May 1st Deadline - College Decisions Due

If you are planning to attend college this Fall then you know that May 1st is the big day in the college admissions process. Students must decide within the next few days whether to accept or reject an offer of admission and what college they will be attending. Maybe you got into your first-choice college and have no decision to make at all and already have started packing your bags. But, maybe your college choice is a little tougher than that. You could have been wait listed, received more than one acceptance letter or didn't get the scholarship you had hoped for to help pay for the private university tuition. Or maybe, like so many others, you just don't know what school you should choose.

This decision is a difficult one for many. The next four years are an investment in your future and how do you know if you are making the right choice. Should you go where you feel most comfortable? Should you choose the school where your friends are going? Should you choose your parents alma mater? Below are some factors you should consider when deciding if a school is a good fit for you. Take a look at these characteristics in order of importance to you and see how well each college matches up to each other:

* Academic
o Take a look at the professors at the school, their research, awards and backgrounds
o Review the course catalog online to get an idea of the types of courses and major programs offered and if they match your academic pursuits
o Sit in on classes - how big or small are they and do they teachers know the students on a first name basis?
o Talk to alumni regarding life after graduation - did they feel prepared in their chosen careers?

* Social
o Go visit the school in-person if you have not done so already - some schools will even let you stay overnight or for the weekend with another student. Can you picture yourself there - do you and the school click?
o Meet the current students to get a real sense of the school - where are they from and what are their backgrounds?
o Look at the extracurricular activities, sports, Greek life - does this school offer everything you are interested in?
o Look at the school's Facebook or twitter pages, read the college newspaper online - see what the admissions counselors aren't telling you

*Financial
o Can you, or your parents, really afford this school?
o Review not only the tuition, but the costs for housing, meal plans and transportation. Will you need to fly, take the train/bus or drive home on breaks?
o Compare the financial aid packages, scholarships, loans, gifts, grants and any work-study opportunities

This week you'll make one of the biggest decisions of your life. If you still have questions, talk to your guidance counselor, a favorite teacher or your parents who know you both academically and personally. They might be able to help you evaluate the pros and cons. This decision is a personal one and the final choice should be made yours, but it never hurts to ask for advice from people who know you well and care about your future.

Return to School Grant - A New Hope For Moms

A lot of women give up their education when they become pregnant. Most of the time, these women may not have the chance to go back to school simply because the money allotted for their education is already spent on their child. However, with President Barrack Obama's Return To School Grant, there is a new hope for these single mothers, working mothers and all other mothers to continue their education.

Financial Assistance

Also known as the Federal Pell grant, this scholarship offers financial assistance for any mother who wishes to go back to school but does not have the capacity to pay for the fees. As long as the mother is within the suitable bracket of having a low income, then she is eligible to apply and finally be granted of the scholarship. As soon as the mother is granted with the scholarship, she can then pay for a college degree in almost 5,400 accredited institutions, colleges and universities in the United States.

Factors Considered

The Return To School grant has its own set of prerequisites and factors for mothers to be accepted as candidates. Things such as their EFC or expected family contribution and the cost of their college degree in their chosen institution or university greatly matter in evaluating all the applicants. Moreover, it would also matter if the applicant would be studying part time or full time or if she would be attending the college for one whole academic year or not.

This kind of scholarship is definitely one step closer into fulfilling the dreams of mothers who have given up much of themselves simply to take care of their children. With such a grant which promises a lot to these women, they may finally have the chance to pursue their academic dreams and build a better life for herself and her family.

Merritt College Offers Complete Online Courses

Brief History

Initially the college was opened as a general campus back in the year 1954 and named as the Merritt School of Business. Present Laney College also functioned alongside with the name of Oakland Junior College. It started functioning as the Merritt College from 1971 in the present campus.

Campus

Original campus of the college was at Grove Street of University High School during 1923-43 at 5714 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. It shifted to the present campus in the year 1971 after a bond was issued establishing a new downtown Oakland campus building for Laney College and founding of College of Alameda.

Programs Offered

Occupational programs like nursing and other health professions are offered by the college. Community social services, substance abuse counseling, computer information, landscape horticulture, environmental hazardous materials technology, environmental management, restoration technology, and paralegal studies are also offered. One year Microscopy certificate is one of the novelties among the programs.

Special Programs

Instructional programs offered include allied health, insurance, communication, radiological science, real estate and legal administration. Degrees offered include Associate Degree in Nursing; Associate of Arts in Child Development; and Associate of Science in Radiological Science. However, the highlight is the online education and completion of courses online with only occasional academic meeting.

Admission

The college is open to all students that have completed diploma from secondary schools or equivalents. Applications can be filed online or by FAX and telephone. An assessment test is mandatory. Orientation can be scheduled with the help of a college counselor. Dual credit and career placements are the accepted credits for admission.

