SCHOLARSHIPS @

1. SCHOLARSHIPS @ Holy Heart High School

2. Criteria for selection . . . Good grades Involvement in Leadership activities Special Talent (e.g. music, athletics, etc) Community/School Volunteer Experience Financial Need If so, then you should be applying for scholarships!

3. Categories of scholarships Provincial gOVERNMENT Post-secondary entrance Private awarded to students in each electoral district based on the results of public exams www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/k12/highschool/scholarships scholarships ARARDED upon entrance into the institution. criteria always include grades Some institutions do not require students to submit a direct application for these scholarships because it is automatic with their application to enroll. others require completion of a separate application. It is up to each individual student to contact their university/college of choice to inquire about specific application procedures. Very few institutions inform schools of their scholarships, therefore, it is critical that students take responsibility to do their own research on the availability of scholarships

4. How do students get selected for a scholarship • Direct application • Fill out and submit a direct application independently. • Nomination by school Students must contact one of the counsellors if they wish to be considered for nomination. Only students who have submitted a scholarship profile will be considered as a possible candidate for nomination.

5. Improving your chances . . . • Prepare a scholarship profile. Level I & II students should gather information for a scholarship profile early (e.g. awards, achievement, etc). • Get active in the career planning process so that decisions can be made around what career areas you are interested in pursuing and therefore research post-secondary institutions and the scholarships they offer. • Investigate possible sources of scholarships in the community (i.e.parents’ employers, groups to which you or you parents may belong such as the Knights of Columbus, the Legion, etc.)

6. Improving your chances (cont’d) • Check advertising sources within the school on a regular basis e.g. scholarship bulletin board, announcements, school’s website, etc. • Contact the universities/colleges you are considering to obtain scholarship procedures. • Keep your marks up at all times because students may be required to forward their Level II marks for early scholarship offers. Don’t wait until the last minute to improve marks. Your entire transcript will likely be reviewed.

7. Improving your chances (cont’d) • Get involved in extracurricular activities and/or do some volunteer work on a regular basis over your entire high school career. Don’t wait until Level 3 to fit all of this in because the scholarship profile will assess academics and extracurricular involvement over the past three years. • Get involved in activities that promote leadership potential (i.e.Duke of Edinburgh Awards (www.dukeofed.org). • Familiarize yourself with the MUN entrance requirements and the courses used to calculate the entrance/scholarship average (www.mun.ca)

8. Improving your chances (Cont’d) • Be aware of deadlines. Don’t leave applications, letters of reference, and research until the last minute. • Check out websites for more information on scholarships: www.studentawards.comwww.scholarshipscanada.comwww.scholartree.ca

9. US Schools/SAT/P-SAT Students can access SAT information by contacting the College Board (www.collegeboard.org) Students must make direct contact with these US colleges and universities in order to access scholarship availability. If you are planning on applying to schools in the U.S., you must write the SATs. Before making this decision, you must first start with researching which schools you are considering and find out from them what tests they require (e.g. SAT I, and/or SAT Subject Tests). SATs are written on various dates. Registration and additional information is online at collegeboard.org The P-SAT is a practice exam for the SATs. It is only offered once during the school year. Students usually write this in Level 2 or 3. Visit the College Board website early in the school year to learn about the exam dates and location.

10. Scholarship profile categories • Academic Achievement • Extra Curricular Activities • School/Community Involvement/Volunteer Work • Employment • Other Significant Awards and achievements • Interests and Hobbies • Level 2 Transcript (available at the office) • Level 3 report cards to be added throughout the year. • Copies(only) of awards, achievements, certificates, letters of reference (optional), etc.

11. Tips for preparing a profile • presented in a 1” binder with your name on the spine • Name, photograph, full mailing address, phone number and e-mail, address should be on the front cover • Organize your profile into the categories previously identified • Break down each category by year starting with the most recent

12. Tips (Cont’d) • Be clear and concise - point format only • Include a description of duties and number of hours per week for extra-curricular activities and/or volunteer work • Be sure to indicate your degree of involvement and leadership • Include copies of achievement certificates, awards, etc. at the end of the profile as attachments or appendices

13. Tips (cont’d) • Typed in a legible font • DO NOT use plastic page covers • Transcript (please request from main office in advance) • Include the most recent Grade 12 report card as soon as you receive it • Update your scholarship profile regularly

14. Need help? • Start early so that you can come by the Guidance & Counselling office to receive feedback on your rough draft. • Examples of profiles available for viewing in the Guidance & Counselling office. • An templateis available for you to use as a guide.

15. Additional Resources • www.studentawards.com • www.scholarshipscanada.com • www.scholartree.ca • www.collegeboard.com • www.mun.ca • www.aes.gov.nl.ca/studentaid