November 14, 2018
Seniors, please check in with your advisors prior to Thanksgiving Break for any editorial assistance you may still need on UC personal insight questions. Advisors' availability during the break is limited, and the November 30 UC application deadline will arrive soon after school resumes.
Parents, we hope Monday night's presentation by Lehigh's Jennifer Mertz answered all your questions on the need-based financial aid process. If you were unable to attend or to watch the live stream, you can still view the presentation here.
News and Views will resume publication on November 28. We wish all our readers a happy Thanksgiving!
Southern California College Tour
Santa Catalina is partnering with IST Campus Tours to offer a four-day, three-night tour of Southern California colleges during Winter Break. Departure will be Monday, February 25 and return will be Thursday, February 28. For the proposed itinerary, see here. Pricing is tentatively set at $799 per student, and we need 20 students to commit in order to run the trip. Please contact Ms. Van Wagenen at your earliest convenience if you are interested. Parents of boarders should not that, because this trip is over winter break, you would be responsible for making arrangements for your daughters during the weekend before the trip and the three days afterward.
College Night for Juniors and Parents
Mark your calendars for our College Night, which will be held Thursday, January 10, starting at 6:30 PM in the Mary Johnson Recital Hall. Ms. Van Wagenen and Mr. White will offer a comprehensive overview of the college application process and the college admissions landscape. Ample time will be built in for Q & A. Juniors are required to attend, and all parents who can make it are strongly encouraged to attend. Live streaming will be available.
McDermott Scholarship at UT Dallas
Though you are certainly aware of the University of Texas' flagship campus at Austin, you may be less familiar with UT Dallas. Combining an excellent location with strong programs in the arts and sciences, engineering, and management, UT Dallas is also noteworthy for the Eugene McDermott Scholars Program, which provides an essentially debt-free college education with benefits valued at more than $250,000 (out-of-state) or $150,000 (in-state) over the four-year term. The deadline to apply is December 7, so there is still time if pursuing the McDermott appeals to you. Meanwhile, we encourage underclassmen to keep this excellent program on their radar.
Church of the Wayfarer Scholarship
Carmel's Church of the Wayfarer invites applications for their annual scholarship program. Though the award amount for the 2019-2020 academic year has yet to be determined, past award amounts have ranged from $500 to $2500 per scholarship recipient. For more information, see here.
Scholarships for Student Caregivers
As life spans lengthen and the aging population grows, more and more young people are taking on the role of caregiver for older loved ones. While the exact number of young people in the U.S. taking on this responsibility is difficult to estimate, a good guess would be well over one million. Those among them trying to juggle higher education with their caregiving commitments are in a particularly challenging position. Fortunately, Caring.com offers a portal to an extensive list of scholarship opportunities for students who either find themselves in this role or are simply interested in careers aiding the elderly. Please look this list over if you think you may qualify.
Native Daughters of the Golden West Scholarship
Established in 1886, Native Daughters of the Golden West is a social, patriotic, and charitable organization comprised of women born in California who celebrate their Western heritage. A number of Santa Catalina alumnae are proud members. NDGW is now inviting applications for their scholarship program. Awards range in value from $850 to $1500. Any member, daughter of a member, or son of a member is eligible to apply. For more information, click here, and look for the "Flyer" and "Application" links on the left.
Getting an Edge at Mega-Selective Schools
One can be forgiven for feeling ambivalent about the reality that academic merit is not always decisive in mega-selective college admissions. This recent article in The New York Times offers a detailed examination of the other factors that, for better or for worse, enter into those decisions. If the general picture the Times presents is not surprising, some of the statistics it reports very well might be. And while the article focuses strictly on practices at Harvard, parallels can certainly be seen at similarly selective schools.
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