The results are in…

Dear Scholars,

I would like to extend congratulations to the executive board of the Scholars Club for the 2009-2010 school year.

• Freshmen Representatives: Veronica Pizzorni, Brittany Graff
• Sophomore Representatives: Jason Albert, Patrick Quinlan
• Junior Representatives: Lena Compton, Luc D’Hautuille
• Senior Representatives: Danielle Madrigal, Erin Albert
• Secretary: Madison Sanders
• Historian: Nadine Goldberg
• Treasurer: Gaby Gerinska
• Vice President for Correspondence: Alessia Pizzorni
• Vice President for Senior Affairs: Edwin Innis
• President: Erica Graff

E-Board members: There is a meeting this Wednesday immediately after school in Room 3562.  Please RSVP.  Congratulations again!

Best Regards,

Andy Weiss

College Information

Dear Scholars,

Last night’s information session from the University of Pennsylvania was a great success.  Many thanks to the Penn alumni and staff who spoke at the event. 

 

I was on Penn’s campus over the summer visiting friends in the urban planning department, and I have to say I was wildly impressed with both the people in the program and the quality of life on campus.  Philadelphia has got to be one of the lowest cost-of-living cities in the Northeast, and there was a definite sense of community amongst all the students I met.  Scholars Academy students would do well to research the school and see if it makes a good fit.

Here are the two nuggets of wisdom I took away from the evening:

1. Thoroughly research the schools and particularly the programs you are applying to, and make it clear in your essays why you are a good fit for each particular school.  If you are applying through the Common Application, the place to express this is through your supplemental essays.  One presenter said, “If you can cut out ‘Penn’ and insert ‘Columbia,’ ‘Duke,’ or ‘Georgetown’ in the essay, you’re not winning any points.”  I can’t stress this point enough: admissions officers want to accept students who will ultimately enroll in their school.  Any information you can convey  that hints “this college is my first choice, and I will attend if you accept me,” is well taken and appreciated. 
2. Don’t fear the sticker price of the Ivy League.  The elite schools may not offer you merit aid, because all of their students are top notch.  However, most Ivy League schools have large endowments and can offer you large grants to meet your family’s financial need.  Check to see which schools are need blind – meaning they make admissions decisions without looking at your ability to pay – and which schools meet 100% of demonstrated financial need.  According to one presenter last night, 94% of Penn students graduate in four years, and all financial aid now takes the form of grants, which don’t have to be repaid like loans.

On the topic of paying for college, the US House of Representatives just passed a bill that will increase Pell Grants over time and will allow the federal government to make additional direct loans to college students.  Read the NYT story here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/18/education/18educ.html?_r=1

A quick reminder to any students out there illegally reading this post on their cellphones: today is the last day to register for the PSAT with Ms Guido, and the first Scholars Club general meeting is in room 3562 right after school.  Now turn off that phone before it gets taken away!

Best Regards,

Andy Weiss

The Sahwell Report

Dear Scholars,

I would like to disseminate the following information on behalf of Ms Sahwell.  These are general opportunities open to the whole school, but I want to make sure that the Scholars Academy is well represented.

On Thursday, September 17, the University of Pennsylvania is holding its Hispanic families outreach event for all of South Florida in the Miami Beach Senior High cafeteria from 7:30 to 9:30 PM.  There will be great information for Hispanic students applying to any elite college.  It is a major ‘get’ that Ms Sahwell was able to bring this event to our campus.

The Princeton Prize is a $1000 award given to a student who completes a project in race relations.  Students in grades 9-12 will be considered, and this is a great activity to prepare for the Silver Knight awards. 

The Prudential Spirit of Community Award is given on the basis of community service.  Interested students should visit www.principals.org/prudential and use the access key “spirit”.  Print out your form and submit it to Ms Sahwell before November 2 – a committee will select our school’s nominee.

The University of Florida Young Leader Conference is from January 29-31.  It is the country’s largest leadership conference run by college students.  Registration is $145 before September 25 and $170 before Nov 20.  See Ms Sahwell to receive an application packet.

The Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership forum for sophomores application deadline is December 4.  For more information visit www.hoby.org.

Thanks for reading – and congrats to Ms Sahwell for assembling all of this information!

