Researching and Applying for Scholarships

Class will reopen on September 1. Registration opens on August 1. Modules provide a comprehensive approach to researching scholarships, creating high quality scholarship applications, writing essays, and provides strategies for effectively responding to writing prompts.

2020 Middle School College Planning Boot Camp

This classroom is now closed.

2021 GCS Rising Juniors Boot Camp

The date of the 2021 4-day College Planning Boot Camp has yet to be determined. Interested GCS students should contact the Guilford County Schools Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. 

2020-21 9th-10th Grade Classroom

Setting goals within a college context reflects the concept of, "Backwards Mapping," or beginning with the end in mind. For one student, the end may be getting into their top choice college. For another student, the end may be earning a full scholarship. For Omar, who joined our Atlanta-area Cohort as a rising 9th grader, his goal has been to develop an exceptional body of work. Now, a high school sophomore with a perfect 4.0 GPA, ranked at the top of his class, and a member of our College Planning Cohort Youth Leadership Board, Omar embodies the example of beginning each school year focused on developing the body of work required to achieve your college, career, and scholarship goals. Students in our 9th-10th Grade Classroom set goals and engage in a similar set of activities as high school juniors during the first semester, in which they: 

1. Explore their gifts, talents, and areas where they believe themselves capable of pursuing exceptionality.
2. Identify their personality type and interest profile, and explore careers and college majors that best match to their personality and interests.
3. Identify the type and level of coursework aligned with their gifts, talents, and interests.
4. Identify activities and community service aligned with their gifts, talents, personality, and interests.
5. Explore leadership opportunities, honors, and awards aligned with their gifts, talents, personality, and interests.

Students complete monthly presentations outlining what they have learned as part of their small group discussions. 

2020-21 High School Junior Classroom

The COVID-19 impact on high schools and the future impact on college admissions, requires that high school seniors be intentional in their course taking, grades, leadership, activities, and service. Sydney (pictured here), from our 2020 Pinellas County Schools Cohort, begin our program as a high school junior with a clear focus on making herself the strongest possible candidate for being offered admission to her top choice school, the University of Chicago, where she was ultimately offered admission, together with a full scholarship.  High school juniors are on an aggressive timeline to create the highest qualify body of work as possible prior to the end of their junior year of high school within each of the following 5 areas: 

1. Gifts, talents, and areas where they believe themselves capable of pursuing exceptionality.
2. Aligning their personality type and interest profile with careers and college majors.
3. Identify the type and level of coursework aligned with their gifts, talents, and interests.
4. Engaging in activities and community service aligned with their gifts, talents, personality, and interests.
5. Pursuing leadership opportunities, honors, and awards aligned with their gifts, talents, personality, and interests.

Collectively, what students accomplish within these 5 areas by the end of their junior year of high school, will create a body of work that will define their college and scholarship opportunities as a high school senior. 

2020-21 High School Senior Classroom

First and foremost, our program is about, "Packaging." With so many colleges becoming test optional in 2021 as a result of COVID-19 disruptions to SAT/ACT testing dates, college applications to selective schools are likely to double or triple to 40,000 - 80,000 applications. Only students with the best packaging will be competitive applicants in such a large pool of applications. Becoming a well packaged student requires extensive college and scholarship research and then matching your 'Self Presentation' or your package (i.e., résumé, essays, recommendations, leadership, service, coursework, and grades) in such a way as to make you an exceptional candidate amongst thousands of exceptional candidates. The High School Senior Classroom provides comprehensive guidance through such areas as researching colleges and scholarships; matching student aspirations and family's financial need to a well-matched group of colleges; completing the FAFSA/CSS Profile; choosing the best admission cycles; developing an academic résumé as a college/scholarship application supplement; identifying the best teacher recommenders; identifying specialized scholarships and academic programs; and creating high quality college and scholarship applications. High school seniors are guided through live monthly virtual sessions and small group conversations designed to assist students in becoming the strongest possible college and scholarship applicants.

2021 High School Senior Boot Camp

This classroom does not open until June, 1, 2021.

2020 Middle School College Planning Boot Camp (Intern Classroom)

This classroom is now closed.

2021-22 9th-10th Grade Classroom

This classroom does not open until September, 1, 2021.

2021-22 High School Junior Classroom

This classroom does not open until September, 1, 2021.

Welcome to Our Program

The Welcome to Our Program units must be completed by each newly registered student. The units outline such important actions for sharing documents, setting up email signatures, creating an academic résumé in the format used in our program.

2020-21 Middle School Classroom (8th Grade)

As an elementary school student, Kimberly embraced our philosophy of "Backwards Mapping," or beginning with the end in mind. For one student, the end may be getting into their top choice college. For another student, the end may be earning a full scholarship. For Kimberly, as a rising 6th grader, her goal was to qualify for at least one full college scholarship. Entering middle school with a 7-year middle-through-high school plan of classes, activities, leadership, and service, Kimberly exceed her goal by earning 6 full college scholarships, valued at $1.8 Million to Amherst College, Duke University, Princeton University, Vanderbilt University, Washington & Lee University, and Williams College. Now a 4th-year student at Williams College, the top ranked liberal arts college in the United States, Kimberly has attended college on a full scholarship that has not only covered all college costs, but has providing funding to assist with purchasing a laptop computer, books, and travel expenses. Kimberly has majored in math and chemistry, with aspirations of becoming a high school math teacher. What is equally remarkable about Kimberly's story is that less than 2 percent of college students are offered full scholarships. While few students will graduate from high school as academically accomplished as Kimberly, any student can follow a similar set of actions throughout middle school and high school by developing an intentional plan of maximizing their course taking, extracurricular activities, leadership, and community service opportunities. Our 2020/21 Middle School Classroom (8th Grade) provides guidance for any middle school student with college and career aspirations. Students in our Middle School Classroom are engaged in: 

1. Researching college and career opportunities aligned with their interests and aspirations.
2. Researching high school programs and opportunities aligned with their interests and aspirations.
3. Matching their interests and aspirations to extracurricular activities, summer programs, leadership opportunities, and community service.
4. A mid-year assessment to monitor their progress.
5. Developing a 4-year high school plan of course taking, extracurricular activities, leadership, and service.

Students complete monthly presentations outlining what they have learned as part of their small group discussions. 

12th Grade College Planning Cohort Classroom (Imported)

While the modules are sequenced in a manner as to guide high school seniors through the process of creating 'High Quality' college application packages, students may choose to navigate the classroom based on their most critical needs. More units on scholarship research will be provided over the coming weeks.

2020-21 High School Junior Classroom (2nd Semester)

The COVID-19 impact on high schools and the future impact on college admissions, requires that high school seniors be intentional in their course taking, grades, leadership, activities, and service. Sydney (pictured here), from our 2020 Pinellas County Schools Cohort, begin our program as a high school junior with a clear focus on making herself the strongest possible candidate for being offered admission to her top choice school, the University of Chicago, where she was ultimately offered admission, together with a full scholarship.  High school juniors are on an aggressive timeline to create the highest qualify body of work as possible prior to the end of their junior year of high school within each of the following 5 areas: 

1. Gifts, talents, and areas where they believe themselves capable of pursuing exceptionality.
2. Aligning their personality type and interest profile with careers and college majors.
3. Identify the type and level of coursework aligned with their gifts, talents, and interests.
4. Engaging in activities and community service aligned with their gifts, talents, personality, and interests.
5. Pursuing leadership opportunities, honors, and awards aligned with their gifts, talents, personality, and interests.

Collectively, what students accomplish within these 5 areas by the end of their junior year of high school, will create a body of work that will define their college and scholarship opportunities as a high school senior.