More for summer...

Now is the perfect time to finalize summer plans!  The blog post on December 1, 2016, offers a lot of information and links to various programs and here are three additional programs to consider:

2017 University of Florida Summer Residential Academic Programs

Center for Precollegiate Education and Training Applications are available on the website: www.cpet.ufl.edu/students. There are one and two week residential progams in the sciences, technology, environmental toxicology and more! Winter break is a great time for students to work on CPET application essays.

For more information contact the UF Center for Precollegiate Education and Training at 359-392-2310 or cpet@cpet.ufl.edu.

2017 Stevens Institute of Technology Precollege Programs

https://www.stevens.edu/admissions/pre-college-programs/available-pre-college-programs

All of the programs are carefully designed by the SIT faculty to be creative, project-driven, hands-on immersions that give you not just real college experience, but real world experience too. They range from the sciences to engineering to architecture to cybersecurity and even entrepreneurship.  By night you’ll live in the dorms, by day you’ll visit major corporations, work on a tangible project and learn alongside experts. You can choose to participate in more than one program during the summer, as long as the program dates don’t overlap.

2017 FSU Young Scholars Program
http://www.bio.fsu.edu/ysp/
This is a prestigious six-week residential summer science and mathematics experience for outstanding Florida high school students. The program runs July 11 through July 22, 2017 and the application deadline is February 15, 2017. 

PSAT Scores Are Out!

Student PSAT/NMSQT score reports were released to students on Monday, December 12th. The following information from College Board is useful in understanding the scores and how to use the information.

Access your SAT Suite of Assessment scores with personalized feedback, practice, college planning and career exploration resources.

https://studentscores.collegeboard.org

• See all your scores and if you are on track for college readiness
• View detailed explanations of skills required to be college ready
• Send your scores to Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy^® for personalized practice recommendations
• Search for colleges that fit your needs
• Access your PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index score used for participation in programs conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation
• Start on your scholarship and college financial aid plan
• Explore Roadmap to Careers to learn about jobs and college majors that are right for you
• Get feedback on your readiness for AP courses

About Those Numbers

When you view your online score reports, you’ll get summaries of your performance on each test and content area. You can also filter results and drill down to see how you performed on easy, medium, and hard questions or on questions that measure different skills. Percentiles will show how you did compared to your peers.

Next Steps

Online score reports do more than show you which skills you should work on. They also connect you to:

• Free, personalized SAT study on the Khan Academy® platform based on your test results
• AP courses through AP Potential^™ feedback
• Roadtrip Nation, where you can create your own career roadmap
• College Search and Major and Career Search on BigFuture

What Should I Do With My Summer?

Many of you have asked what students should do over the summer in order to strengthen their profile for college applications.  This is an excellent question! What you do with your summer – and how you articulate that to the colleges – can be an extremely valuable aspect of a student’s overall “package.” There are a few important points to understand as you proceed:

1. What is highly recommended for you to do with your summer is something with meaning, intent and interest! Some of the excellent options include:

1. Work! Holding down a job shows responsibility and is a great way to build your resume, especially if you can progress in the position.  (By the way, working as a Camp Counselor IS a job, and an excellent one at that.)

2. Take classes. Yes, you can take classes through a variety of summer programs on college campuses but you can also take online courses, FLVS high school courses, or enroll for one or two classes at Palm Beach State College.

3. Volunteer. You can make a difference in your local community or even travel to participate in a service opportunity, such as Habitat for Humanity.

4. Travel. Travel can be fun as well as a learning experience.  You can plan a range of destinations, including visits to college campuses that you may be interested in learning more about.

5. Camp. Students who have a strong desire to continue attending their beloved summer camp can absolutely still do so as part of a meaningful summer experience.

6. Enrichment Programs. These can range from academic interests to recreational ones; can take place on college campuses or the side of a mountain. There are several links at the bottom of this letter which will provide a wide range of options and types of programs. Just follow the link(s) for specific details about each program, including application requirements, deadlines and costs.  Note that there are MANY other programs out there in addition to these so feel free to continue exploring. Some of these programs have already opened their application process for summer of 2017 and others won’t begin until December or January.  Please do not wait to explore your interest!

2. Don’t forget that a little down time is a good thing!  It is ok to spend some time with friends, go to the beach and sleep in; however, if these things become your entire summer you have lost a valuable opportunity.

