INTERNET - As you know, new websites pop up all the time, so your first stop should be the John Carroll Catholic High School website - www.jcchs.org, then click on College Advising. This website is updated regularly to bring you the latest news, resources and newly released scholarship opportunities.
Scholarship Scams Tips are at the bottom of this page. Please scroll down for those tips.
General College Information & Searches - the following are some general college planning sites that offer college search, financial aid, test prep and other resources:
Careers
Financial Aid / Scholarships
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www.fafsa.ed.gov interactive web version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid -
www.brokescholar.com free, searchable scholarship database that enables you to locate sources of financial aid suitable for you -
www.fastweb.com free, searchable scholarship database that enables you to locate sources of financial aid suitable for you -
www.finaid.org financial aid information page; rich offerings on everything from scam alerts to scholarship searches -
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Helpful College & Career Web Sites
Please note that the following links will take you outside of the John Carroll Catholic High School web site. John Carroll does not maintain or endorse any of these web sites; however, this list is provided to help you with your college planning and search process. For additional information, visit the Guidance Department and our library to find catalogs, brochures and college applications. Test prep software is also available in Guidance as well as information on test prep classes.
General College Information
The following are some general college planning sites that offer college search, financial aid, test prep & other resources:
Nacac.com/p&s.html
Information for students & families from the National Association for College Admission Counseling
Campustours.com
Virtual tours of various colleges
Students.berkeley.edu/apa/personalstatement
Tips for writing college admission & scholarship essays
Commonapp.org
Fill out just one application to apply to any of 255 participating selective colleges.
College Match and Advanced Placement Information: http://apps.collegeboard.com/search/index.jsp
Find individual universities’ policies on accepting Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate credit
College and University Rankings: http://www.library.uiuc.edu/edx/rankings.htm
An excellent, comprehensive overview of college rating sources, particularly those available on the Internet. Includes a bibliography of cautionary notes about the precarious nature of rankings.
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Fafsa.ed.gov
Free Application for Federal Student Aid application & information
www.college-scholarships.com/free_scholarship_searches.htm
Webpage with links to dozens of scholarship searches
Fastweb.com
Free scholarship and college search
Finaid.org
Loans, scholarships, and military aid.
College Aid Calculator
Estimate your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for college, according to federal financial aid guidelines
Nasfaa.org/ParentsStudents.asp
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators guide
Educaid.com
Tips on saving, borrowing & budgeting
Frequently Asked Questions about Financial Aid (Scholarships & Loans)
Scholarships for Boy and Girl Scouts and Explorers
http://www.bsaswmc.org/Scholarship_Information.htm#Eagle Scouts
Careers
Mycoolcareer.com
Terrific comprehensive career site that provides advice on choosing careers and majors, interviews with people in some of the most interesting careers around, links to great career and planning resources, and more!
Mapping-your-future.org
Good college and career information.
CareerKey.org
Free career interest/ability assessment!
Mycoolcareer.com/coll.html#whatcanmajor
“What can I do with a major in _____?” This site offers ideas for a wide range of careers that students can pursue, using various college majors.
www.studentdoctor.net/guide
Tips for students who are interested in medical careers
Test Preparation
www.Hensontestprep.com
Amy Henson teaches ACT or SAT classes at several of the local schools and John Carroll.
Vestavia Learning Center – Mike McGough 205-823-9895
Mike McGough teaches classes and individual sessions at VLC
CollegeBoard.com
Sponsored by the company that produces the SAT I and SAT II subject tests, gives test taking tips & you can register for the SAT online. AP info is available, too.
Number2.com
FREE ACT and SAT test prep plus vocabulary building. If you enroll (also free), you get more detailed tutorials, tips via email, etc.
Studyhall.com
Good test taking tips, vocabulary lists, memory and speed reading tips
ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps)
ArmyROTC.com
Army ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps)
NROTC.com
Navy & Marine ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps)
AFROTC.com
Air Force ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps)
Minorities
BlackExcel.org
Links to Historically Black Colleges & information on scholarships
Studentnow.com/collegelist/latino.html
Links to college resources for Hispanic students
Scholarship Scams Tip Sheet
10 Scam Warning Signs
Several of these red flags could be an indication that you’re dealing with a scholarship scammer:
Fees: Scammers use bogus fees such as “application,” “disbursement,” “redemption, and “processing fees” as a way to take your money. Scholarships should NOT require any fees. Check out the free search at www.fastweb.com.
- Credit card or bank account information needed: Never give credit card or bank account info to receive aid. If you have, call your bank or credit card issuer immediately.
- No Work involved: Legitimate scholarship applications require time and energy. No one can complete them for you.
- Scholarship guarantee: no one controls judges’ decisions. Be wary of “high success rates,” which often refer to award matches, not award winners.
- No contact information: before you apply, confirm the sponsor’s contact info. The sponsor should supply a valid e-mail address, phone number or mailing address (not a PO Box) upon request.
- Unsolicited scholarships: If you are called to receive an award for which you never applied, be alert. Ask where the sponsor got your name and number. Then follow up.
- Pressure tactics: Don’t allow yourself to be pressured into applying for a scholarship, especially if the sponsor is asking you to pay money up front.
- Claims of “exclusive” scholarships: Legitimate sponsors won’t restrict knowledge about their award to a single service.
- An official-sounding name or endorsement doesn’t automatically mean legitimacy: A sponsor may use words like “national,” “education” or “federal” or have an official-looking seal, but might still be a scammer.
- Your questions aren’t answered directly: Can’t get a straight answer from a sponsor regarding their application, what will be done with your information (e.g., if it will be sent to a third party) or other questions? Proceed with caution.