Did you ever consider taking a year off after school? A gap year? This could be an opportunity to think about what you want to do in life – a chance to grow and become self-confident. You could also develop life skills needed for college or work. Research has shown that students who take a year off after high school are more likely to graduate from college in four years. Most colleges will be likely to defer a student’s admission and hold a place for him in following year’s class.

Pell Grants are federal financial aid for low-income students. Here’s what you should know about the program:

• Pell Grants are targeted: In the 2010-11 academic year, approximately 74% of the nearly 9 million Pell Grant recipients had family incomes of $30,000 or less. Only 1.9% of recipients came from families with incomes exceeding $60,000 who typically have multiple children in college.

• The program can’t keep up with the cost of college: Since 2008, annual spending on the Pell Grant program has more than doubled, to nearly $40 billion, and with the Obama administration and Congress, the maximum grant has jumped from $4,731 to $5,550 (and is scheduled to rise again to $5,635 in fiscal year 2013). Despite these increases, the maximum Pell Grant is expected to cover less than one-third of the average cost of attendance at public four-year colleges next year.

• Increasingly, colleges are not doing their part: The country’s public and private non-profit four-year colleges are now spending a greater share of their institutional aid dollars on trying to attract the students they desire than on meeting the financial need of the low-and moderate-income students they enroll. While many schools use institutional aid to attract the best students in order to raise their U.S. News & World Report rankings, others are using these funds to attract wealthy students to maximize their revenue.

• Pell Grant recipients take on more debt than other students: Education Department data shows that Pell Grant recipients are “more than twice as likely as other students to have student loans (63% vs. 30%),” Amont those Pell Grant recipients who graduate from four-year colleges, nearly 9 out of 10 have student loans, with an average debt of $3,500 more than their higher income peers.

Here’s some important information for students who want to be recruited for college sports.

Spring break college visits: Meet with college coaches and players on the team, look at the facilities, and register for the Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse.

Winter/Spring: Send out cover letters and resumes with information about your summer campes, tournaments, and leagues. Talk with your coach, club coach, and college advisor about the athletic match. Prepare a video and be ready to sent it to coaches who request it. Follow up with an email or phone call.

Summer college visits: Meet with college coaches, check ou the facilities, and get a tour of the school.

Don’t despair – there are still openings at colleges. Take a look at this list of possibilities and other information from the Universal Application:  http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/1044429/ca0643bcae/TEST/TEST/

Taking the SATs? Get up to speed with this list of study guides and accessories.

Summer is fast approaching. What are you planning to do? Dreams of the beach come to mind? Instead, consider filling your summer with an activity that will make a difference on your college application. How do you go about picking the right activity? First, consider your interests and look for an experience that will highlight them. If you are a “mad” scientist, you might want to look into an internship in a research lab. If you live and breathe dancing, investigate an opportunity to refine these skills and take them to a new level- perhaps a camp or program. You don’t have to go to a “fancy” program at Yale or Dartmouth to have an experience that will resonate with admissions officers. Focus on what you really want to study and look for a program that will improve your skills, pique your interests, and is academically challenging. There are summer programs for high school students at almost every college and school. You might want to get a job this summer – even a menial job is an experience where you will gain skills, keep a schedule, answer to a boss, test your interpersonal skills, and meet obstacles and overcome them. Volunteering is another option. This can include helping an elderly person in your community. Take notes on your experience – it will make a great college application essay!

Let’s review some important information about the SAT subject tests. Be sure to check out the requirements at colleges you apply to – not all schools, even selective ones, require these tests. There are four categories of SAT Subject Tests:

• Math: You can take Math Level 1 or 2. For Level 1, students need 2 years of algebra and 1 year of geometry; for Level 2, students also need pre-calculus or trigonometry.

• Science: The three science tests available – biology, chemistry, and physics. The Ecological Biology Subject Test covers the environment, biological communities, population, and energy. The focus of Molecular Biology Subject Test is biochemistry and cellular processes and structures. Students who are interested in physical science or engineering majors should take chemistry and physics subject tests.

• Humanities/Social Sciences: The English SAT Subject Test is on the critical reading of literary works from various periods. Students interpret reading passages to demonstrate their ability to understand literary concepts and themes. The U.S. History exam focuses on major developments in the history of the United States, and the World History test covers global history from ancient to modern times.

• Languages: French, Spanish, and German tests are offered as stand-alone tests and are intended for students with 3-4 years of high school language. Other tests, written for students with 2+ years of language, include: Latin, Modern Hebrew, Italian, and Chinese.

SAT Subject Tests are 1-hour, multiple-choice exams. You are able to take up to three exams per test date. The next SAT Subject Test dates include May 5 and June 2. Register about one month in advance. All exams will be offered on these test dates. If students do not take them in May or June, the next time to do so will be in October.

If needed, take SAT Subject Tests in your junior year or at the beginning of senior year.

The acceptance letters will be coming. Now, you are faced with the “big” decision. You are going to spend 4 years at a college or university – you don’t want to make a mistake. How do you choose the right school for you?

• Think honestly about your options. Did you put a school on your list only because your parents or guidance counselors wanted you to apply? If you have no intention of attending a certain school, eliminate it.
• Can you picture yourself there? Can you see yourself living there, going to class, and making friends at the school?
• Be realistic. With economic realities, consider the cost of tuition, traveling expenses, etc.
• Visit the school again. You might want to visit the school one more time. Perhaps, you can arrange to stay over on campus – which will give you another view of the school.
• Make a list of the pros and cons. What do you like about the school; what are the negatives?

Don’t wait until the last minute. You have to decide about dorms, etc. At some point, you just have to commit to a certain school.

If you’re an international student, you face several steps to going to college in the United States. There a few things you’ll need to consider when planning to study in a college in the United States.

Admissions
Most international students take the SAT and the TOEFL, if English is not your first language. You can register for both online and sign up to take the tests in an overseas test center near your home.

Tuition

Unlike some other countries, a college education in the United States isn’t financed by the government—you’ll have to pay for it on your own. The amount varies, but most U. S. private colleges charge about $15,000 to $40,000 per year for a four-year degree program. Most financial aid in the States is only for citizens, including federal financial aid.

The school you apply to may have a few scholarships available for international students. This is always the best place to start. In addition, you may be able to get funding for school from your local government or other private organizations in your country.

You will also need a student visa and health insurance you can purchase through your school.

Here is an important article for international students – steps to complete in March: http://tinyurl.com/8y3bos7

Students: Think seriously about getting a summer job/internships that “does good”. There are many opportunities in your community to roll up your sleeves and tackle environmental problems, help underprivileged children, clean up your city, etc. These types of experiences provide great opportunities on which to base your college application essay. However, it’s important that you start looking for a job right now, since there will be a lot of competition for these jobs. For example, in Canada, “the unemployment rate for full-time students ages 17 to 19 grew from 13.2% in August 2008 to 16.5% in August 2009 before a slight drop to 15.8% in August 2011 (http://tinyurl.com/75vtfjo). Here are some job resources – good luck:

Boston, MA: http://www.fundforthepublicinterest.org/jobs/citizen-outreach-staff
Ontario, Canada: http://www.conservation-ontario.on.ca/jobs/index.html
Vermont: http://tinyurl.com/6qsvla8
USA: http://www.usajobs.gov/studentjobs, http://www.epa.gov/internships/
San Francisco: http://www.ehss.org/students.html