Governor's School of NC

IMAGINE ... A Summer Program

... where students who are among the best and brightest gather for the love of learning and the joy of creativity

... where teachers and students form a community while searching together for answers to challenging questions

... where there are no grades or tests

... where a synergy of intellectual curiosity fuels the exploration of the latest ideas in various disciplines

This is the Governor's School of North Carolina . . . 
Two campuses. One vision. Over fifty years of experience.

NOMINATION PACKET AND FORMS FOR THE 2018 GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL

The Nomination Packet and forms for the 2018 session of the North Carolina Governor's School is being updated. They are not yet available and will be uploaded to this site in early September.

http://www.ncgovschool.org/

NC State University Park Scholarship

NC State University's Park Scholarship is a four-year scholarship awarded on the basis of outstanding accomplishments and potential in scholarship, leadership, service and character.

If you believe you’re qualified for the Park Scholarships based on our selection criteria of scholarship, leadership, service, and character, we welcome you to apply! The application processes for Park Scholarships and NC State undergraduate admissions are separate, so be sure to follow the instructions below.

By October 15:

• Apply for undergraduate admission to NC State.
• Complete the Park Scholarships application, which is housed in NC State’s wolfPAW system. To access this, you must either be endorsed by your high school (by October 1) or you must self-endorse. Explanations of each endorsement method appear near the bottom of this page.

The Park Scholarships application asks that you provide:

• Names and email addresses of two recommenders
• Information about advanced coursework completed
• Two essays (for last year’s essay prompts, refer to the Application Process FAQ)

The Park Scholarships Selection Committee will also review your:

• High school transcript, submitted by your counselor through the application for admission
• SAT and/or ACT scores, submitted to NC State directly from the testing agency
• Honors and Activities information from your application for admission
• Personal essay from the application for admission

We must receive all materials by October 15.

School Endorsement

• Review the Endorsing Schools List, updated annually in mid-summer. If your school is not listed, skip to the Self-Endorsement section below.
• If yours is an endorsing school, speak with your high school’s scholarships coordinator (typically, this is a guidance counselor or college counselor) and let him or her know of your interest in receiving your school’s endorsement for the Park Scholarships. Each school on the Endorsing Schools List is permitted to endorse two students, and must make these endorsements by October 1. Endorsees should be the high school’s two most qualified candidates according to the Park Scholarships selection criteria of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. If you do not receive your school’s endorsement, but believe you are at least as competitive as your school’s endorsed candidates, you may self-endorse.

Self-Endorsement

We encourage you to complete a Park Scholarships Self-Endorsement Form if you will apply for admission to NC State by the October 15 deadline and fall into one of the following two scenarios:

• You do not attend an endorsing school, but believe you are highly qualified for the Park Scholarships on the basis of scholarship, leadership, service, and character -OR-
• You do not receive your school’s endorsement, but believe you are at least as competitive as your school’s endorsed candidates

Sidebar

Important Dates for 2017-2018

~September 1 :: Endorsement form available (for both school- and self-endorsees)

October 1 :: School endorsement deadline

October 15 :: Deadline for NC State Early Action admissions application and Park Scholarships application

Late October - Early December :: Application review

Mid-December :: All applicants notified of Semifinalist status

January 6-7 :: Semifinalist interviews

Late January :: All Semifinalists notified of Finalist status

February 16-17 :: Finalist Selection Activities at NC State

Early March :: All Finalists notified of award status

By Mid May :: Park Scholar Class of 2022 announced

https://park.ncsu.edu/frequently-asked-questions/

FAFSA Day Saturday October 28

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Financial Aid and FAFSA Completion Assistance

Want help completing the FAFSA? We'll make it easy. College Foundation of North Carolina, the North Carolina Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, and State Employees' Credit Union are offering free programs to help you complete and submit this important form.

