Showing posts with label college. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
MVC UB Grads, tell us about yourselves!
Dear graduates, please let us know how you're doing! Take a few minutes to answer five quick questions for us. Fill out the form here!
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Battle for the Iron Skillet: October 1st
On October 1st, we will partake in a very important part of higher education: the college rivalry.
Fort Worth's Texas Christian University Horned Frogs and Dallas's Southern Methodist University Mustangs will meet at the Amon Carter Football Field to battle for... a skillet.
Why a skillet? One story claims that "an SMU fan in the 1950s was caught frying frogs legs in a skillet at a tailgate before the game, and a TCU fan wagered that the winner should take the pan home". However, the real story is probably more boring: the student councils for each school decided to have a "trophy" and decided to pick something similar to Michigan's and Minnesota's Little Brown Jug.
Whatever the origin, this is a long-standing tradition in the DFW area, and we want you to experience it. We will meet at MVC at noon (buses will pick you up at the schools), have lunch at MVC, then head to Fort Worth. We will take a tour of the TCU campus before the game, which starts at 2:30. After the game, we will have dinner, then head back to MVC. We should be back on campus by 8:00.
We have a limited number of tickets for this event, therefore only those who have signed up will be able to attend. If we have more students than tickets, we will choose who will go based on attendance (at Saturday Academies and at tutoring), and behavior.
Fort Worth's Texas Christian University Horned Frogs and Dallas's Southern Methodist University Mustangs will meet at the Amon Carter Football Field to battle for... a skillet.
Located less than 45 minutes from one another, the crosstown rivals have been battling each other on the field of competition since the early 1900s with over 300 games played on the gridiron and hardwood.The rivalry was created during the 1915 season when the Frogs recorded a 43-0 victory over the Mustangs followed by 48-3 and 21-0 triumphs over the following two seasons (a combined 112-3 score during that period).
During the post-World War II college football boom, the student bodies at TCU and SMU created a traveling trophy called the Iron Skillet that was presented to the winner of the annual football game. Over the next few decades, the tradition of the Iron Skillet died, but the rivalry continued to be as heated as ever between the two schools. (TCU Athletics)
Why a skillet? One story claims that "an SMU fan in the 1950s was caught frying frogs legs in a skillet at a tailgate before the game, and a TCU fan wagered that the winner should take the pan home". However, the real story is probably more boring: the student councils for each school decided to have a "trophy" and decided to pick something similar to Michigan's and Minnesota's Little Brown Jug.Whatever the origin, this is a long-standing tradition in the DFW area, and we want you to experience it. We will meet at MVC at noon (buses will pick you up at the schools), have lunch at MVC, then head to Fort Worth. We will take a tour of the TCU campus before the game, which starts at 2:30. After the game, we will have dinner, then head back to MVC. We should be back on campus by 8:00.
We have a limited number of tickets for this event, therefore only those who have signed up will be able to attend. If we have more students than tickets, we will choose who will go based on attendance (at Saturday Academies and at tutoring), and behavior.
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| Photo from TCU Magazine's The History of the Iron Skillet |
Monday, April 18, 2011
Transferring from a DCCCD School to a Four-Year University
If you're thinking of starting out at a community college (Mountain View or another DCCCD school) to complete your core courses and transferring to a four-year university later on to complete your degree, this page may be helpful to you. It links to the university you want to attend and which DCCCD courses transfer to that university.
Check to see if your chosen school has an articulation agreement with DCCCD schools: some colleges and universities have a special deal with community colleges to help you get more of your degree plan completed at the community college (allowing more of your credits to transfer into the university's degree plan). Remember that tuition is much cheaper at a community college than at four-year universities -- the more classes you can take at a community college, the better!
On our April 30 meeting, graduating seniors will meet with MVC First-Year Experience advisors to help them choose the courses they will take for the Summer Bridge program. Make sure you're here for that! Your academic advisor will be your best friend, especially when you are transferring from one school to another. You want to make sure that all the classes you take at MVC will transfer to the four-year university you plan to attend, and will count toward your chosen major and degree plan.
