When I was in middle school, I don't recall us ever talking about college. Even in high school, going to college was just something we planned to do. It wasn't that big of a deal.

But times are different, and you need to start planning for college now. That fact that you are in an advanced academic course should tell you that you can be successful in college.

Sure, you might have no idea what you want to do "when you grow up," but you can start planning now. My advice: Go to San Jac for your basics (English, Math, Social Studies...). By the time those are out of the way, you'll know what you want to do with your life and can transfer to a four-year college.

'Till then, look at these links. You'll be using them one day soon.

RaiseMe

"RaiseMe is the easiest way for students to earn scholarships for everyday things they do while in high school."

www.raise.me

-->Scholarships for 8th Graders<--

There's a new app called Scholly.

Here's a lengthy review of it and here's their actual site.

"Scholly is a platform to help you find free money for school.

The platform has helped students win more than $100 million in scholarships."

Accuplacer Reading Practice (pdf)

More Accuplacer Practice (pdf)

WritePlacerGuide with Sample Essays (pdf)

-->Online Accuplacer Practice Test<--

Galena Park ISD Career Exploration Webquest

Apply Texas

ApplyTexas was created through a collaborative effort between the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the colleges and universities represented on the site. The goal of the project is to offer a centralized means for both Texas and non-Texas students to apply to the many outstanding post-secondary institutions available in Texas.

On ApplyTexas you can accomplish a multitude of tasks including:

Apply for admission to any Texas public university, as well as to participating community and private colleges.
Apply for undergraduate, international and graduate admission.
Copy a submitted application to another institution.
Submit your application essays online.
Apply for scholarships from participating universities.
Search for and view both general and university specific information.

https://www.applytexas.org

College for All Texans

What tests do you need to take to go to college? How will you pay for tuition? How do you apply for financial aid? Get answers to these and other questions about preparing for the college application process at collegeforalltexans.com.

http://www.collegeforalltexans.com

FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid

Who We Are

Federal Student Aid, a part of the U.S. Department of Education, is the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation. At the office of Federal Student Aid, our more than 1,300 employees help make college education possible for every dedicated mind by providing more than $120 billion in federal grants, loans, and work-study funds each year to more than 13 million students paying for college or career school. We are proud to sponsor millions of American minds pursuing their educational dreams.

What We Do

Federal Student Aid is responsible for managing the student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. These programs provide grants, loans, and work-study funds to students attending college or career school.

We ensure students and their families can benefit from these programs by

informing students and families about the availability of the federal student aid programs and the process for applying for and receiving aid from those programs;
developing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form and processing approximately 20 million FAFSA submissions each year;
accurately disbursing, reconciling, and accounting for all federal student aid funds that are delivered to students each year through more than 6,000 colleges and career schools;
managing the outstanding federal student loan portfolio and securing repayment from federal student loan borrowers;
offering free assistance to students, parents, and borrowers throughout the entire financial aid process; and
providing oversight and monitoring of all program participants—schools, financial entities, and students—to ensure compliance with the laws, regulations, and policies governing the federal student aid programs.

https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

The ACT

ACT is a mission-driven, non-profit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. We are trusted as a national leader in college and career readiness, providing high-quality assessments grounded in nearly 60 years of research. While millions of individuals take the ACT test each year, that's just one aspect of our work. From elementary school through career, ACT offers individuals a uniquely integrated set of solutions designed to provide personalized insights throughout their life.

http://www.act.org

The SAT/ College Board

The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity.

Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is made up of over 6,000 of the world’s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education.

Each year, the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and services in college readiness and college success — including the SAT and the Advanced Placement Program. The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators and schools.

https://www.collegeboard.org

Compare College TX

There are so many colleges, how do I know which is the best fit for me? Compare colleges side-by-side on key measures such as tuition & fees, completion rates, and average salaries after college.

https://texasoncourse.org/tools/college-scorecard/

Credit by Exams (CBEs)

Credit By Exams are designed to evaluate a student's mastery of a given subject or discipline relative to Texas standards.

Successfully passing a CBE for a course (9-12) or grade level (1-8) will accelerate a student to the next grade. Students must register through the district.

https://tea.texas.gov/academics/learning-support-and-programs/credit-by-examination

Duke TIP

The Duke University Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP) is a nonprofit organization that has served over 2.8 million academically talented students in grades four through twelve since 1980. Each year, Duke TIP enrolls nearly one hundred thousand new students in its talent searches. TIP's talent searches help these gifted students assess the extent of their abilities with above-level testing, recognize them for their achievements, and provide them with a variety of enrichment benefits. TIP also offers accelerated face-to-face and online educational programs to more than eight thousand students each year. In addition, TIP is constantly conducting research into the educational, emotional, and social factors impacting the lives of gifted children, then sharing this research and related advice with educators, parents, and the greater gifted community.

https://tip.duke.edu

Generation TX

I am strong. I am independent. I am ready for my career. I support my family. I want to go to college. I am a leader of tomorrow. I am Generation TX.

http://gentx.org/

GPISD Scholarship Calendar

Many scholarships and their deadlines all in one place thanks to GPISD.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CgETsjV89s1Z7Hbsb9LBVKUMcvHq7zKgas_3WiCSaM8/edit#gid=1342902659

Hoagies' Gifted Education

Hoagies' Gifted Education Page consists of over 1150 pages of information on gifted children and adults, including 650 pages of Hoagies' Page collection, plus 500 pages of ERIC Clearinghouse for Disabilities and Gifted Education (ERICEC).

Once inside Hoagies' Gifted Education Page, find pages for every topic you can think of in gifted, from Testing and Assessment to Academic Acceleration, from Gifted Programs to Differentiation of Instruction, from Twice Exceptional to Success Stories.

All the resources listed on Hoagies' pages are recommended by parents, teachers, psychologists, and / or gifted kids themselves.

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org

National Association for Gifted Children

NAGC's mission is to support those who enhance the growth and development of gifted and talented children through education, advocacy, community building, and research. We aim to help parents and families, K-12 education professionals including support service personnel, and members of the research and higher education community who work to help gifted and talented children as they strive to achieve their personal best and contribute to their communities.

http://nagc.org

Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented

The Texas Association for the Gifted & Talented (TAGT) connects and empowers educators and parents to meet the unique needs of gifted and talented students from every cultural background who see the world in unique ways and are developing minds that just might discover innovative answers to the most challenging questions of their generation.

Chartered in 1978, TAGT is the nation’s largest state advocacy group of its kind, providing more than 3,000 members a forum for exchanging ideas and information about the education of G/T students. TAGT recognizes the unique social, emotional, and intellectual needs of gifted and talented students and provides educational services to meet these needs. TAGT is statewide, individual membership association and is classified as a 501(c) 3 charitable nonprofit organization.

http://www.txgifted.org

Mr. Skipper dot Com