It is a must to visit colleges you are interested in. You can call and arrange a visit using the contact information below. As well as listening to the admissions chat and taking a tour, feel free to ask to meet with certain departments you are interested in, meet with Honors program delegates, are a great way to visit a college and see, hear & experience many things while on campus.

Auburn University: http://www.auburn.edu/visit or800-AUBURN9

Auburn University Montgomery: www.aum.edu or 800-227-2649

Birmingham Southern College : www.bsc.edu or 800-523-5793

Jacksonville State University : www.jsu.edu or 800-231-5291

Judson College: www.judson.edu or 800-447-9472

Mississippi College: www.mc.edu or 800-738-1236

Mississippi State Univeristy: www.msstate.edu

Mississippi University for Women : www.muw.edu

Samford: www.samford.edu/admission

Springhill College: www.shc.edu or 800-742-6704

Stillman College: www.TigertownAlabama.com.

Troy University: www.troy.edu

Tuskegee University: www.tuskegee.edu or 800-622-6531

University of Alabama: www.gobama.ua.edu/visits or 800-933-BAMA

UAB : www.uab.edu or 205-934-9098.

UAHuntsville: http://uah.edu/ or 800-UAH-CALL

University of Mobile: www.umobile.edu or 251-675-5990

University of Montevallo: http://www.go.montevallo.edu or 205-665-6030.

University of North Alabama: www.una.edu/

University of South Alabama: http://www.southalabama.edu/studentrecruitment/ or 800-USA-JAGS

University of West Alabama: www.uwa.edu or 800-621-8044

The University of Montevallo College Ahead website – http://www.montevallo.edu/collegeahead/. It is very user-friendly and walks students through the process of applying and selecting & scheduling UM classes. This is a program that allows high school juniors and seniors to take college classes at UM for college credit. Students on the gifted education rolls receive a scholarship to take one class. Let me know if you have any questions.

Visit this great free interactive college information website at www.cappex.com . You can look up comprehensive college profiles with  information about admissions,  majors offered, tuition, financial aid, merit scholarship, and net prices. You can also view college videos and use many interactive worksheets to help determine what type of student you are and what sets you apart.

Collegeboard has introduced a new free, interactive program to help students grades 9-12 make a plan for college, search colleges, and build their college list. It’s never to early to get started in this important process. Visit http://bigfuture.org.

What an exciting adventure you juniors are beginning. It is time to seriously think about colleges that interest you, research those schools, and visit campuses. It can be a bit daunting, but there are many resources along the way to help you. I’m available to meet with you (with or without your parents) at your schools to discuss all your options. Just contact me so we can find a time that works. For a variety of information on college and financial aid and my tips on making your college short list, a college to-do list, and how to make the most of your college visit click here http://www.shelbyed.k12.al.us/gifted.html . My other advice right now is to stay organized, plan your ACT and SAT testing, continue to make good grades, volunteer, stay involved in activities and/or a job, register for challenging senior classes, and talk to college reps that visit your schools. Your counselors will provide great assistance to you, too. Some good webistes to visit are  www.actstudent.org/ www.collegeboard.com, www.cappex.com.  Keep me posted on how I can help you at this exciting time!

To ensure score integrity and meet students in the advanced technology world they live in today, both ACT and CollegeBoard will require students to upload their photo at the time they register. The uploaded photo will be printed on the student’s admission ticket and on the roster the testing staff use to check in students on the day of the test. On test day, testing staff will match the uploaded photo with the roster and the student’s ID. After testing, the uploaded photo will be available to the high school the student attends.

In case you are looking for an exceptional enrichment opportunity on a college campus, please check out the Summer Enrichment Camp link under Blogrolls. High Schoolers can attend camps that focus on topics from the arts to familiar academic subjects to foreign languages to engineering and fisheries. Most are residential camps; there are all different price ranges and there are scholarships available for some.

The Common Application organization has added 37 new institutions bringing the total to 490 institutions. The list of member colleges accepting the Common App is available at  https://www.commonapp.org .  Application information will also be available at each college’s admissions website. Many  colleges no longer even have their own app, but many will require a supplemental section unique to their school. It is a great time-saver to fill out one app and have it sent to multiple schools. You can even add schools to the initial list as long as it is before their deadlines. Seniors may begin completing the Common App on-line Aug. 1st, but can preview the application now. Make sure you find the spot under “School Forms” to “invite” your counselors and  teachers to complete recommendations for you by listing their names and email addresses. They will receive emails with the link so they can complete their parts on-line, also. This year’s essay specifies a length of 250-500 words. You may preview the list of topics at the above website. Email me kleaver@shelbyed.k12.al.us if you have any questions about this great tool!

 Cappex.com has created a companion website to help you search for scholarships, ScholarshipSpotlight.com. On Scholarship Spotlight, students can find thousands of the most relevant scholarships, including hard-to-find local ones which distinctly match their strengths — all in just a matter of seconds. What’s more, there’s no student profile needed. Students can get their scholarship matches right from the site’s home page. Check it out!