Check to see if your chosen school has an articulation agreement with DCCCD schools: some colleges and universities have a special deal with community colleges to help you get more of your degree plan completed at the community college (allowing more of your credits to transfer into the university's degree plan). Remember that tuition is much cheaper at a community college than at four-year universities -- the more classes you can take at a community college, the better!
On our April 30 meeting, graduating seniors will meet with MVC First-Year Experience advisors to help them choose the courses they will take for the Summer Bridge program. Make sure you're here for that! Your academic advisor will be your best friend, especially when you are transferring from one school to another. You want to make sure that all the classes you take at MVC will transfer to the four-year university you plan to attend, and will count toward your chosen major and degree plan.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Graduating Seniors: Get your FAFSA ready!
Graduating seniors! Since you will no longer be high school students after the first week in June, you won't be taking the regular UB high school classes this summer -- instead, you will participate in MVC UB's (first ever!) Summer Bridge program.
As the name implies, the Summer Bridge program aims to help you "cross over" from high school to college. You will still participate in the UB Summer Academy, have breakfast and lunch with the group, and go on Friday field trips with us, but instead of taking high school courses, you will take credit college courses at MVC. These courses will be the start of your college career; we'll make sure you register for required courses that will transfer to your college of choice.
Unlike dual credit courses, which are free, you have to pay for these college credit hours. You can choose to pay out of pocket, or you can fill out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or (as its friends call it), the FAFSA.
Since you will need financial aid for the 2011 summer session, which is still part of the 2010-2011 school year, you will need to fill out the 2010-2011 FAFSA, using your parents' 2009 income tax information. The priority deadline to apply for summer funds is April 1st (no joke!) That day is sneaking up soon, so please make sure you get this done!
The easiest way to apply is online. If you want, you can fill out the online application here in the MVC UB office, but you must call and make an appointment to do this, to make sure someone is here to help you. You will need to bring your parents' tax information with you.
Remember that you never pay for scholarship or financial aid information. Remember that first "F" in "FAFSA"? Remember what it stands for? "FREE." There are websites and other organizations that will offer to find "special" or "secret" grants, scholarships, loans, etc. for you, if you pay them... these are scams! Do not let them take advantage of you! Grant, scholarship, loan, and other financial aid information is available for free. You should never pay for any of it.
Now, seniors, remember that you will also have to fill out the 2011-2012 FAFSA using your parents' 2010 income tax information, to receive financial aid for the 2011-2012 school year. You want to do that as soon as possible, too!
As the name implies, the Summer Bridge program aims to help you "cross over" from high school to college. You will still participate in the UB Summer Academy, have breakfast and lunch with the group, and go on Friday field trips with us, but instead of taking high school courses, you will take credit college courses at MVC. These courses will be the start of your college career; we'll make sure you register for required courses that will transfer to your college of choice.
Unlike dual credit courses, which are free, you have to pay for these college credit hours. You can choose to pay out of pocket, or you can fill out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or (as its friends call it), the FAFSA.
Since you will need financial aid for the 2011 summer session, which is still part of the 2010-2011 school year, you will need to fill out the 2010-2011 FAFSA, using your parents' 2009 income tax information. The priority deadline to apply for summer funds is April 1st (no joke!) That day is sneaking up soon, so please make sure you get this done!
The easiest way to apply is online. If you want, you can fill out the online application here in the MVC UB office, but you must call and make an appointment to do this, to make sure someone is here to help you. You will need to bring your parents' tax information with you.
Remember that you never pay for scholarship or financial aid information. Remember that first "F" in "FAFSA"? Remember what it stands for? "FREE." There are websites and other organizations that will offer to find "special" or "secret" grants, scholarships, loans, etc. for you, if you pay them... these are scams! Do not let them take advantage of you! Grant, scholarship, loan, and other financial aid information is available for free. You should never pay for any of it.
Now, seniors, remember that you will also have to fill out the 2011-2012 FAFSA using your parents' 2010 income tax information, to receive financial aid for the 2011-2012 school year. You want to do that as soon as possible, too!