FAFSA Day
Financial aid administrators will be available on FAFSA Day, Saturday, October 28 from 9-12 to walk you through the FAFSA process. This event will occur at a variety of campuses throughout the state. See the map below for campus locations, and click the FAFSA button to register and to find specific location details. Green icons indicate FAFSA Day campuses. 

https://www.cfnc.org/pay/fafsa_day.jsp

Meredith College Rep. Visit 10/25

A representative from Meredith College will be at VAHS on Weds. October 25 during lunch to meet with prospective students.  See Ms. O'Kane for more information. 

126 years, 2,000 students, 22,000 graduates, all going strong. Meredith is one of the nation's largest independent private women's colleges. By getting to know our students as individuals, we are able to help them develop a solid plan that acknowledges - and builds on - their strengths. Meredith offers more than 80 undergraduate programs. Meredith's ideal location offers a beautiful, historic campus with access to internships and job opportunities in the capital city of Raleigh and nearby Research Triangle Park. Our graduates go on to use their intellect and abilities to make a positive impact on the world - over the past three years, 96% are employed or pursuing graduate study within a few short months of graduation. At 126 years and counting, Meredith College is still going strong.’

UNC Charlotte Admissions Rep Visit 9/27

An admissions representative will be on campus at VAHS on  September 27th at 11:00 AM. Please see Ms. O'Kane for more information.

UNC Charlotte is North Carolina's Urban Research University. Here, students do not have to decide between a picturesque campus or a booming big-city school – they  have it all! With a broad range of opportunities in academic majors, research, and experiential learning, UNC Charlotte students are immersed into a thriving college culture. Our 29,000+ students enjoy over 400 clubs & organizations and cheer on 18 division I athletics teams. 

Queens University Admissions Rep. Visit 9/15

An Admission Representative from Queens University of Charlotte will be on VAHS campus on Friday, Sept. 15 during lunch.  

Queens University of Charlotte is a small, private university located in Charlotte NC. They provide their  students with a unique college experience by being a community-driven campus that also has access to the resources of a big city like Charlotte, which is only 2.5 miles away.

Queens has a distinct advantage of providing their  students a personalized educational experience that prepares them to become engaged, global citizens. Every student will have the opportunity to study abroad because they include the cost of one study abroad trip in their tuition ahead of time. 100% of their  students complete internships, regardless of their major. They are a university that does not believe in sacrifice. They support students in their every move and continually push them to do and be more.

Click below for a virtual tour

 http://www.youvisit.com/tour/queens?pl=v

The Common Application: Virtual Counselor Feature

Watch videos, explore tips and read advice from experts about the college selection and application process. Find answers to questions such as...

What is the Common Application?
What is the most stressful part of college applications?
How can students stay ahead of deadlines?
How should students start searching for colleges?

Check out the Virtual Counselor link below to find valuable information and answers!

http://www.commonapp.org/virtual-counselor

NC Promise: an Amazing Opportunity!

The North Carolina Promise Tuition Plan is a program of the State of North Carolina established with the intent of increasing access to a quality university education through the University of North Carolina system. Beginning Fall 2018, NC Promise will dramatically reduce student costs at three UNC system campuses: Western Carolina University, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, and Elizabeth City State University.

Undergraduate students enrolling Fall 2018 at any of those three institutions will pay only $500 for in-state and $2,500 for out-of-state tuition per semester. The remaining cost of education will be covered through NC Promise.

Western Carolina NC Promise

Pembroke NC Promise

Elizabeth City NC Promise

The Scholarship Process

The first place to look for scholarships is from the school you are planning to attend. Colleges and universities offer scholarships to incoming freshmen, but they are usually very competitive and are primarily based on academic performance. However, individual schools within the college may also offer scholarships that are specific to your choice of major. The best way to start is by visiting the college’s website and then finding your way to the financial aid or scholarship section. All you need to know about available scholarships at that particular school will most likely be listed there. Private scholarship sources make up a small slice of the total financial aid pie. Nonetheless, there are a number of scholarship opportunities—the trick is finding which ones are applicable to your individual situation.Websites are listed below to assist with other scholarship searches. Be forewarned—the application process for scholarships is often as detailed as applying for college and sometimes the rewards are not large. The most important thing to remember is to never pay for a scholarship or for scholarship information. Criteria and instructions for applying for the scholarships listed on the bulletin will be clearly explained. It is vital that students read and follow directions!Remember, never pay for searches or for any financial aid information. You can always get all the information you need for free!  See below for several useful links for scholarship information. 

