Planning, Applying & Paying for College!

Interested in Trade Schools, Apprenticeships, Military, Gap Year or going straight to work? 

Visit the BHS Career Center page for information and resources for these options and much more!

Overview of College Research & Application process

Researching & Applying to College: Process Overview

Researching & Applying to College: Process Overview

College Planning Guides

A Guide for Families in the College Admissions Process, from the National Association of College Admissions Counselors

Step by Step Guide on College Awareness and Planning for 9th & 10th grade, from the National Association of College Admissions Counselors

Step by Step Guide on College Awareness and Planning for 11th & 12th grade, from the National Association of College Admissions Counselors

College Research & Exploration Resources

Xello   

Log-in with your BRK email and password!

Virtual College Fairs

 NACAC Virtual College Fairs

Virtual Campus Tours

 CampusReel
 YouVisit

College Admissions Websites

 Colleges have admissions counselors assigned to specific states, counties, etc.  
 Call or email to connect with admissions counselors assigned to BHS!
 Sign up for email updates from college admissions websites!
 Arrange an in-person tour or virtual tour!

Search Engines and Websites

BigFuture
Cappex
College Confidential

Recommended Reading

Important Preparing for College Tips
"Where You Go Is Not Who You Will Be"
"College Is Yours 2.0"
"Colleges That Change Lives"
"Looking Beyond the Ivy League"

Everything you need to know from BHS Counselors!

Info from Michigan's 15 public colleges and universities

Overview of College Application Process

Researching & Applying to College: Process Overview

Researching & Applying to College: Process Overview

Completing College Applications

Applications 101

Applications 101

How to Complete the Common Application

Navigating The Common Application

Navigating the Common Application

How to Make Your Common App a Lot Less Common
Common App playlist for First-time applicants
Common App for mobile
Common App Ready's Application Dictionary
College readiness tool for families

College Application Requirements

College Application Timeline

College Essay Writing presentations

A Guide to College Essay Writing from an essay expert!

Planning & Drafting Personal Statements from Berkley Public Library 10.17.20, including: Planning Personal Statements - Part 1, Drafting Personal Statements - Part 2

Free e-Book for students and parents! 

How to Write an Effective College Application Essay: The Inside Scoop for Students

Essay Prompts

Common Application Essay Prompts

Essay Tips and Information

Strong Personal Statements Blog - Emory University 
Essays That Worked - Johns Hopkins University
New York Times - College Essays
Helping Juniors Get a Jump on The College Essay

Information Guides

FAFSA4caster

• Provide some basic information and the FAFSA4caster estimate your eligibility for federal student aid.
• Your estimate will be shown in the "College Cost Worksheet" where you can also provide estimated amounts of other student aid and savings that can go towards your college education.

Financial Aid checklist for Senior Year
Federal Student Aid At-A-Glance (2020-2021)
Affording College in Michigan Guidebook (2020-2021)
State of Michigan Financial Aid At-A-Glance (2020-2021)

Video Presentations

 Sallie Mae video series on the Paying for College process
View the recorded Funding Education Beyond High School presentation from Financial Aid Expert below

Presentation Outline

Filling out the FASFA

Start completing the FAFSA on October 1st!

3 simple steps:

1. Create an FSA ID and record on FSA ID and FAFSA Instructional Handout
2. Gather relevant documents using the FAFSA Checklist 
3. Begin the FAFSA

Need help with the FAFSA?

Schedule a Virtual FAFSA Appointment with a Financial Aid expert!

Virtual FAFSA Appointments are available to assist high school seniors and their parents complete the FAFSA with professional assistance on an individual basis in a private webinar environment. Appointments are private and secure.

Virtual appointments take place online from the comfort of your own home or other location you choose. You will receive a private link to your personal webinar environment after signing up for a virtual appointment. These appointments are free and available to the public.

• Prior to your appointment please review the FAFSA Checklist for a list of items necessary to complete the FAFSA. 
• Students and parents should each create an FSA ID at least one week prior to completing the FAFSA. Create an FSA ID now. 
• Use the FSA ID Worksheet to record related information for your files. 