Monday, March 21, 2011
President Obama to Participate in Televised Town Hall on Education
Image via WikipediaHave any questions for the President on education? (I know I do!)On March 28, President Obama will host a "televised town hall" on education, specifically focusing on Latino students. Univisión will televise the event, called Es el momento: el Presidente, los hispanos y la educación (This is the moment: the President, Hispanics, and education).
If you (or your parents) have questions, you can submit them here. The event will be shown in English and in Spanish; you can get more info about it here.
What would you like to ask the President about education? About Upward Bound? About his commitment to students like you to help you succeed in high school and college?
President Obama to Participate in Televised Town Hall on Education | The White House
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
MVC/LULAC UB trip to Austin
Image via WikipediaThis Spring Break, MVC and LULAC Upward Bound programs will take a trip to Austin, to tour the Texas State Capitol Building and the University of Texas campus.
We will depart MVC at 5:00AM on Tuesday, March 15th. Please make sure you are here on time! We will serve breakfast at 4:00AM; please be here no later than 4:30 so we can load the buses and leave by 5:00.
Image via WikipediaLunch will be in Austin, probably on the UT campus. Dinner will be in Temple, on the way back to DFW.
We should be back at the MVC campus around 10:30 Tuesday night. Make sure someone is there on time to pick you up!
For more info and to RSVP, check out the Facebook event.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
SAT Essay Scoring - How SAT Essays Are Scored
If you're taking the SAT, you probably want to take a look at this link, which tells you how the essay is scored and gives examples of high- and low-scoring essays. The essay you have to write for the SAT is pretty much completely different from the essays you have been writing for your teachers for the past 11 and a half years of school, which makes your task rather challenging. Oh, and did I mention you only have 25 minutes to write it?
The SAT starts with an essay -- it will always be the first section. The essay prompt consists of a quote, and a question; you have to pick a position based on the question and give examples from history, literature, or your own experience, to present your position.
In this example (from the College Board's website), you have to decide whether you want to write an essay saying memories hinder people in their efforts to learn from the past and succeed in the present, or that memories help people in their efforts to learn from the past and succeed in the present. Do memories get in the way, or are they useful?
The key thing to remember when answering these essay prompts is that the people scoring the essay are not trying to find out what you truly believe -- all they want to know if whether you can write. You don't have to decide what you honestly think about the topic, you just need to figure out which position is easier to write.
Maybe you think that memories are hugely important, that we are doomed to fail in the present if we do not remember our past and learn from it, but the only example you can think of shows the opposite: the first time you stood up in front of your English class to present your book report you were nervous but excited because you really liked the book you read and were eager to share your report with the class, and you were sure the teacher would give you a good grade because you were so prepared and had even gone above and beyond and added extra stuff to your presentation. But when you walked up to the front of the class, this one guy in the front row made a farting noise as you walked by, and the whole class laughed; and then, when he saw the title of the book you were presenting, he made a joke about what a stupid book that was and the whole class laughed again. You were so upset you stumbled through your presentation, made lots of mistakes, and didn't even present half the stuff you had planned on presenting, and barely made a passing grade. Because of that experience, you hated doing the book reports, and always left them until the last minute and were unprepared when it was time to present in class. If you could let go of that memory of the first book report, if you could repress that memory and move on, you would be able to work on your book report presentations with the same enthusiasm you had before the jerk ruined your first presentation.
The readers do not care what you actually think, and remember there is no "right" answer. You need concrete examples for your position; if you can think of one or two good examples, then write on that position, even if you do not personally feel strongly about it.
If you can find examples in history or literature, that's great -- it shows you know your history and literature. Burt if you can't think of any examples from history or literature, don't panic; use a personal example (something that happened to you or someone you know). As long as you can communicate your ideas clearly and present a relevant example, the readers are happy. If you look at the sample essays on the College Board website, you will see the first example of an essay that scored a 6 gives a personal example, not one from literature or history.
Take a moment to read the sample essays and why they scored how they did. Make sure you look at the high-scoring essays and the low-scoring ones!
