Let’s be real: going to college is a huge milestone for any woman who’s looking to one day launch her dream career. It’s so exciting and exhilarating, but truthfully, it can also feel a little complex and overwhelming at the same time. That’s a totally normal feeling and it’s so crucial to know you can have the resources you need to reach your college goals.
Trust us when we say College Board is seriously the resource you need to have by your side. The new College Board Opportunity Scholarships just launched and TBH, it’s the scholarship opportunity of a lifetime. No, you don’t need a certain GPA or family income level to qualify, and you don’t even need to fill out an application. You can earn money for all your hard work and efforts you’re making towards getting into and attending college.
Here are the six straightforward steps for getting college ready that the College Board Opportunity Scholarships wants to reward you for:
Build your college list: $500
It’s important to explore your options and ask yourself some all-essential questions. Are you looking for a school that specializes in your major? Do you want to stay close to home or venture far out? These among so many other pre-college questions should totally be considered before beginning your application process. College Board’s Big Future helps you save the list of colleges you’re interested in to help keep you organized as you start to get real about college applications.
Practice for the SAT: $1,000
Getting your best score on the SAT strengthens your chances of getting into your dream college. And practicing is the best way to feel confident on test day. Jump right into SAT prep with the Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy® to get ready for your test day. The interactive test prep gives you access to full-length tests, along with a personalized interactive practice plan. Feel ready and confident to #slay that test day!
Improve your SAT score: $2,000
It’s been shown that preparing, practicing, and taking the SAT multiple times helps to improve your score. Just by improving your SAT score over time, College Board wants to give you a reward for that hard work and progress.
Strengthen your college list: $500
Once you’ve narrowed down your college search and you’ve picked out your top choices, you’ll want to ensure you have a healthy mix of school options. College Board encourages you to have a variety of schools on your list, including academic safety schools that you have a very good chance of getting into, academic reach schools that may be more of a challenge to get into, and a few in between. Making this strong list is so key when searching for schools, as it’s always smart to have a few backup plans.
Complete the FAFSA: $1,000
FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is just that — a completely free way to apply for federal financial aid before and during college. Completing the free government form makes you eligible to earn even more cash on your path to college.
Apply to schools: $1,000
One of the best prep steps towards college is actually applying for the schools you want to attend! College Board wants to reward you for putting in work and applying for those dream schools of yours.
If you graduate high school in 2020, you’re among the first group of students that are eligible for this incredible opportunity. Plus, if you complete all six steps of the College Board Opportunity Scholarships, you’ll automatically become eligible for one of 25 scholarships worth $40,000 (yes, really). So, what are you waiting for? Get a jump start on your college career now!