3. Just because a summer program has a high sticker price does not mean it is the best summer option.  Colleges are well aware that those amazing summer programs are not an option for everyone due to the cost or other obligations, so they are not required or even recommended for admission. However, note that if attending one of these valuable programs is of interest to you but cost is a concern, some of them do offer scholarships or other discounts.

4. Keep in mind that whatever you do, take notes or keep some kind of journal or record of your experiences.  This could lead to a truly meaningful and interesting college essay.

Follow these links to documents that include descriptions and links to specific summer programs:

Summer Programs in Arts, Media and Entertainment

Summer Programs in Business

Summer Programs for Future Doctors

Summer Vet Programs

Summer Programs in Israel

Two Gap Year Programs Visit DKJA After Thanksgiving

Israel Experience at Bar-Ilan University is an established gap year program in Israel which several RHS alumni have attended. Rabbi Menaged will visit Rosenblatt High School on Wednesday, December 7^th during the lunch period. This program offers a multi-faceted experience that combines university learning with Jewish growth, seeing the land of Israel, and connecting with amazing role models. More info about Israel Experience at Bar-Ilan can be found at http://israelxp.com.

Tess Langan from Global Citizen Year will visit Rosenblatt High School on Thursday, December 8^th during the lunch period.  Global Citizen Year is an immersive bridge year leadership program that sends high school seniors to live and work in Senegal, India, Ecuador and Brazil for a year before college. If the name Global Citizen Year rings a bell, it's probably because Global Citizen Year was just featured by Katie Couric.

Global Citizen Year is committed to helping students make positive contributions to this world and there is a Jewish Faith and Community scholarship that is offered to students looking to explore and reflect upon their Jewish faith throughout their Global Citizen year. 

For any questions about these visits, or other college counseling programs, please feel free to contact Jackie Rockman at rockmanj@dkja.net.

RHS Seniors Prepare for Interviews

On Sunday, November 20^th, a number of seniors participated in the Interview Preparation Program, designed specifically to prepare seniors for competitive college interviews, as well as employment and internship interviews.

Participants gained beneficial skills and experience; they learned how to effectively talk about themselves, how to prepare for some of the most common interview questions, and what questions to ask the interviewer. These seniors took part in an introductory program earlier in the week to learn about the different types of interviews before moving ahead with Sunday’s session, which focused on interview preparation and strategies for the different types of interviews (college, internships and employment), as well as opportunities to practice the interview skills. 

I facilitated the program along with highly experienced community volunteers; together we have conducted hundreds (if not thousands) of interviews from the perspective of employer, university alumni interviewer as well as admission officer interviewer. After a seminar-style discussion of interview questions and answers (with the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’), the seniors worked in teams, interviewing each other and providing feedback while under observation by a facilitator who also provided feedback.  Each student then experienced a ‘one on one’ mock interview from A to Z, with specific feedback.  

Student response was incredibly positive and one participant even went on to ace his competitive college interview on Sunday afternoon!  The next Interview Preparation Workshop will be held on Sunday, December 4^th for the remaining seniors who are interested in gaining (or polishing) their interview skills. Seniors who did not yet register for the program, they can still do so at https://goo.gl/forms/Xul0QF5GvZ8MBQbE3.

For any questions about this or other college counseling programs, please feel free to contact Jackie Rockman at rockmanj@dkja.net.

URGENT ACTION REQUIRED by FLORIDA SENIORS

Apply for the Bright Futures Scholarship

The application for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship is now available online. The Bright Futures Scholarship program rewards Florida high school graduates for academic achievement; it is a non-need based scholarship.  

All Florida seniors who meet the requirements should complete the application. You MUST REGISTER for Florida Student Financial Aid (including Florida Bright Futures) if you wish to be considered for any state of Florida GRANTS and SCHOLARSHIPS (including Bright Futures). If you do not register, you will not be considered for any State of Florida grants and scholarships.

Students should apply NO LATER than January 22^nd - before the colleges begin the financial aid awarding process. However, applications are accepted until the August following graduation.

Even if you are not planning to attend a Florida college, apply for the Bright Futures Scholarship in order to reserve your funds. Then, if you transfer to a Florida college for any reason, this money will be available to you.

Eligible students have up to two years after they graduate from high school to begin using the scholarship. A Florida Academic Scholar (FAS) or Florida Medallion Scholar (FMS) may receive funding for up to five years from high school graduation. The Bright Futures Scholarship aid is available for almost all undergraduate schools in the state of Florida.