Best Regards,

Andy Weiss

Reminders, Remainders

Dear Scholars,

First, I’d like to announce that the Scholars Club is having its first general meeting and elections this Friday immediately after school in room 3562.  Please come if you are interested in a leadership role.

I also want to remind everyone that the final day to register for the PSAT is this Friday, September 18.  Sophomores are automatically registered for free, but I am making a strong recommendation that freshmen and juniors register as well.  Please bring $13 cash to Ms Guido by the end of the week if you are interested.

Finally, Ms Williams sent me this opportunity to take a free practice PSAT with the Princeton Review on September 26.  Here is the flyer in pdf form: free psat in miami

Best Regards,

Andy Weiss

Florida Admissions Presentations

Dear Scholars,

Ms Sahwell, Ms Williams and I attended a very informative presentation today from an admissions director at each of Florida’s public colleges and universities.  Ms Sahwell will be giving the seniors a rundown this Thursday evening on what is new on each campus with a special focus on admissions criteria, but I thought I would give you the information straight from the proverbial horses’ mouths by videotaping a few of the talks and posting them on this blog.  Any accountants out there are free to let me know if this allows me to write off my iPhone as a business expense this April.

Here is the speech by the admissions director of the Univeristy of Florida, the #48 national univeristy in the country according to US News and World Reports.  Last year, we sent 15 seniors to UF!

And here is the presentation from the New College of Florida.  Loren Pope calls NCF one of the 4 most intellectual colleges in the country in his book, Colleges that Change Lives, and the school is consistently ranked in the top 5 public liberal arts schools in the US.  I am a huge personal fan of NCF.

I also recorded the UF director’s talk about dual enrollment credits.  The gentleman stopped short of discouraging dual enrollment, but he was decidedly lukewarm on the subject, and went out of his way to warn us that these courses become part of a student’s permanent college record, and that students need to be made aware of this.

For what it’s worth, UF and other schools have a clear financial interest in discouraging dual enrollment so you will pay for their classes.  For a contrasting view of dual enrollment, I highly recommend Maya Frost’s book, The New Global Student, which I am currently reading.

At any rate, Ms Sahwell will give you a complete picture of the State University System this Thursday – don’t forget to RSVP!  Please come even if you aren’t interested in the least in state schools.  I have lots of other things to discuss.

Best Regards,

Andy Weiss

Peer 2 Peer Mentoring

Dear Scholars,

Ms Davis, our mentoring coordinator, asked me to send out the following message.  Truly, I think this is an amazing program that can have unlimited impact on the experience of the freshmen and mentors alike.  I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to participate to the fullest.  Like everything else in life, you get out of it what you put into it.

Dear Freshmen,

High School can be a very difficult and at times frustrating experience for the freshman student. Just the sheer size of the campus and the number of new faces can overwhelm the student who has left the security of middle school. The Peer 2 Peer Mentor Program was initiated this year to help in the transition of Scholar’s Academy incoming freshman class and to help in continuing to create a welcoming friendly campus climate.

A Peer 2 Peer Mentor is a friend, a resource, a helping hand, a sounding board, a role model, a referral service, and most importantly, a Scholar’s student who has already been through their freshman year.  Every incoming freshman was placed with a Peer 2 Peer Mentor at the August 18th Freshman Orientation.  If you were unable to attend Freshman Orientation and would like to have a Mentor please contact me at lkayedavis@aol.com or at 305.790.6404.   

Peer 2 Peer Mentors and students will get together at lunchtime weekly for the first month of school and once a month thereafter.  If you were at the Orientation and were matched with a Mentor and have not heard from him/her, please let us know.  Please remember that communication is a two way street and you may also contact your mentor.     

Dates for your Mentor/Mentee meetings are as follows:

WHERE:  Miami Beach Senior High School Cafeteria- Meet outside the 700 wing
WHEN:  Lunch Period

Friday, August 28, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Friday, January 15, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010

TBA End of the Year Ice Cream Party

Your contact is Laurie Kaye Davis:  305.790.6404

Please take full advantage of all this program has to offer – I really believe it will make a difference in your time here at Beach High!

Best Regards,

Andy Weiss