This month

February is Financial Aid Awareness month!

• Feature — Get involved
• Your turn — Outside interests pay off in the classroom
• Stay on track — A checklist of "to-dos"
• Take notice — Important dates
• All about AIEmail — Subscribe, suggest, review

Feature

Get involved

Review the activities your school offers, and listen to other students' experiences to find activities that meet your needs. Think about your interests, abilities, and free time. Do you wish you had more computer skills? Are you tired of shooting hoops alone? Are you looking to meet friends or get support? Do you need to increase the appeal of your college application? Don't just limit yourself to the familiar — try something new.

There are many opportunities for involvement, like sports, the French club, the debate team, the chess club, student government, radio, the school newspaper, the environmental club, drama, choir, photography, Students Against Drunk Driving, jazz band, Business Professionals of America, the computer club, and more.

There are so many choices it can seem overwhelming. But getting involved with your school is a fun way to try new things, meet people, and get more out of your free time. Here are some of the benefits of getting involved:

• You get to explore your physical, creative, social, political, and career interests with like-minded people.
• You'll meet new people and find friends.
• Participation in extracurricular activities looks good on college and job applications, and shows admissions officers and employers you're well-rounded and responsible.
• Specific activities help with specific goals. If you want to teach language or get a bilingual job, being the president of the Spanish club shows the depth of your commitment.
• Student groups provide a positive way to contribute to your school.
• The most basic reason for joining a club or team is that it gives you something better to do than staring at the wall, wandering the hall, or napping all afternoon. You'll be making friends and getting to know people with similar interests.

Think also about different roles within groups that you might want to try — president, captain, participant, leader, support person. Each role is important. Being president teaches you leadership and management skills, but also involves more responsibility. Being a member gives you more structure and is less stressful.

If you feel stressed out, it's OK to reconsider. It's important to keep a balance between schoolwork, extracurricular activities, a job, social life, and your health. If you join a club and need to quit for any reason, talk with the advisor or coach. Sometimes it's just not the right match for you, or it's too time consuming. Perhaps you can participate in a less time-consuming activity or rejoin later. You won't help yourself or the group if you frantically do homework during a competition or fall asleep during practice. Saying "no" can be the most mature and responsible thing to do.

Adapted from TeensHealth's "Extracurricular Excitement"   (www.kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/school/involved_school.html)

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Web quest

Outside interests pay off in the classroom

In a report titled "The Role of Sports in Youth Development," the Carnegie Corporation reports that when young people are involved in sports, there are multiple benefits for them. At their best, sports programs promote responsible social behaviors and greater academic success, confidence in one's physical abilities, an appreciation of personal health and fitness, and strong social bonds with individuals and institutions. Teachers attribute these results to the discipline and work ethic that sports require.

Source: Carnegie Corporation Publications (www.carnegie.org/sub/pubs/reports/poinst1-low.html)

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Stay on track

Checklist for this week

For freshmen

Here are a few suggestions to start planning for the summer:

• Some jobs are available to 14-year-olds. See the Department of Labor's YouthRules! jobs page (youthrules.dol.gov/jobs.htm) for information.
• Lawn maintenance and babysitting are two popular options for making money during the summer. If you enjoy these activities, design flyers that advertise your skills and distribute them in your neighborhood.
• Other summer activities to consider include volunteer positions. Check with your local hospitals, nursing homes, animal shelters, and churches or synagogues.

For sophomores

It's time to begin learning about current trends in higher education:

• Start collecting newspaper and magazine articles about colleges and the admission process.
• Look for charts and graphs that illustrate college and financial aid information.
• Clip out articles about "hot" jobs and future career needs.
• Investigate the courses and education required for emerging careers.
• Read the News and Events articles archived on AIE's "High School" home page (www.AIE.org/HighSchool).
• Start a file for all materials that you collect.

For juniors

Taking challenging and rigorous high school courses is the best long-term test preparation for the ACT and SAT. Here are additional college entrance exam test preparation possibilities:

• Books
  Most bookstores and libraries carry books to assist you with practice problems and questions for the ACT and SAT.
• Computer Software
  If you enjoy the interactive nature of computers, then you may prefer test preparation software.
• Internet
  Check out the College Board's SAT Question of the Day (www.collegeboard.com/apps/qotd/question).
• Classes
  If you prefer classroom instruction, you may prefer test preparation classes. Check with your high school counselor for classes in your community.

For seniors

Are you completing a high school course by correspondence? Here are a few reminders regarding correspondence courses:

• Verify with your counselor the date by which you must complete the correspondence course and final exam. Many schools set May 1 as the deadline.
• Schedule adequate time for processing the necessary paperwork to take the final exam.
• Ask your school counselor or registrar how correspondence courses and grades will be reflected on your transcript.

For parents

Your student might be looking for short-term college entrance exam test preparation. The four frequently chosen systems for college entrance exam test preparation are:

• Books
  Many books are published to assist students with practice questions for both the ACT and SAT.
• Computer Software
  If your teenager enjoys the interactive nature of computers, then he or she may prefer to use test preparation software.
• Internet
  Encourage your child to answer the College Board's SAT Question of the Day (www.collegeboard.com/apps/qotd/question).
• Classes
  If your child prefers classroom instruction, you may find that test preparation classes are more helpful. Some familiarization with test format and instructions is always a wise choice before test day. Remember that the booklets that accompany ACT and SAT registration materials offer free sample test questions.

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Take notice

Important dates

Mark down these dates.

To get more information on the SAT or SAT Subject Tests, access useful tools, or register, visit the College Board's Web site (www.collegeboard.com) or call (866) 756-7346.

To get more information on the ACT, access useful tools, or register, visit the ACT Web site (www.act.org) or call (319) 337-1270.

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