So, stay tuned, stay on task in the drop-in lab, and you too can win prizes.  If you'd like to know more about the details of how this program works, click on the following link: https://docs.google.com/a/gbwebacademy.org/presentation/d/1oeAGfNBaTgcmBAVkDjfmzjtg4qlgrvrrG51RZwSFmv8/edit?usp=sharing.

College Bound Students! Connect with your counselor to discuss the ACT, SAT, or the PSAT.  They have information and dates for registering for these tests.

Remember the ME in MEWA; at Metro East you come first.