Research Blog : college help

College Admissions, round 2

kiya@evpl — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:14:00 GMT

My second child is now a high school junior, and we are once again getting overwhelmed by mail from colleges, the alphabet soup of tests - PSAT/ACT/ SAT/CLEP, and sometimes even the kindly questions about where she will go to school from every adult she meets.

If you, too, need help finding your way through this process, I highly recommend the College Prep series of programs scheduled at Red Bank Branch this month. This Thursday, the 13^th, will be a presentation on Choosing the Right College, followed on Thursday the 20^th by a talk on Applications and Admissions. The series wraps up on Thursday the 27^th by a program on Paying for College and Financial Aid. All programs begin at 6pm, and are presented by those who work in the field.

Once you have those under your belt, check out some of these materials:

8 first choices : an expert's strategies for getting into college / Joyce Slayton Mitchell

College admission : from application to acceptance, step by step / Robin Mamlet, Christine VanDeVelde

The financial aid handbook : getting the education you want for the price you can afford / Carol Stack and Ruth Vedvik

Then take a look at the following databases, available to you free through our website:

Career Transitions: Career Transitions walks users through the job-search process from beginning to end. Users can return to their profile in their library - or remotely - to track and update their progress. Career Transitions employs a step-by-step approach to help people: 1) explore new career possibilities; 2) assess their interests and experience; 3) identify ways to improve their prospects, including networking and education; 4) prepare for a job search; and 5) search and apply for jobs.
Testing & Education Reference Center: A start-to-finish resource with all the information and support materials needed to make informed, confident decisions to shape the rest of your life. Includes High School Tools, College Prep Tools, and Career Tools.

Paying for college

HelperBee@evpl — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:10:00 GMT

The start of a new school year is a good time to think about how to pay for college, and the library is a great place to explore some of your options. Ask at the Information Desk to be shown to a wide selection of books, from savings to scholarships.

You can even search for scholarships with our Testing & Education Reference Center database. Just choose the College Prep Tools option, followed by the Scholarship Search link. You will need to register, but it's well worth the time because this database has a lot to offer, and not just for those headed to college.

Finally, don't forget to check out our Useful Websites page, where we've gathered some sites for the College Bound.

We have a lot of great resources for anyone looking to pay for college, including at least one DVD. So be sure to check it out!

Southwest Indiana College Access Network (SICAN)

wag.mado@evpl — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:57:00 GMT

Today's Evansville Courier announced new and needed assistance for all middle school through high school students and their parents. The Southwest Indiana College Access Network (SICAN) has launched a wonderful website that has all kinds of useful information for college bound students. This website is currently under construction, however it already has an overabundance of help available. There are links to Pell Grants and Federal Student Aid (FASFA), explanation of basic types of student loans, registration deadlines and dates for the ACT, the SAT and the PSAT, a scholarship search page, helpful tips of all kinds and much more. If you are beginning to think about college, take a few minutes to look at this site. It will surely help you navigate the college test and financial world.