Video Tutorials

How to Create an FSA ID video to learn the steps necessary in creating the FSA ID

7 Easy Steps to the FAFSA video series to learn more about the application

FAFSA help line: 

Call Oakland University's Financial Aid Help line at (248) 370-2550

Understanding Financial Aid Award Letters

Financial Aid Award Letter Help
Understanding Award Letters resource
Financial Aid Award Letter Comparison Worksheet

Student Loans & How to Fund the Gap

Student Loan Information and Resources
Student Loan FAQs
Student Loan Repayment Estimator

 Scholarship Tips

Applying for Private Scholarships tips
 Free college tuition in Michigan: Which schools offer what, Bridge Michigan 03.08.21

Scholarship Search Engines

Check out the following scholarship search engines!  Create an account, complete a questionnaire and a list of scholarships you are eligible to apply for will be generated.

MI Student Aid Scholarship Finder
U.S. Dept. of Labor Career One Stop Scholarship Finder
Scholarships.com
FastWeb
Big Future
Scholar Snapp (recommended to use if applying to colleges via Common App)
Going Merry - BHS page: Check out the list below!

Micro-Scholarships using RaiseMe! 

RaiseMe is a platform that helps students prepare for college by earning scholarships for their achievements in high school. Over 250 colleges and universities award micro-scholarships for both academics and extracurricular activities through the partnership with RaiseMe.  Check out this poster with some impressive RaiseMe stats!

Colleges in Michigan that award scholarships on RaiseMe:

• Hillsdale College
• Lawrence Technical University
• Madonna University
• Rochester University
• Siena Heights University
• Wayne State University
• Western Michigan University

Join the Berkley High School page at RaiseMe!

Where else can I look for Scholarships? 

1. BHS Counseling Department Newsletter (available every Monday!) 
2. Check scholarship webpages on college/universities websites.  They often have additional scholarships outside of the merit scholarships that are usually awarded based on a student's admissions application.
3. Ask family members to check if employers, civic clubs, places of worship, etc. offer scholarship opportunities.
4. Check national and state professional associations or organizations of the career field or profession you intend to pursue.

Michigan Transfer Network

Thinking of transferring?  Check out this video!

Plan your Transfer

Planning your transfer is an important step to earning your degree.  Students in Michigan have several options when it comes to transferring. 

You may want to:

1. Transfer a course
2. Complete the Michigan Transfer Agreement
3. Complete an entire associate degree before transferring to earn your bachelor's degree. 

Use the resources on Michigan Transfer Network to help plan your transfer!

Transfer your Courses

The Michigan Transfer Network allows students and advisors to view transfer course equivalencies between many Michigan colleges and universities.  You can search for courses by sending institution (the institution where you completed the course) or by the receiving institution (the institution where you plan to transfer the course).  This information is provided as a resource to identify potential transfer credit and is not an official credit evaluation or a guarantee of transfer credit.

Michigan Transfer Agreement

The Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) allows students to complete general education courses at participating colleges and universities in Michigan.  Students may complete the MTA as part of an associate degree or as a stand-alone package at Michigan institutions.

To fulfill the Michigan Transfer Agreement, students must successfully complete at least 30 credits, with at least a 2.0 in each course and at least one credit completed at the institution awarding the MTA. 

These credits should be met according to the following distribution:

• One course in English Composition
• A second course in English Composition or 1 course in Communications
• One course in Mathematics from one of three pathways: Pathway to Calculus (includes College Algebra), Statistics, or Quantitative Reasoning
• Two courses in Social Sciences (from two disciplines)
• Two courses in Humanities and Fine Arts (from two disciplines, excluding studio and performance classes)
• Two courses in Natural Sciences including one with laboratory experience (from two disciplines)

Transfer your Associate Degree

Students can complete an associate degree at a community college in a program of study and transfer to a participating university.  Colleges and universities maintain articulation agreements and transfer guides to help students navigate the transfer process. 

Use these guides to help plan your transfer pathway!

Articulation Agreements

Articulation agreements are transfer agreements between two institutions of higher education ensuring that courses transfer to specific academic programs.  

Transfer Guides

Transfer Guides are published by colleges and universities to help students understand how courses transfer to selected academic programs.  

MiTransfer Pathways

MiTransfer Pathways provide guidance about transferring courses in specific academic programs to multiple colleges and universities in Michigan. 