• CFNC.org
• FastWeb
• CollegeBoard
• Petersons
• Scholarships.com
• Broke Scholar
• CollegeView
• CFNC Scholarship Guide

FAFSA Application Tips

Ever wonder who the largest provider of financial aid is? It’s the federal government! Every year, it doles out more than $86 billion in grants, loans, and work-study awards to millions of students — and it’s really not complicated to find out if you qualify. No matter who you are, you simply have to complete the FAFSA, also known as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. (And yes, it’s free to apply.)

Why complete the FAFSA?

Completing the FAFSA form could be the most important thing you do when it comes to getting money to help pay for your education, and it may be the only form you need to fill out for some schools to determine your federal and state financial aid eligibility. In short, the FAFSA takes into account your or your family’s income, assets, and other information to calculate what you can afford to contribute to your education expenses. (Other information might include having siblings in college or family members on a fixed income.) This information is used to determine your eligibility for federal aid, as well as for many institutional, state, and private aid programs. The same form is used to determine eligibility for both undergraduate and graduate aid.

The following tips can help you maximize your chances of getting your share.

The basics of the FAFSA application

You can find the FAFSA online (www.fafsa.ed.gov).

The FAFSA lists a deadline of June 30, but some schools have what are called "priority processing deadlines" developed to encourage you to apply as early as possible to be eligible for all forms of aid they are able to award. Your best bet is to get the FAFSA in as soon as possible after January 1st each year. If you do not yet have completed tax forms, estimate your tax information to the best of your ability. You’ll be able to make corrections later.

Even if you’re applying to 10 schools, you need only complete one FAFSA application. (For aid at certain private schools, you may also have to submit the PROFILE, which is due in late September or early October.) You can designate that up to 10 schools receive your FAFSA information automatically. They’ll use it to create your financial aid award notification.

Completing the FAFSA Form

• Always double check that your information is accurate, and fill out the form completely. A failure to do so could lead to a costly delay in processing.
• Be sure to submit all required forms along with your application. Also check if your school requires any additional paperwork.
• Meet every deadline, at the bare minimum. It’s an even better idea to beat the deadline by as much as possible. Remember, certain types of aid are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Submitting your FAFSA online is the fastest way to get results. To do so, you just need to request a PIN (Personal Identification Number) from www.pin.ed.gov. Filing online can help you catch errors right away.
• Provide accurate information, understand everything you’re signing, and comply with all deadlines.
• Have questions? Many states have special call-in programs during January and February.

After you submit your FAFSA application

Once you’ve submitted your FAFSA, it goes to the Central Processing System (CPS). The CPS uses the Federal Methodology to calculate your results and create your Student Aid Report (SAR). This is then sent to you, your schools, and your state aid office. Keep a copy for your records!

Regardless of the school, certain aid will be available to you as long as you qualify: Pell Grants, Direct Loans, and Federal Family Education Loans (for undergraduate students).

Other forms of aid are limited, including work-study awards, supplemental grants, and institutional aid. Each school uses the SAR to create your financial aid package. Some schools may include more grants in your aid package, which means you will have fewer loans to repay. Others may leave a gap between your costs and the amount of aid that is awarded to meet those costs. In those cases, you will have to bridge that gap (your "unmet need") by alternate means. You'll need to examine and compare each school's financial aid award carefully to determine which is truly the best deal.

(Copied from www.petersons.com)

Attention Seniors! It's time to start writing your college essays!

Writing college application essays can be a daunting task for students. Teens struggling for inspiration can use their own experiences to identify themes and follow  these tips to brainstorm essay topics

 

They can also look over  these two essays that helped students get into the top-ranked Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. 

 

Finally, as teens wrap up summer jobs, parents should rest assured that most students  won't earn enough money to negatively affect college financial aid. 

Have a great day!