College Financial Aid Night
We will hold our annual College Financial Aid Night in the new (small) cafeteria at JHS at 6:30 p.m. on November 29, 2007. A representative from FMCC’s Financial Aid Office will give a presentation and answer questions about financial aid for college. Both students and parents should attend this important presentation.

College Search/Applications
As always, the guidance office has sources for college searches, including the CHOICES computer program, college catalogs, videos and CD’s, information on Open Houses and college representative visits. (Sometimes application fees are waived if you listen to the rep.)  We have both SUNY and some private college applications (or you can usually apply on-line). Guidance personnel are available to help with any part of the application you don’t understand.

We are currently accepting guidance portions of college applications. Applications containing multiple sections (student/teacher/guidance) should be given to the appropriate people as you begin your portion. If you need a recommendation from a guidance counselor, you need to ask one of the counselors to write one for you. Guidance will complete our part, attach a transcript and either mail it directly to the college (if you want us to) or give it back to you so that you may mail it with the rest of your application. Many colleges have a January 1 deadline, so our deadline for application materials will be Friday, December 7, in order to ensure mailing prior to the Christmas break that begins on 12/21/07.

It is the student’s responsibility to assemble all components of his/her application and to mail it (unless you have indicated that you want us to mail it for you) prior to the deadline. Guidance is happy to store an extra copy of each recommendation if you wish, as a resource for any future college or scholarship application.

Below are some helpful hints:

• Do not procrastinate – apply early!
• Stop in guidance whenever you have a question.
• Fill out applications neatly and completely.
• Submit counselor recommendation and teacher recommendation forms early.  (They need time to do justice to the recommendation.)
• Observe Deadlines and get applications to guidance with time for processing. (Not one day!)
• Listen to announcements so you do not miss any opportunities.

Seniors should be stopping in guidance on a regular basis to check what scholarship applications we have on hand.  Scholarships are not just for students with the highest averages, so come and check them out.

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