Minimum requirements include

Type	16 HS Course Credits	HS Weighted GPA	ACT/SAT scores	Service Hours
FAS	4 - English 4 - Math 3 - Natural Science 3 - Social Science 2 - World Language	3.5	29/1290	100 hours
FMS		3.0	26/1170	75 hours

To apply for the 2017-2018 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship:

 Submit an application at https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/ua/sawstua_uaform.asp

After you submit the application:

Watch for official e-mail acknowledgement communication.  This provides instructions for obtaining a USER ID and PIN to access the submitted application, update information on the application, check the status of the application, and view notifications online.

Complete information on the Bright Futures Program http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/bf/ 

College and Program Visits to RHS

We are fortunate that many college, university and program visitors come to Rosenblatt High School to meet with our students (and in some cases faculty and administration). These are wonderful opportunities for our students to connect with the professionals who can help them find the best possible post-high school and/or summer activities.

This is the complete list of scheduled visitors for the Fall 2016 semester, as of October 20^th; additional visits will still be scheduled:

University of Central Florida              9/12                                         Lunch

IDC Herzliya                                        9/14                                         Lunch

Brandeis University                             9/15                                         Lunch

UMD, College Park                             9/19                                         Lunch

Tel Aviv University                              9/20                                         Lunch

Boston University                                9/21                                         Lunch

University of Florida                           9/22                                         8^th Period

Jewish Theological Seminary              9/27                                         Lunch

Technion Israel Institute                     9/29                                         Lunch

University of Miami                            10/5                                         Lunch

Indiana University at Bloomington     10/7                                         4^th Period

Marymount Manhattan College         10/7                                         Lunch

New York University                           10/7                                         8^th Period

Florida Gulf Coast University              10/10                                       Lunch

The Cooper Union                               10/14                                       Lunch

Pace University                                   10/19                                       Lunch

Vanderbilt University                          10/21                                       5^th Period

Northwestern University                     10/27                                       4^th Period

Syracuse University                             10/27                                      Lunch

Aardvark Israel                                   11/1                                          Lunch

Bar Ilan University                              12/7                                        Lunch

Two Helpful College Programs

There are two community programs coming up that will be very helpful to our DKJA families:


First, the NACAC College Fair at the Broward  County Convention Center is this weekend! Wonderful for juniors, helpful for sophomores and perfect for seniors looking to connect with specific colleges and/or college representatives!

Sunday, October 16, 2016

1:00-4:00 PM

National Association of College Admission Counseling South Florida National College Fair

Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center

Attended by over 180 colleges!

Multiple free workshops!

Register for free today!  You will receive a barcode at the end of your registration.  Screenshot it or print it and bring it to the fair with you. 

Second, there is a low cost ($40) College Essay Writing Workshop offered by the Community Center for Excellence in Writing (CCEW) at Florida Atlantic University on Thursday, October 20th, 4:30-6:00 PM.  This program date was added just for our families and I strongly encourage students to attend!  It will be especially helpful for seniors who are struggling with their college essays (or have not even started).  Juniors wanting to get a head start on this critical aspect of the college process will also benefit, as will any student looking for essay writing assistance.

You must sign up at least 24 hours in advance, either online or by phone.  Follow the link for the flyer and other program details.

The 3 types of essays: Good, Bad, Risky

If they made a movie about nailing the perfect admissions essay, the title might be: “The Good, The Bad and The Risky.”

The Risky

Let’s start with “The Risky.” One of the favorite stories being passed around by admissions officers these days is a young man’s response to an open-ended essay prompt: “Ask yourself a question, and then answer it.” So here’s what one bold young man chose to write:

Question: Do you play the tuba?   Answer: No.   That was it, his entire essay. You’ve got to admit that was a gutsy move. He was accepted at that college and several other colleges. Students can’t afford to take that kind of risk unless that’s really part of who they are. There are colleges that actively seek students like that young man: He stepped outside the box and to some, and he hit a home run. For others undoubtedly, he miscalculated, because he may be perceived as being cocky and overconfident. In this case, he had strong credentials and very likely would have been accepted anyway, but I am certain that his pseudo-essay was joyously passed around the admissions office. That was an “easy-read!”

The Bad

Common admissions wisdom has advocated that students should avoid the 3 D’s — Death, Divorce and Drugs. The Death Essay is unfortunately more common than we all would like. Don’t think I’m heartless, but it’s very difficult for high school students to say much more than this special person had a tremendous influence and now that they’re gone they will miss them. These essays can be tremendously powerful, but they need to share the “whys” of the loss.

