Ok, well my counsler isn't very helpful and my parents did not grow up in America, so I need some help. I want to get some help with Student Scholarships and Finincial Aid, but its too confusing to me so someone has to guide me. I'm a Junior in highschool and have a 3.16 GPA with a 1580 on the SAT, is this any good? I want to be a dentist.
2007-03-10 18:09:00 · 6 answers · asked by hoodyman1337 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Other - Education
The counselor who will probably help you the most will have a title along the lines of "transfer counselor." Those are people who are very good at figuring out what you need for each major at their school. They work for the University you want to attend, so you want to make up a list of questions ahead of time, and make a good impression.
There are MANY scholarships in the US, so you just need to keep looking. There are scholarships for good grades, scholarships for financial need, scholarships for organizations you or your parents belong to, and so many more I can't even imagine them all. Really.
There are also lots of people who are trying to get any money they can get from you, so lots of people or organizations will try to get you to pay for their books or lists of scholarships. They may say they will help you fill them out, but not really. They will repete to you what the scholarship form already says, they don't do it for you. And most of those lists and books are out of date by the time they come off the press.
You must stay vigilent in spending plenty of time looking for them.
Since you are interested in becoming a dentist, ask local dental societies if they offer or know of any scholarships you might apply for.
Don't be afraid to use student loans subsidized by the government. You get to pay those off starting 6 months after you graduate.
Another way to reduce the cost of your education is to begin at local community colleges for your hardest science classes (usually physics) before you move to a University.
2007-03-10 18:33:38 · answer #1 · answered by Jeanne B 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your GPA is good and your SAT is excellent if it doesn't include the writing section and good if it does include writing. Since you're only a junior, you don't really have to worry about scholarships and financial aid yet. There aren't that many scholarships available to Juniors and the ones that are are likely also available to seniors and they are more likely to win them. You have some time to explore colleges and see if you really want to be a dentist. Your school guidence counselor will help a lot also.
Right now, you should start thinking about the schools you want to apply to. Search collegeboard.com for schools that offer a dentristry program. When you find some you are interested in, go on their website and obtain more information. You could also request an interview with an offical from the school or just a visit. You may want to retake the SATs sometime later this year or early next year and try to get your GPA up a little more. You don't have to worry about getting scholarships and financial aid until senior year for the most part.
2007-03-10 18:25:45 · answer #2 · answered by jjc92787 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I suggest Fastweb for scholarship searches and FAFSA online for the financial aid applications.
You should be able to get in to just about any school with that high of an SAT score, and as a first generation American you should have no trouble getting a scholarships.
Apply to several schools now and see which ones offer you the best financial aid package. Talk to their counselors since yours is not helpful.
Good luck.
2007-03-10 18:15:03 · answer #3 · answered by Chali 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have to apply for financial aid in a couple of steps. The first is to go to www.FAFSA.ed.gov and fill out a FAFSA form (free application for federal student aid), but you have to choose a school and a school year. This can only be done in the spring before your classes start. So you will want to fill out the form just before you graduate from high school. The same holds true for scholarships. You can start by applying at fastweb.com and that will provide you with a list of scholarships that you can investigate and apply for. You have to be accepted into a school before anyone will even consider you for any aid or scholarship though. Or in other words, you're jumping the gun by a few years.
You can go to this website for an idea of what a good sat score is... It says that 1540 is average.
http://collegeapps.about.com/od/sat/f/goodsatscore.htm
or go to dogpile.com and search SAT scores, exams etc...
Good luck to you.
2007-03-10 18:34:04 · answer #4 · answered by Lola 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am here to tell you, I am a fifth year college student and still don't understand financial aid. Financial aid depends mostly on the school of your choice however a web site that helped me out was www.myrichuncle.com, it gives you some more guiding.
As for obtaining scholarships, fill out each and everyone you can get you hands on. I felt like a failure if I didn't send off and fill out at least five a day. Hang in there, the reward is sweet.
As for you GPA and dental school you should be fine. I recommend Southern Illinois University dental school in Edwardsville and Alton Illinois. It is the second cheapest state university in illinois and is widely renowned for their outstanding dental program and acceptance rate.
Hope it helps!
2007-03-10 18:16:11 · answer #5 · answered by Rosey83 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
First step is to apply to your school of choice. Once accepted (you will be) they will help you at the financial aid office at the college.
Good job
Jen
2007-03-10 18:13:54 · answer #6 · answered by Jen 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