How to Take the SAT, ACT for Free –

Here is a great article from US New & World Report on how to take the SAT and ACT for Free for those that qualify (click here).  In Wake County Public Schools, students are offered the ACT for free and typically take it during a regular school day.

 

Here is the fee waiver information from the SAT (College Board)

https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/fees/fee-waivers

Are You Eligible?

SAT fee waivers are available to low-income 11th and 12th grade students in the U.S. or U.S. territories. U.S. citizens living outside the U.S. may be able to have test fees waived. SAT Subject Test fee waivers are available for students in grades nine through 12.

You’re eligible for fee waivers if you say “yes” to any of these items:

• You’re enrolled in or eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
• Your annual family income falls within the Income Eligibility Guidelines set by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
• You’re enrolled in a federal, state, or local program that aids students from low-income families (e.g., Federal TRIO programs such as Upward Bound).
• Your family receives public assistance.
• You live in federally subsidized public housing or a foster home, or are homeless.
• You are a ward of the state or an orphan.

What Fee Waivers Cover

• The registration fee for up to two SATs, with or without the SAT Essay
• The registration fee for up to two SAT Subject Test administrations (take up to three individual SAT Subject Tests on a single test day)
• Four limited-time score reports plus four to use at any time (see details below)
• Four college application fee waivers
• Question-and-Answer Service (QAS) or Student Answer Service (SAS) if ordered at the time of registration (QAS and SAS aren’t available for SAT Subject Tests)
• A fee reduction for multiple-choice score verification or essay score verification
• Coverage of the SAT Essay if you are an SAT School Day tester whose school or district covers only the SAT but supports essay testing
• Coverage of the non-U.S. regional fee for fee-waiver-eligible U.S. students who are testing abroad
• Up to eight CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE^® fee waivers to use to apply online for nonfederal financial aid from colleges, universities, professional schools, and scholarship programs, for free.

The ACT is similar –https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/FeeWaiver.pdf

Here are the breakdowns of income before last year’s taxes:

1 person  family (including student)- $22,311

2 person family (including student) – $30,044

3 person family (including student) – $45,510

4 person family (including student)  – $53, 243

5 person family (including student)- $60, 976

(for each additional family member after a 5 person family add $7,733)

 

 

There is a tremendous focus right now on seniors applying to college. It’s a stressful and exciting time as seniors make their decisions on where to apply and how they are going to present themselves. However, what about 9^th and 10^th graders? This blog post is going to give you a useful step on the Savvy High School Students Path to College – Mindful Volunteering.

I know you are thinking – it is way too early to think about this for 9^th and 10^th graders. WRONG! However, it doesn’t need to be stressful. In many ways, 9^th and 10^th grades are the most fun time on the Savvy High School Students Steps on the Path to College because as it is about self-exploration. It is a time to try new things and start to focus on what your student really enjoys doing.

First, consider your student’s interests. Do they like sports? Do they like Art? Music? Writing? Whatever their interest is this is a great time to explore it and find ways to apply those interests. Next, take the time to think about how to use those interests and develop them.

Savvy High School Students Path to College – Mindful Volunteering. I know you know about volunteering, but the Savvy High School Students Path to College – Mindful Volunteering is about quality, not quantity. It is about finding your student’s interest and finding a way to coincide that interest with a volunteer activity.

I have a cousin who loves animals, particularly dogs. She spent some of her summertime working at a local doggy daycare. Other ways students can volunteer is at the animal shelter, rescue organizations, or help training therapy animals.

Love of animals = spend time with animals

When I was in high school, I loved music. I could play guitar and sing, but I wasn’t very good at reading music. I had spent many summers at camp and I knew many camp songs on the guitar. I talked to my church and asked if I could go to the Sunday school classes and play.  They said yes! I met with the teachers and arranged the time I would come to each class and teach the kids a song each week.  I went to three different classes each week. By the end of the school year, they knew lots of songs and we could spend time singing a few of them each class. I got a chance to do something I loved doing – singing and playing guitar as well as learned how to work with kids and manage a classroom (a skill I use both with adults when presenting and with kids when I volunteer at my kids’ school). These are just two examples of Savvy High School Students Path to College – Mindful Volunteering. Taking an interest and, hopefully, you can see where I am going – identify the interest and find opportunities to use and develop skills around that interest.

Love of music = teach music to Sunday school class

There are so many ways for your student to use their interests with Savvy High School Students Path to College – Mindful Volunteering. There are organizations that will help you find ways to put your passions to work such as http://www.volunteermatch.org/. You can also talk to your church or community center.  You might try the local chamber of commerce too.  If readily available activities don’t suit your needs create some of your own. While it is great to volunteer for non-profit organizations, your interests may be toward something that is not a non-profit (which is also ok). The essential part of this is to find ways to explore your student’s interest during 9^th and 10^th grade. Then in 11^th grade, they are ready to hone their focus and use their skills learned by volunteering to crystalize their interests and find ways to add leadership to their interests.

Raleigh National College Fair hosted by NACAC (National Association for College Admissions Counseling) will be at Raleigh Convention Center
Exhibit Hall C
500 S Salisbury St.
Raleigh, NC 27601

Tuesday, March 20, 2018  –4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

 

https://www.nacacfairs.org/attend/national-college-fairs/raleigh-college-fair/