With fall break around the corner, seniors at Thomas Jefferson are being encouraged to get college applications finished and turned in before it is too late.
Artwork by Ed Gloor
Even though the 2011-2012 school year just started, seniors already need to be thinking ahead to next year. For those who plan on going to college right away, the application deadlines are coming up fast. Some seniors who think they have until January to apply are mistaken; the best time is in November.
With November less than two weekss away, the college process can be stressful. Getting the application filled out, essays written, and receiving teacher recommendations are just some examples of how stressful it can be; however, there is a place to calm and help seniors.
The Future Center, room 114, is open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to help students with the college process. The head of the center, Tabitha Rocha, is always there to help and give advice for stressed out students.
“The first step would be to narrow down what colleges you want to got to; the recommended amount of schools to apply to would be 3-5. Once you know what colleges you like, get started now on applications. At TJ we like to have the majority of our students done with applications by Thanksgiving. Students are able to relax and enjoy their fall break knowing they got that done,” said Rocha.
Getting applications done by Thanksgiving may seem early but it helps in the long run. “We want the application done early so that during second semester we can focus more on scholarships and financial aid,” explained Rocha. In the Future Center, computers are provided not only to apply to colleges, but also for completing scholarship documents. On a bulletin board in the center, there are folders labeled with different months. In these folders, scholarship information can be found for that month.
There will also be upcoming workshops and e-mails to help seniors with financial aid. “I try to post scholarship information but I also send blast e-mails to all the seniors about financial aid and how to apply for that. I will send those until January, and then in February there will be F.A.F.S.A. workshops,” said Rocha.
Many might be asking themselves, what is F.A.F.S.A.? Free Application for Federal Student Aid is what the acronym stands for. The application is a form filled out by students and their parents to help the college determine if the family qualifies for financial aid.
If the Future Center isn’t enough, Thomas Jefferson provides a website, Naviance, to also help seniors with college. Rocha also helps students navigate the website, and says, “Naviance is a way that students in all grades can look at different colleges. For seniors it helps them track applications that they sent, sign up for college visits, and create a resume.” A username and password is required, but if a student is without those she/he should see Rocha or a counselor and they will gladly provide them with one.
The Future Center is there to help, so stop by to learn more about colleges, scholarships, financial aid, and begin applying for next year. If there are any unanswered questions, Rocha is the woman to ask, and she will answer with a smile!
