The 2022-23 Robins Spouses' Club (RSC) Scholarship applications are now open!

RSC will award academic scholarships of $250 (or more, depending on funds) to deserving high school seniors and continuing education students from eligible military families and eligible RAFB Department of Defense families. 

 

A Scholarship Selection Panel will determine the award winners based on (1) demonstrated scholastic achievement and (2) a personal essay. Eligible spouses and dependents are encouraged to apply, and the scholarship application categories are: 

·  High School Seniors 

 ·  High School Seniors with Learning Disabilities 

Electronic applications will be available starting December 1 and will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. ET on February 24, 2023 (no submissions will be accepted after this date and time). 

Visit https://www.robinsspousesclub.org/scholarships for more information. 

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or clarification needed.

Warm regards,

Seaira Spooney, RSC Scholarship Chair

330-319-3351

More application mistakes to avoid

by Lee Shulman Bierer

 

Hopefully, you’re winding down your application process. But if you still have applications to go, now is not the time to slow down or get sloppy. Below are several common mistakes that students continue to make despite admonitions from college admissions officers, guidance counselors, and yes, even parents!

1. Not taking your social media presence seriously.

Common wisdom states that if you don’t want your grandmother to see something, don’t post it. Your grandmother in this case is the college admissions office. Yes, many colleges do check Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. If you have posted something that is questionable, delete it. Colleges don’t typically spend a lot of time on the social media of their applicants, but frequently receive “tips” from parents or other students. I think it’s sad that the competitive nature of college admissions has led to this, but it’s our reality. Since applicants don’t typically have the opportunity for an interview or multiple “get-to-know-you” sessions, they review the information they’ve received.  Why ruin your chances before you’ve even applied?” If you’ve worked hard in high school and on your application, go the extra step of removing questionable content online.

2. Missing out on financial aid opportunities.

The FAFSA is just the first step when it comes to college funding. There are under-recognized savings opportunities, such as niche scholarships and in-state tuition reciprocity for some out-of-state applicants. You need to do your homework to tease out the best financial options for you. Take control and make sure you submit a complete and candid representation of your financial situation and your academic potential.

3. Making assumptions about the Common App

You’re all familiar with the adage “Don’t Assume – it makes an ASS of U and ME.” Unfortunately, too many students think that once they have filled out the Common App, they just point and click at the schools of interest, and they’re done. WRONG! Yes, you can apply to many schools via the Common App, but most schools require additional essays or materials.  That’s not something you want to find out at the eleventh hour. Create an application checklist that itemizes what each college requires and its optional materials. A wide range of colleges now offers students the opportunity to submit a resume.

4. Getting sloppy with cut and paste.

This is why you shouldn’t leave your essays and applications to the last minute. It seems so easy to copy and paste the “Why this college?” essay from one school to another, however, that is the antithesis of what colleges are looking for. They want to know why you want to go to their college and so that essay really requires personalization. Of course, then there are the students who blindly copy and paste the entire essay even when it mentions the name of the school in the essay. That’s an easy “no” from an admissions office.

Take a deep breath. For most of you, the process will be over in just over a month and that’s why it’s important to put your best effort in now. There will be plenty of time to relax during the waiting game.

Bierer is an independent college adviser based in Charlotte. Send questions to: lee@bierercollegeconsulting.com; www.bierercollegeconsulting.com

 

U.S. Air Force Academy Candidate Orientation Program

 

U.S. Air Force Academy Candidate Orientation Program

Prospective high school students who want to learn about attending the U.S. Air Force Academy can attend the Candidate Orientation Program on Saturday, December 17, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the American Legion in Smyrna. For more information, click here.

 

The Number One Reasons Many Colleges Don’t Admit You

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

This is a time of great waiting and wondering by high school seniors who are eager to hear about their college applications. Despite assurances from the grown ups that students have worked hard and made good choices, there is an abyss between hitting Send and hearing back that often gets filled by one question: Will I get in?

If these same caring adults have been honest with their seniors, the real answer here is “It depends”. In case they were hoping for something more than two words of, um, assurance, why not try a review of the key factors for most (that’s most) applicants:

Numbers  Colleges and counselors go out of their way to assure students there’s more to an application than grades and, sometimes, test scores. That’s absolutely true; at the same time, there’s only so much the other parts of the application can do to help an applicant with a C+ average to a college that generally admits students with a high A average.

This tends to be less true with test scores, since most colleges quietly admit students can coach their way to higher results of a three-hour exam. Overlooking three years of grades is quite another matter. Don’t get me wrong—applying with a 3.4 to a schools where the average admit has a 3.6 is more than reasonable. But once we get to a difference of more than a full point, the rest of the file would have to be something exceptional.

Writing  Too many students overlook the role of essays and personal statements. This is as close as you’re going to get to having a conversation with the admissions office, and you want that to go well, since grades show them what they’re admitting, but essays can show them who they’re admitting—and the human touch is a big deal.

This is also the only element of the application you have control of as a senior. Your grades are pretty well established by then, as are your relationships with the teachers writing letters on your behalf. Essays are the space that allows them to understand the real, current you.

Nothing  The number one reason many colleges turn down an applicant has nothing to do with the student—the college is simply not big enough to admit all the qualified students who would do wonderful things on campus. Most students don’t really understand this, responding to this idea with something along the lines of “Well, they admitted (fill in name of student the student knows) and didn’t admit me. What did they have that I don’t?”

This gets hard. The other student may be from South Dakota, and the college needs geographic balance. You are a neuroscience major, and they had more of those this year than they expected. The college decided to beef up its Latin program, and that’s not who you are. These institutional considerations aren’t usually talked about, because the college often doesn’t know they exist until they review the entire pool of applicants—so they can’t possibly tell you ahead of time. Discouraging? You bet. But that’s why caring adults help students build lists that have more than one college—in case a college on your lists simply runs out of room.

The bottom line? Let the colleges do their thing, and get back to class. If they do admit you, they won’t want you spending a single day on their campus worrying about the future. Don’t do that now. You’ve done what you can to find great next schools. Now is the time to trust yourself, and move forward.