If there is a “typical” divorce essay that colleges receive, it starts with “I was happy until my parents split — now I am unhappy.” Students can take this topic and make it work for them if they talk about how they feel, how it has changed their lives and hopefully what they may have gained through this difficult experience.

Drugs: Some students want to share inappropriate details of their lives. Don’t do it. Even if it’s in the past, drug use sends up a red flag.

Parke Muth, senior assistant dean of admissions at the University of Virginia, has likened college essays to fast food. “Ninety percent of the applications I read contain what I call McEssays.” They don’t do an effective job of setting the student apart from the sea of applicants.

The Good

• Choose your topic wisely, but even if you choose a topic that other people choose, spend sufficient time brainstorming how to own your piece of the topic.
• Don’t try to write what you think colleges want to read. They’ve already read that in the first 50 essays they read today. Find and preserve your own voice.
• Focus on the details when you tell a story. The rule of great writing: “Show, Don’t Tell” still holds true.
• Read your essay out loud to several people and ask them if they believe it sounds like you. It will also help you find and fix the clunky parts that need help.

Written by Lee Bierer, College Admission Strategies 

Published September 2, 2016

'Countdown to College' Column

College Fairs for DKJA Families

There are two outstanding opportunities for our DKJA families to take advantage of the influx of college admission officers to South Florida in October.  I strongly encourage sophomores and juniors (and their families) to attend one or both of these fairs in order to gain exposure to a large number of colleges as well as other important resources in the college search. Seniors who would like additional access to colleges across the country should also attend.

Monday, October 10, 2016

6:00-8:00 PM

Boca Raton Community High School College and Career Fair

Boca High Gymnasium

Attended by over 100 colleges, universities, technical schools, tutoring and test prep agencies and more!

No RSVP necessary!

Sunday, October 16, 2016

1:00-4:00 PM

National Association of College Admission Counseling South Florida National College Fair

Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center

Attended by over 180 colleges!

Multiple free workshops!

Register for free today!  You will receive a barcode at the end of your registration.  Screenshot it or print it and bring it to the fair with you. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at rockmanj@dkja.net or 561-558-2530.  I hope you will take advantage of these programs!

A snapshot of application submission

At this time of year, seniors are feverishly working to finalize the personal elements of their college applications, namely the essays, resume and personal application questions. This of course can generate a lot of anxiety for students and parents as they try to be sure all I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed.  

It should help to know that there are different pieces of each application that are managed separately from each other, and some are not even the responsibility of the student to manage!

Take a look at this representation that shows a typical college application.  There are generally three separate blocks of information that come together to build the complete application.

Please ask if you have any questions about this process.

Block 1:  The Application

GENERATED AND SUBMITTED BY THE STUDENT PRIOR TO THE STATED COLLEGE DEADLINE

-Includes the actual questions and demographic / high school information filled out by the student and submitted directly by the student to the college

-Includes the student-generated essay(s), resume and short answers

-Examples include the Common Application, Common Application Supplements, Coalition Application, Individual School Application (i.e. FSU, MIT, Georgetown, FAU)

 +

Block 2:  The Test Scores

SUBMITTED BY THE STUDENT PRIOR TO THE STATED COLLEGE DEADLINE

(May be submitted before or after Block 1)

-The SAT and/or ACT scores earned by the student must be sent DIRECTLY TO THE COLLEGES FROM THE TESTING AGENCY

-Students must sign in to their College Board and/or ACT account to order and pay for the scores to be sent to each college

-Scores must be sent by the student – the high school CANNOT send test scores to colleges

 +

Block 3:  The School Materials

GENERATED AND SUBMITTED BY THE HIGH SCHOOL PRIOR TO THE STATED COLLEGE DEADLINE

SUBMITTED ONLY AFTER THE STUDENT HAS SUBMITTED BLOCKS 1 & 2 TO THE COLLEGE(S)

-These materials include the high school profile, official transcript, letters of recommendation from teachers, counselor report form and counselor recommendation letter

-While the student must follow the process to request letters of recommendation from teachers, approve the transcript and fill out the necessary forms for the college counselor, submission of the school materials to the college(s) is the responsibility of the college counselor

=  

Complete Application

All 3 Blocks Submitted to the College(s)