College Now Classes at CSI

Registration for the Spring term of College Now courses at CSI will be from Dec 1st - 5th!!

College Now offers FREE college credits!! This Spring, they are offering six courses to choose from:

• Introduction to Probability & Statistics (MTH 113), Saturdays 9am - 12:20pm
• Prerequisite: 80+ on Geometry Regents

• Psychology (PSY 100), Saturday 9am - 11:30am
• Prerequisite: 75+ ELA Regents, or 480 SAT / 50 PSAT Reading

• Introduction to Film (CIN 100), Saturdays 9am - 12:20pm
• Prerequisite: 75+ ELA Regents, or 480 SAT / 50 PSAT Reading

• Introduction to Political Science (POL 100), Saturdays 9am - 11:30am
• Prerequisite: 75+ ELA Regents, or 480 SAT / 50 PSAT Reading

• Sociology (SOC 100), Mondays 3:35 - 6:20pm
• Prerequisite: 75+ ELA Regents, or 480 SAT / 50 PSAT Reading

• Planet Earth / Planet Earth Laboratory (GEO 100/101), Saturdays 10am - 2pm
• Prerequisites: 
• A grade of 80+ on Algebra, Geometry or Trigonometry Regents, OR 500 SAT math, OR 21 ACT
• Students must be on track to successfully complete a third year of math at the time of registration

Registration will take place at the CSI campus - Building 1A, Room 208

Monday Dec 1 - Friday Dec 5, 9:30am - 4:30pm

The following information must be presented at the time of information:

1. A copy of the student's transcript and PSAT/SAT scores, if required
2. A copy of the student's social security card
3. A completed College Now registration form
4. A completed College Now cover sheet
5. A completed College Now parent/guardian consent form
6. Immunization Certification Form (*Note: Only part 1 must be completed!!)

Please see me or Ms. Licata for copies of the application or if you have any other questions!

-jmp

FAFSA pt 2

Okay seniors, it's time to start filling out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). No playing around here, this is something that needs to get done ASAP. A few reasons why you need to complete your FAFSA sooner rather than later:

• Some colleges have financial aid deadlines
• Some aid/grant money is first-come first-serve
• You need the FAFSA completed to be eligible for scholarships you apply for
• The sooner you complete the FAFSA, the sooner you can receive a financial aid award letter, which will help you determine your final school choice

We will be having another FAFSA workshop in late January - I will keep you updated on that information. In the meantime, you CAN start your FAFSA on your own. Here is some of the information you will  need in order to complete your application:

• Social Security number (parents and students) and drivers license
• Last years tax returns and W2 forms
• Records of untaxed income like welfare and veterans benefits
• Current asset info, such as bank statements, brokerage statements, mortgage info

I will be reviewing how to fill out the FAFSA more in depth but these are the steps you need to take right now.

Visit www.pin.ed.gov NOW and get a PIN number. This is your Personal Identification Number, and you will need this number EVERY SINGLE TIME that you fill out the FAFSA. You will need this number when you start the FAFSA, when you have to log back in to change something, when you sign and submit your application, when you log back in to your FAFSA next school year and fill it out all over again... This is a VERY IMPORTANT number and when you make it you MUST remember it! Your parent will also have to make a PIN number and remember it. Your PIN number is your electronic signature for your Financial Aid application and it will not be processed and submitted unless you put in your correct number. 

Finally, you can begin your Financial Aid application at www.fafsa.ed.gov 

DO NOT USE ANY OTHER WEBSITE BUT WWW.FAFSA.ED.GOV 

Any website that CHARGES YOU MONEY to fill out your application is a SCAM

The first letter in FAFSA stands for FREEEEEE, so if you're asked to pay for anything, you're at the wrong website

www.FAFSA.ED.GOV

Now get to work!!

-Ms. Miller-Pecora

FAFSA

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (from www.fastweb.com - http://www.fastweb.com/nfs/fastweb/static/PDFs/Financial_Aid_Wisdom.pdf)
File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is the gateway to financial aid from the federal and state governments and most colleges and universities. You can file
the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

File the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1 of your senior year in high school and each subsequent year. Do not wait until you have been admitted or you file you federal income tax returns. Some states have very early deadlines for state grants, as early as February 1, and other states give out money on a first-come first-served basis until the money is gone. Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, if possible, to prefill some of
the answers on your FAFSA. This will reduce the chances your FAFSA will be selected for verification. If you can’t use it to file the initial FAFSA due to timing considerations, use it to update the FAFSA after you’ve filed your federal income tax returns.

