HAPPY FALL! What a beautiful time of year - the leaves are changing color and the temperatures are crisp Fall is also college application time and seniors should be well into the college application process. If you are still trying to decide on a school, stop by the Guidance Office. You can also find abundant information on the internet (including the Counselor’s Corner) -- try some college searches found at www. petersons.com, www.collegezone.com and www.anycollege.com. In addition, the school also has access to the Career Cruising program which will help guide students with both career and college choices.
Sauk Valley Community College is hosting a College Night on November 11th from 6:30 pm until 8:00 pm. Over 50 colleges will have booths there for you to gather information and representatives there for questions. Military personnel will be there, too, as well as two-year colleges and technical schools. This year they are also adding a special Financial Aid Presentation at 6:00 pm in room 1K4. This is a FREE service offered by SVCC, I would strongly encourage you to attend this event.
New scholarships are received each week. Don’t forget to check the list in the Guidance Office, the HS Library and on the scholarship page in the Counselor’s Corner. Several applications can be downloaded from the website. Since many scholarships require letters of recommendation, be sure to ask people well in advance. The only way you will ever receive a scholarship is if you make the effort to apply. Also most of them ask for similar information, so by gathering all the information you need for one, will make it easy to apply for others.
How do you know if those scholarship services are a scam? Never EVER pay for a scholarship or a scholarship service – it’s a scam. The best databases are available for free over the Internet or are sent to me. NEVER give a credit card number when applying for scholarships and NEVER believe them when they say “we will do all the work.” The student must do the work. No one else can (or should) complete essays – in doing the work yourself you will be the most deserved of the scholarship. Here are some additional guidelines to follow:
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If you must pay money to get money, it might be a scam.
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If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
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Spend the time, not the money.
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Never invest more than a postage stamp to get information about scholarships.
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Nobody can guarantee that you'll win a scholarship.
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Legitimate scholarship foundations do not charge application fees.
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If you're suspicious of an offer, it's usually with good reason.
Paula Rademacher
Guidance Counselor
Chadwick-Milledgeville CUSD #399
(815) 225-7141 x.238
Counselor Calendar