Accreditation

Merritt College has been accredited by the Commission for Community and Junior College of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Financial Aid and Student Support

Merritt College offers multiple financial aids for eligible students using FAFSA. One can visit the state university website for details of the aids, scholarships and loan facilities provided. College provides remedial services, PT cost defraying employment, academic and career counseling, on campus day care and career placement as student services

The Secret to Scholarship Success

With rising college costs, continuing inflation, and narrowing job markets; students all over the U.S. are seeking a variety of options for college financing. In many cases, the attainment of a scholarship is the difference in whether a student attends college or not. Scholarships are available from many sources,
but knowing how to qualify and be selected as the recipient of a specific scholarship is the big question
for most students and parents.

The key to winning college scholarships is through proper planning and taking the appropriate actions
at the right time. Some tips for being successful are as follows:

Start Early to ready yourself. Building academic and personal credentials takes time. Transcripts
reveal academic achievements from the 9th to the l2th grades, so the 9th grade is a good starting
point for high grades and test-taking success. Yet, acquiring a foundation for learning begins
earlier in elementary school. The higher the G.P.A. and the higher the SAT/ACT scores the
better your chances for scholarships.

Get Involvedin school and community activities. Good grades are important, but college and
scholarship committees have many applicants with outstanding G.P.A.'s and test scores. Leadership,
involvement, and community service show a student's potential, diversity, and concern for others.

Find Scholarship Sources. Securing sources for scholarships is much easier today because of computer technology. Go to college web sites, on-line web sites, high school guidance offices, college financial aid offices or libraries. These sources are readily available at no cost. However, sources are just sources. A source is only as good as the person using it. Seek professional guidance help, if needed.

Showcase Yourself with a Resume. Resumes show your personal credentials, academic achievements, honors and awards, school activities, community service, leadership, special skills, and career objectives.A well-balanced and eye-appealing resume catches the attention of scholarship committees and gets you invited to interviews.

Let Your Application Show the Best of You. Follow directions exactly, complete the application fully,
adhere to proper grammar and spelling, and show extreme concern for neatness. Applications can have
a positive impact.

Reference Letters are a vital part of scholarship success. Notice that scholarships usually require
references. Remember that you determine the content of your reference letters. Your character,
manners, and reputation allow a person writing the reference letter to acknowledge your strengths
to scholarship committees. Also, your selection of people who write the letters is as important as the
reference letters.

College Essays are often the winning edge of a college application or scholarship competition. Essays give you a chance to shine and let you introduce yourself to decision-making committees. A great essay gets the attention of the reader and leaves a lasting impression of you.

Remember that it takes time and hard work to secure scholarships. Finding scholarship money and
keeping yourself out of debt is well worth your time and energy.

If You Want College Scholarships, Apply Early And Often

Traditionally speaking, school starts in late August or early September, but with colleges these days, students are starting almost any time. For students who are preparing for next semester at college or for those high school seniors looking to be in college within the next year, the writing on the wall is: Apply Early and Often.

As an example of a California high school who advocates doing exactly that, the Poway Unified School District was awarded a total of $13.7 million in scholarships this year, and the graduates from Westview High School were awarded $7 million of that. The graduating class was only 527 students strong.

With the cost of college rising every year, students need to pay more attention to getting those college scholarship applications filled out. It is getting to the point where very few students can get through college without some type of student loan of financial support, and without any scholarships, it is money that needs to be paid back, and will put a severe dent in the family finances or the student's budget after graduation, even with tremendously attractive interest rates on federal student loans.

According to various studies, the cost of average tuition and associated fees increased approximately 6% over the past year. Currently, that means that the average annual cost (that means every year) is almost $13,000 for students who are enrolled at four year public colleges, and over $22,000 for the equivalent four year private colleges. By comparison, the cost of attending a college like Stanford or Harvard is almost $50,000 per year.

The number and variety of scholarships available today is almost staggering. But even more staggering is the fact that across the country, a good number of scholarships actually go unawarded each year, simply because nobody applied for them!

There are several options for those in financial need, which include the federal Pell Grants, but many universities, corporations and various organizations also offer merit or academic based scholarships. The amount of each scholarship varies widely also, such as $150 scholarship from the local bicycle shop to a $10,000 scholarship from a corporation such as Nordstrom's or Macy's.

Some students think that they should only apply for the big-ticket scholarships, but that is simply untrue. Any student can apply for and be awarded many scholarships. If a student is awarded 10 $500 scholarships, is that any worse than being awarded a single $5000 scholarship? No, it is almost exactly the same.

Last year, a Florida high school senior spent almost every waking hour over the course of two months completing scholarship forms for any scholarship he could find and meet the eligibility requirements for. By the time he started college that fall, he had been awarded over 36 different scholarships, which covered more than 90% of his total college costs, including tuition, books, and housing.

It is important to note that not all scholarships require you to have a financial need or an exceptionally high grade point average. While it is certainly important to read the eligibility requirements before completing the application, there are many scholarships available to just about anyone.

