ACT / SAT Practice

This is great advice and there are many ways to get a lot of practice in before you take the test. Remember that lots of students take the test more than once in order to achieve the highest possible score. By taking the test online multiple times, you will become familiar with the format and soon learn to master it before taking the actual test.

Practice Books

You can find books with practice tests in them at bookstores or your local library. At the public library, they are located in the Young Adult section under the call number 378. Ask a librarian to help you find them.

Middletown Public Library

Miami University Library

Online Practice Tests

You can take practice tests online through the Learning Express Library . Learning Express Library includes the English, reading, math, science and writing portions of the test. You have to register on the site, but the test is free. Also, registering allows you to take the test in parts rather than taking the whole test at one time. You will receive your score and feedback on your performance immediately after finishing the test.

You can also try the practice tests on the following sites:

number2.com (ACT and SAT practice)
majortests.com (SAT practice)
ACT official site (ACT practice)
4tests (ACT and SAT practice)

How to write a College Entrance Essay

Here are a few links to help you spice up those

college entrance essays!

http://www.korepetycje.com

http://www.quintcareers.com

What is a scholarship?

A scholarship is financial aid given to a student based on some kind of qualification. This money does not need to be reimbursed when the student graduates, but sometimes there are conditions for keeping a scholarship. For example, if you receive an academic scholarship you will often have to maintain a certain grade point average in order to keep receiving the scholarship money.

Scholarships are given for many reasons including academic merit, athletic ability, and service achievements. They can come from involvement with organizations, parents' employers or religious affiliations. Many are from colleges and universities themselves and can be based on financial need, ethnicity, intended college major or something as unusual as being left-handed!

How to get a scholarship

With all the scholarships that are available it's important to know where to look.

  • Check with any organization that you or your family is a part of. This includes churches, charitable organizations and fraternities, like the Elks club. Ask if your parents' employers offer any scholarships to their employees' children.
  • Check with your guidance counselor about any opportunities they are aware of that you would be qualified for.
  • Contact all of the schools you are interested in attending. Talk to an admissions counselor about what kind of scholarships the school offers.
  • Don't forget to search books for nationally offered scholarships. This is a great way to compete for scholarships you might not have been aware of otherwise. The public library has books with information on scholarship opportunities for all kinds of students.
  • Websites can also provide valuable scholarship information. The following websites ask you to fill out a questionnaire then match you with scholarships you qualify for.  

Financial Aid

Timing is everything when it comes to financial aid. Start applying for financial aid early as it often involves time-consuming forms and the deadlines to apply for aid will vary depending on what you are applying for.

What is financial aid?
Financial aid is money set aside by the government or educational institutions to help students pay for college. Aid is usually broken down into two categories:

  • Merit Aid - given in the form of scholarships based on some form of academic, athletic, or artistic criteria
  • Need-Based Aid or Gift Aid - given in the form of a grant, fee waiver, work-study program or loan and awarded to a student according to financial need

What is the difference between grants and loans?

Government grants are a form of financial aid that generally does not have to be repaid. This is a great form of aid, but be aware that they require students to fulfill certain conditions (such as attendance and maintaining a certain grade point average).

Student loans can be obtained through the government or from private financial institutions. Aid received from a student loan must be repaid with interest.

The FAFSA
The FAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is used to determine a student's eligibility for federal student aid and the family's estimated financial contribution. This is a very important form  used not only to distribute federal aid, but aid given out by state and educational institutions as well. Copies of the FAFSA can by obtained from your school, public library, by calling (800) 433-3243, or by visiting www.fafsa.ed.gov

Institutional Financial Aid

Individual schools also award both merit and need-based financial aid. This may include scholarships, tuition waivers, or work-study opportunities. Talk to the financial aid office at all of the schools you are interested in and see what kind of help they can offer you. Check out the following websites for more helpful information:

What careers are you considering?

Some people have always known what they want to be when they grow up, but for others it's not so easy to decide on a career. Remember to keep your mind open to the many job opportunities that are out there. Take a broad array of classes to find out your strengths and interests. Talk to your school or college counselor about your interests and see what jobs are available in those fields. One of the best ways to narrow down your options is to get a job or internship in a field in which you are interested. Nothing beats hands-on experience to let you know if you will like working in a certain area.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook is published by the U. S. Department of Labor and gives all sorts of information on careers, including the training needed, expected job prospects and earning potential. Check out a copy at the library or visit their website .

A Career Encyclopedia can also be a helpful tool. It will list a variety of careers, grouped by category, and includes ways to explore careers and how to get more information on a particular career. This can be a great item to browse through if you need some direction about what career you may want to try. You can find one at the library.

You can ask your school or college counselor about a Personality or Career Aptitude test. These tests are designed to tell you what kinds of jobs might suit your strengths. There are lots of them available for free online, but they may not be as reliable as one from your counselor.