College and Career Planning

Junior Year Packet

Junior Night Presentation

College Planning Handbook

Universal College Prep Timeline

College Visit Form

Parent Brag Sheet

Teacher Recommendation Request

Sample Essay Prompts

Glossary of Terms

College Admissions Testing

Questions about redesigned SAT

Early College Planning Grades 7-10

Summer Opportunities for Students

Important Websites to Bookmark

Common Application - Application form used by most colleges & universities:  https://www.commonapp.org/

FAFSA - Application for federal financial aid:  https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

Naviance - (Your student should have an account through AMSA) - College search resources, matching tools, college acceptance info, college fair info, integration with AMSA guidance department:  https://student.naviance.com/amsacs

College Board - Excellent resource for college planning, financial aid, grant, process info. College search resources, use to register for SATs, view past scores, & send score reports to colleges:  https://www.collegeboard.org/

Kaplan Test Preparation for ACT/SAT:  https://kaplan.com/

 

Paying for College

College Financing:  https://www.mefa.org/pay 

Get the Facts about Paying for College - for high school students:  https://www.mefa.org/plan/high-school

Financial Aid 101:  https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/financial-aid

FAFSA Help & Info:  https://finaid.org/fafsa/

Financial Aid Applications -
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid):  https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
CSS Profile Application (Some schools require in addition to FAFSA, usually private schools):  https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/

What the CSS Profile Is & How to Complete It:  https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/financial-aid-101/how-to-complete-the-css-financial-aid-profile

Expected Family Contribution Calculators: 
https://finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate/
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/paying-your-share/expected-family-contribution-calculator
https://finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate/

College Cost Calculator:  https://www.mefa.org/college-cost-calculator

 

College Entrance Tests

ACT Registration:  https://www.act.org/ 

SAT Registration, PSAT scores, past SAT scores:  https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat

 

Scholarship Search Sites

Merit Aid:  www.meritaid.com

Fastweb:  www.fastweb.com

Scholarships.com:  www.scholarships.com

College Board Scholarship Search:  https://pages.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search

Sallie Mae Scholarship Search:  https://ww2.salliemae.com/college-planning/tools/scholarship-search/

 

College Search

College Board College Search:  https://collegesearch.collegeboard.org/home

Best Value Colleges, Princeton Review Ranking:  https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings?rankings=best-value-colleges

Princeton Review College & University Information:  https://www.princetonreview.com/

College Rankings & Information:  https://www.usnews.com/education

Colleges That Change Lives:  www.ctcl.org

College Navigator - fueled by the U.S. Department of Education’s monster database:  http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/

Forbes magazine’s college rankings:  http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/list/

College Results Online - a service of the Education Trust and a great source to check any school’s graduation rates, and to generate lists of comparable schools:  www.collegeresults.org,

Unigo - comments, reviews, and videos from current students who share their opinions about their schools:  www.unigo.com

Niche - popular with students who want peer reviews of colleges & universities:  https://www.niche.com/

Niche Best Colleges - comments, reviews, and videos from current students who share their opinions about their schools:  https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-colleges/

 

Help Finding the Right Career

https://roadtripnation.com/edu/careerfinder

Occupational Outlook Handbook:  http://www.bls.gov/ooh/

College Majors 101 - resource to research college majors:  www.collegemajors101.com

Virtual School Visits - provides videos of many schools (or go to school websites):  www.YOUniversityTV.com

18 Tips for a Great College Application:  https://www.bates.edu/admission/18-application-tips-for-prospective-students/

 

Massachusetts Colleges & Universities

Massachusetts Directory of Public Colleges & Universities - with links to college websites:  https://www.mass.edu/system/campusdirectory.asp

Massachusetts Private Colleges & Universities - AICU Mass is an association of 61 private colleges & universities:  https://aicum.org/member-list/

 

Athletes Planning to Play Competitive Sports in College

NCAA:  https://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/future

NCSA:  https://www.ncsasports.org/

 

AMSA Student-Athlete Leadership Scholarship -- Awarded to two deserving student-athletes who have excelled in the classroom as well as in the realm of athletics and have shown exceptional leadership qualities in doing so. An anonymous family of recent AMSA graduates has generously offered to sponsor two scholarships in the amount of $500 for one male and one female scholar athlete who have emerged as leaders amongst their peers. Applicants do not need to have plans to pursue athletics in the future but must be attending a four-year college or university. In addition to the materials required in this application, eligible students must submit a one page essay on how he/she has demonstrated outstanding leadership in sport, in the classroom and in the community. Also include the name of a Coach and an AMSA staff member that can be contacted for reference.   Application form

Avidia Bank David F. Lamson Memorial Scholarship -- Created in memory of the former Avidia Bank Chairman of the Board, David F. Lamson. David was not only the Chairman of the Board but was previously the President of Hudson Savings Bank. He was the proud owner of R.S. Lamson & Sons Lumber Company in Hudson, MA. David proudly served in World War II and was an active member of the Hudson Rotary Club, the Hudson Planning Board, and the Hudson Elks. David’s legacy has helped shape Avidia Bank’s success and continues to live on. The details of the scholarship are as follows: One thousand dollars ($1,000) will be made payable to one student at the beginning of their second semester of their freshman year of college. This payment is dependent upon achievement of an overall grade average of 2.5 during their first semester of their freshman and proof of a commitment to return for a second semester.   Application form

Walker Development & Construction Management Entrepreneurial Scholarship is now open! This scholarship honors a member of the graduating class at AMSA who embodies the creative spirit, positive attitude, and sincerity fostered at Walker. This $500 scholarship can fund any creative or entrepreneurial pursuit you have in mind. Deadline May 2.   Application form