The bottom line is to apply early and often! Fill out as many college scholarship applications as you can find, and when you've done that, find some more. The cost of college is certainly not decreasing, and you will need the financial help, and hopefully be able to graduate from college being debt-free!

Doctor's Hoods

The doctor's hood is not with rank the sort of velvet colors listed on the top, the correct velvet color for all PhD hoods is dark blue, in place of the mastery of the order of scholarship attested to by the giving of the Ph.D. On the other hand, the correct velvet color for all non-PhD doctorate holders would be that of their exacting field. To income that while a Doctor of Education would get light blue velvet, but a PhD in English would receive the dark blue velvet. Similarly a non-PhD Doctor of Science would receive Gold velvet, but a PhD in Science would receive the dark Blue Velvet. A non-PhD Doctor of Engineering would get Orange Velvet, but a PhD in Engineering would each get the dark blue velvet.

To avoid confusion, it is very main, therefore for all doctors the order of academic hoods must be clearly state whether they are a PhD and would be receiving the dark blue velvet regardless of their field. For that reason, we offer the choice of new piping on our PhD gowns and hoods as a stoles for graduation, for example light blue piping for a PhD in education; scarlet piping for a PhD in divinity.

Doctoral tams are obtainable in your option of four, six, or eight corners and in your pick of either a gold silky or gold metallic jumbo doctoral tassels. We keep doctoral tams in stock in customary black velvet, and can also create them in your choice of colors such as Red or Blue. Most faculty members choose six or eight sided tams for the faculty regalia.

In addition to your doctoral gown, most people will need to purchase a doctoral hood. Luxurious doctoral and PhD hoods are obtainable with or without piping. If your doctoral gown has piping, then you will almost certainly wish to order matching piping for your hood. The satin lining of your hood normally represents your school's colors.

Though not generally required, most faculty members who have doctoral degrees choose to purchase tams to differentiate themselves from students and non-doctors who normally wear mortarboards. If you do not wish to purchase a tam, then we will be happy to send you a mortarboard as a stole for graduation.

In recent universities, the idiosyncratic mark of a degree is the hood, which in its initial form was simply an article of clothing. Because the churches and sermon halls of European universities were cold, drafty places, scholars wore hoods as head coverings, attached to a cape or worn unconnectedly. The college colors make up the lining and the trim color vary depending on the field of study. The hood supposed to be placed so that it drapes off your shoulders and over the back of your gown. The border trim should be positioned on the outside of the hood. Be sure the hood lining is showing.

Summer Scholarship Programs

Home schooled children have the best of both worlds - they can attend summer high school programs abroad or locally, whether they are home schooled full-time or not. Cities across the country are now offering summer scholarship programs for high school students and graduates. Students are eligible for funding while completing their courses at home, as well as after they receive their diplomas. Additionally, home schooled students have the flexibility to extend their summer high school programs abroad, because they are not encumbered by specific school calendar. For instance, knowledge of a foreign language is almost always required for most undergraduate programs, especially if you plan a career in the humanities or sciences. What better way to reinforce whatever you have learned at home in the U.S. with a trip abroad? Now, the catch is, if you are looking for scholarship money, you must be registered in a U.S. college or university, even if the courses you take will not be on U.S. soil.

For example, the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has scholarships available to graduates of its public high schools. However, this does preclude a home schooled child from applying. The funds are made available to state-run universities or the Community College of Philadelphia. The Philadelphia scholarship programs are limited to students in their freshmen year only. The grant awards are calculated after financial aid and outside scholarship money is taken into consideration. However, this does not mean that you are limited to taking a course in Philadelphia. It may be possible to qualify for free summer high school study abroad by attending a school that has an agreement with the Community College of Philadelphia.

If you live in Tallahassee, Florida, scholarship programs are available to students in grades as low as the ninth grade. CARE, (the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement), has established a summer scholarship program that helps youngsters learn about the college application process as well as ways to maximize their financial aid package. These scholarships are offered during the summer and after school. CARE begins to recruit children as early as the sixth grade. They target minority and low-income students from local public schools in Tallahassee, Florida. The scholarship program was initiated by Florida State University in 2000. If your child is home schooled, he or she may still be eligible to attend, especially if they have aspirations of attending college.

As part of their package, FSU will relax its admissions standards for low-income, first-generation students provided the student agrees to participate in the CARE program no later than the summer before entering college. The summer program lasts for seven weeks and helps students learn how to do well on the SAT and ACT exams. Part of the scholarship program includes a weeklong orientation, which is followed by a six-week residence hall experience. Upperclassmen counselors supervise the residence hall.

Similar summer high school programs abroad as well as stateside programs are now being offered all over the U.S., so if you intend to send your child or children to college in the near future, it would be quite beneficial to check into summer scholarship programs in your area or state. Remember, the application process may take a while, so it's best to search for scholarship programs at least a year ahead of time. This is true especially for children who are being home schooled.