Apply for financial aid every year even if you think you won’t qualify or even if you didn’t qualify last year. The need analysis formulas are complicated enough that it is difficult to predict whether you will qualify without applying. Changes in the number of children in college at same time can have a big impact on aid eligibility, as can changes in income and the amount of assets. Families often overestimate their eligibility for merit-based aid and underestimate their eligibility for need based aid. Remember: You can't get aid if you don't apply.

-Ms. Miller-Pecora

Zinch webinar

How to Complete the FAFSA
January 14th, 4PM PT/7PM ET
(Register here)

Join us for Zinch's most popular annual webinar, How to Complete the FAFSA.  Jodi Okun from College Financial Aid Advisors and A Parent's Guide to Making College More Affordable will give a thorough line-by-line reading of the FAFSA application.  High school seniors and their parents/guardians are highly encouraged to register for this free webinar.  All registrants will receive a video recording of the presentation so live attendance is not required but certainly encouraged as there will be a Q&A session with Jodi.  Please go to Zinch.com/webinar to register for How to Complete the FAFSA and any of Zinch's other free webinars!

2013 Dream It. Do It. Challenge in NYC!

Ashoka’s Youth Venture and
New York University Stern School of Business present the
2013 Dream It. Do It. Challenge. - New York City Kick-Off!
2013 Dream It. Do It. Challenge. NYC Kick-Off!

FREE EVENT!

WHAT:
The Youth Venture Dream It. Do It. Challenge., in partnership with NYU Stern School of Business,
will bring high school students from across New York City together to participate in an in-person
workshop and a virtual campaign focused on social venture creation and the development of
career-relevant changemaker skills.

 All participants will have access to:
• Training and support around social venture creation and idea generation
• Materials and resources invaluable to starting and maintaining a Venture
• Experience and skills that will allow for a greater range of career opportunities and a standout
resume
• Identification with a global movement of 100,000+ Changemakers in the Youth Venture
network
• Community opportunities that allow for personal and Venture growth:
          • Webinar series
          • Post-launch funding competitions
          • Mentoring
          • Online platform
          • Global Summits

Eligible participants will be invited to submit their ideas in the The Young Men’s Initiative of the
City of New York virtual campaign with Ashoka Changemakers, which will create opportunities to:
• Judging: Ashoka Changemakers will convene a panel of expert judges to review top entries
• Community voting: A round of online community voting will draw new eyes to the
Young Men’s Initiative and allow citizens to cast their votes for the best ideas in youth
development.
• Media spotlights through partner channels such as Forbes, The Daily Beast, Huffington
Post, and Fast Company.

WHO:
High School Students across New York City

Criteria:
• Enrolled in a New York City High School
• Up to 10 registrants per school*
• Full completion of the registration form at youthventure.org/event/nyc
 
WHERE:
NYU Stern School of Business, Washington Square campus, 40 West 4th St.

WHEN:
 May 4th, 2013, 2-5pm

FREE EVENT!

*selection process is at the discretion of Ashoka’s Youth Venture

Upcoming College Events for Juniors

SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH 
New York National College Fair, 11:00am - 4:00pm
Jacob Javits Convention Center, 655 W 34th St, New York, NY
*FREE TO STUDENTS AND PARENTS!*

With over 350 colleges in attendance, this is the biggest college fair you'll find in NYC! 

Before the fair...

• Review the colleges that will be in attendance and decide which to visit
• Go to www.nacacnet.org/ncfstudent to:
• Register for the fair
• Watch the video for a complete fair overview
• Learn about different types of schools

At the fair...

• Pick up the on-site locator for the latest school list and a booth location map.
• Meet one-on-one with college representatives who can answer questions.
• Visit the Counseling/Resource Center to talk to a counselor about choosing a major, financial aid scholarship information, and more.
• Attend a Workshop about topics such as financial aid, college admissions, working with special needs students, and non-traditional students

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SUNY Group Information Sessions

SUNY Center for Student Recruitment, College of Optometry, Schwarz Theater

33 W. 42^nd St, 5:30pm

Dates: 4/24, 5/08, 5/29

Perhaps you're thinking about starting your college search or maybe you have already narrowed your search to a few colleges and your list includes one or more SUNY campuses. You and your family are invited to join staff from the SUNY Center for Student Recruitment in NYC for a group information session. You will have the opportunity to explore The State University of New York -- the campuses, academic programs, application and admissions process, financial assistance, and more!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May 19^th - SUNY College Fairs for HS Juniors

The Armory Track and Field Center, 216 Fort Washington Ave, 1:00pm

Start your SUNY journey close to home by joining us for a SUNY College Fair. Take a closer look at The State University of New York, one of the leading systems of higher education in the country, and you'll find tremendous opportunity, choice, value and success.

High school juniors and their families are invited to join SUNY representatives for a program designed to provide information and answer your questions about the college search process and all that is available to undergraduates at The State University of New York.