The "Strategies" tab gives some useful tips on how to write a successful SAT essay; also worth a read! Also take a look at the "Effective Writing" tab for more tips.
One thing that makes the SAT essay so nerve-wracking is the fact that you have a mere 25 minutes to read the prompt, think of examples, pick a position, and write the essay. Keep a couple things in mind: A) the readers know that you only had 25 minutes to do all this, and B) the readers will only spend a few minutes reading and grading your essay. They won't spend a bunch of time over-analyzing every detail; they will read over your essay once or twice, and give it a score. Then they'll move on to the next essay.
Every essay is read by two people. Each person gives the essay a score from 1-6 (essays that do not address the topic receive a score of 0). If both scores are within one number of each other, the scores are added together and this gives you your final score, a number between 2-12. If the two readers' scores differ by more than one point (Reader A gave you a 2, and Reader B gave you a 4, for example), then a third reader evaluates your essay. However, according to The Official SAT Study Guide (published by the College Board, the makers of the SAT), "fewer than 3 percent of the essays scored go to a third reader."
Here is the rubric the SAT readers use to score your essays: SAT Essay Scoring - How SAT Essays Are Scored
If you want some extra free SAT practice materials, check the Question of the Day, sample SAT practice questions, or the full SAT practice test available on the College Board's website.
The SAT starts with an essay -- it will always be the first section. The essay prompt consists of a quote, and a question; you have to pick a position based on the question and give examples from history, literature, or your own experience, to present your position.
The key thing to remember when answering these essay prompts is that the people scoring the essay are not trying to find out what you truly believe -- all they want to know if whether you can write. You don't have to decide what you honestly think about the topic, you just need to figure out which position is easier to write.
Maybe you think that memories are hugely important, that we are doomed to fail in the present if we do not remember our past and learn from it, but the only example you can think of shows the opposite: the first time you stood up in front of your English class to present your book report you were nervous but excited because you really liked the book you read and were eager to share your report with the class, and you were sure the teacher would give you a good grade because you were so prepared and had even gone above and beyond and added extra stuff to your presentation. But when you walked up to the front of the class, this one guy in the front row made a farting noise as you walked by, and the whole class laughed; and then, when he saw the title of the book you were presenting, he made a joke about what a stupid book that was and the whole class laughed again. You were so upset you stumbled through your presentation, made lots of mistakes, and didn't even present half the stuff you had planned on presenting, and barely made a passing grade. Because of that experience, you hated doing the book reports, and always left them until the last minute and were unprepared when it was time to present in class. If you could let go of that memory of the first book report, if you could repress that memory and move on, you would be able to work on your book report presentations with the same enthusiasm you had before the jerk ruined your first presentation.
The readers do not care what you actually think, and remember there is no "right" answer. You need concrete examples for your position; if you can think of one or two good examples, then write on that position, even if you do not personally feel strongly about it.
If you can find examples in history or literature, that's great -- it shows you know your history and literature. Burt if you can't think of any examples from history or literature, don't panic; use a personal example (something that happened to you or someone you know). As long as you can communicate your ideas clearly and present a relevant example, the readers are happy. If you look at the sample essays on the College Board website, you will see the first example of an essay that scored a 6 gives a personal example, not one from literature or history.
Take a moment to read the sample essays and why they scored how they did. Make sure you look at the high-scoring essays and the low-scoring ones!
The "Strategies" tab gives some useful tips on how to write a successful SAT essay; also worth a read! Also take a look at the "Effective Writing" tab for more tips.
One thing that makes the SAT essay so nerve-wracking is the fact that you have a mere 25 minutes to read the prompt, think of examples, pick a position, and write the essay. Keep a couple things in mind: A) the readers know that you only had 25 minutes to do all this, and B) the readers will only spend a few minutes reading and grading your essay. They won't spend a bunch of time over-analyzing every detail; they will read over your essay once or twice, and give it a score. Then they'll move on to the next essay.