Oakland Community College Transfer Information

When transferring from OCC to another institution, it is up to the receiving school which classes will be accepted and how your credits will transfer. Students should work with an OCC counselor to discuss transfer credits and academic planning to ensure they stay on track for degree completion.

• Students may find the Michigan Transfer Network to be a useful source of information. 
• In addition, transferring students are strongly encouraged to explore transfer opportunities that exist with post-secondary articulation agreements between OCC and many four-year colleges and universities.

Managing Test Stress for Juniors and their Parents: Test Planning during a Pandemic

ACT & SAT Information

The BHS Counseling Department gets questions every day from parents and students about whether students should take the ACT or the SAT and when. Here are answers to some of our most frequently asked questions along with some recommendations.

Do colleges want me to take the SAT or ACT?

Most (not all) colleges and universities require students to officially submit either an ACT OR SAT score as part of their application. The vast majority of colleges and universities do not have a preference whether students submit an ACT or SAT score.  They will accept either/or and students do not have to submit both. Therefore, it is up to the student to decide which test to take and which to submit.

Over the years a student in the Berkley School District has had exposure and practice with the SAT via PSAT experiences.  Each student is provided a free, official SAT as part of the standardized tests required of juniors each year. Students do not have to sign up for or pay for this particular test in April of their junior year.  However, many students take an official test before April of their junior year.

The Counseling Department recommends students take either an ACT or SAT prior to April, if possible.  Which means – students have to register for an ACT or SAT (outside of the April test) on their own.

Can I still take the ACT?

If students still want to take the ACT or take the SAT outside of the one, free test offered at school – they will need to sign up for and pay to take another test independently by visiting the ACT or SAT websites directly.

It is the recommendation of the counseling department that students take one of each exam during their junior year (or prior) to see which test is better suited to them. Because students typically take the exam more than one time, signing up in the Summer of sophomore year or any time junior year is best.

How do I sign up for the ACT or SAT?

Visit the testing websites directly:

 ACT Registration & Information
 SAT Registration & Information

If I register for the ACT, will I still receive accommodations?

If you receive accommodations in the school setting and have a 504 Plan or IEP and is taking the ACT outside of the school setting for the first time this year, please contact your counselor directly and they will help you with explaining how the accommodated testing works for the first time.

Is there assistance in the registration fee?

If your family receives assistance via the Free/Reduced lunch program or is experiencing financial difficulties, please contact your child’s counselor to inquire about a fee waiver.

ACT & SAT Test Dates

ACT & SAT test dates for the 2021-2022 school year (printable)

Registration for ACT & SAT:

Register here for the ACT
Register here for the SAT

Test Preparation Links and Resources:

 ACT/SAT Free Test Prep Passes to The Tutoring Center in Birmingham
 SAT Prep - Khan Academy
 ACT Test Prep Services

COVID-19 UPDATE: Test-optional information

Please Don't Test, Jon Boeckenstedt, Oregon State University 07.24.20 

"Test Optional Means Test Optional", National Association of College Admissions Counselors
List of colleges with test-optional policies in place affirm that they will not penalize students for the absence of a standardized test score. 

Thinking about an HBCU?

• Why choose an HBCU (UNCF)
• There’s an HBCU for You: How to Choose a School (UNCF)
• Find your HBCU match!
• Searchable database of all HBCUs (the 107)
• Steps in the Right Direction: Tips for Parents of College-Bound Kids (UNCF)
• Sign up to receive scholarship, internship, and job alerts via email from HBCU Connect!

Common Black College Application

• Prospective students can apply to dozens of HBCUs for a single $20 fee using the Common Black College Application.

NCAA Eligibility Center

College-bound student-athletes preparing to enroll in a Division I or Division II school need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center to ensure they have met amateurism standards and are academically prepared for college coursework.

• NCAA Guide for the College-bound Athlete

• NCAA Eligibility Requirements and timeline

• NAIA Eligibility Center

PlayNAIA.org is the official clearinghouse for NAIA eligibility. Every student-athlete must register with the NAIA Eligibility Center to play sports at an NAIA college or university..

• List of NAIA Colleges

 Click here to view our school profile, which includes information and statistics regarding:

• BHS courses, student opportunities, AP classes, college admissions testing scores, etc. 

For a printable copy, please view BHS Profile for 2020-2021school year.