Every essay is read by two people. Each person gives the essay a score from 1-6 (essays that do not address the topic receive a score of 0). If both scores are within one number of each other, the scores are added together and this gives you your final score, a number between 2-12. If the two readers' scores differ by more than one point (Reader A gave you a 2, and Reader B gave you a 4, for example), then a third reader evaluates your essay. However, according to The Official SAT Study Guide (published by the College Board, the makers of the SAT), "fewer than 3 percent of the essays scored go to a third reader."
Here is the rubric the SAT readers use to score your essays: SAT Essay Scoring - How SAT Essays Are Scored
If you want some extra free SAT practice materials, check the Question of the Day, sample SAT practice questions, or the full SAT practice test available on the College Board's website.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Senior Info: Filling out the FAFSA
Seniors, in order to fill out your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) for the 2011-2012 school year (when you will be college freshmen!) your parents need to have their 2010 tax return information. Remind your parents to file their taxes as soon as possible, so you can fill out your FAFSA and get your financial aid for your first year of college!
You can fill out your FAFSA online (you must use Internet Explorer to do this, not Moxilla Firefox or Google Chrome), or you can fill out a PDF version either directly on your computer (but be careful -- you cannot save the information on your computer; to save your information you must print the document or start all over the next time you open the link) or on paper, after printing out the blank form. You can also call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) to request that a paper form be mailed to you.
If you fill out your FAFSA online, the website helps you complete each step of the application. It also saves all of your information for you, so you can come back to the form and fill out the rest of it later if you need to. You can also check the status of your FAFSA once you have submitted the application.
If you do not have Internet access at home, you can use a computer here, on the MVC campus. Please call us to make an appointment to use a computer here in the UB office, or you can use your MVC student ID to use a computer in the library.
You can fill out your FAFSA online (you must use Internet Explorer to do this, not Moxilla Firefox or Google Chrome), or you can fill out a PDF version either directly on your computer (but be careful -- you cannot save the information on your computer; to save your information you must print the document or start all over the next time you open the link) or on paper, after printing out the blank form. You can also call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) to request that a paper form be mailed to you.
If you fill out your FAFSA online, the website helps you complete each step of the application. It also saves all of your information for you, so you can come back to the form and fill out the rest of it later if you need to. You can also check the status of your FAFSA once you have submitted the application.
If you do not have Internet access at home, you can use a computer here, on the MVC campus. Please call us to make an appointment to use a computer here in the UB office, or you can use your MVC student ID to use a computer in the library.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Senior Info: Scholarship Opportunity from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
Juniors and seniors! Looking for scholarships? Check this out!
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (remember them? We attended a college prep symposium they held here at MVC last year) is awarding $1,000 scholarships to Latino students attending a community college or $2,500 scholarships to Latino students attending a 4-year university who meet the following eligibility criteria:
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (remember them? We attended a college prep symposium they held here at MVC last year) is awarding $1,000 scholarships to Latino students attending a community college or $2,500 scholarships to Latino students attending a 4-year university who meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Full-time enrollment in a United States Department of Education accredited community college, four-year university, or graduate/professional program during the period for which scholarship is requested
- Demonstrated financial need
- Consistent, active participation in public and/or community service activities
- Strong writing skills
- U.S. citizenship or legal permanent residency
For more information, please visit the CHCI's Scholarship page, where you can find links to the application (deadline is April 16, 2011!) as well as links to their 2008-2009 National Directory of Scholarships, Internships and Fellowships for Latino Youth and the CHCI's Guide to Applying for Financial Aid & Scholarships.
Senior Info: Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education Scholarship Opportunity
Seniors! Bookmark this page!
The Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education is awarding a $1,000 scholarship to a currently enrolled, full-time (12 hours) undergraduate student who has maintained a 3.00 overall GPA.
To compete for the scholarship, you must submit a 500-word essay addressing the topic: As an African-American student pursuing a degree in the 21st century, how will the Ivory Moore Scholarship assist me in my future career endeavors?
The deadline for submission id February 1st.
For more information, visit TABPE's website, and click on the link on the left-hand sidebar for The Ivory Moore Scholarships. Even though you are not eligible for this scholarship this year, keep it in mind for next year!
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