This month

Make a difference

• Feature — Service to America
• Your turn — Tips for volunteering
• Stay on track — A checklist of "to-dos"
• Take notice — Important dates
• All about AIEmail — Subscribe, suggest, review

Feature

Service to America

Volunteering is a great way to make a difference in your community and a good way to get a taste of the work environment. Not only that, but time spent volunteering looks great on a college application.

With time off from classes, spring break is an ideal time to contribute service to the community.

Here are some ways you can get involved:

• Read to and tutor children at your local library.
• Deliver meals or visit the elderly for Meals on Wheels (www.mowaa.org).
• Volunteer at the local hospital or nursing home.
• Start a community service project of your own.
• Sort clothes for Goodwill (www.goodwill.org) or The Salvation Army (www.salvationarmyusa.org).
• Take part in some of the many activities of the American Red Cross (www.redcross.org), Habitat for Humanity, (www.habitat.org) or United Way (www.unitedway.org).

Visit the following Web sites to learn about volunteer opportunities and awards and scholarships for volunteers:

• AmeriCorps (www.americorps.org)
• Points of Light Foundation (www.pointsoflight.org)
• Students in Service to America (www.studentsinservicetoamerica.org)
• USA Freedom Corps (www.usafreedomcorps.gov)

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Your turn

Tips for volunteering

Volunteering for a cause you believe in provides the satisfaction of knowing you've done your part to make the world a better place. Volunteering can open many doors for you. It will help you develop skills, gain work experience, develop knowledge of different career settings, create a network for job finding, discover your hidden strengths and talents, gain self-confidence, find references, and build a sense of independence. Also, volunteering is a terrific way to meet people with similar interests and values.

Here are five things to consider when volunteering:

1. Do your research.
   Explore the mission and goals of each group you are considering. Visit their Web sites and talk to their members. Get an idea of future activities from the group's yearly priorities.
2. Match your skills to opportunities.
   Where do your skills and talents lie? If you know how to do things better, faster, and more efficiently, volunteer for positions where you can use and teach these skills.
3. Learn something new.
   Volunteering can be a learning experience. If you'd like to learn new things, find an opportunity that will challenge you to develop new skills and capabilities.
4. Budget your time wisely.
   Start slowly when making volunteer commitments. You don't want to burn yourself out, frustrate others, and end up with a negative experience.
5. Create your own opportunity.
   Every group is always seeking new ideas to complete projects and accomplish goals. Do you have ideas about how to get things done right? Write a one-page outline about what you can do and how you can do it — and then go do it.

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Stay on track

Checklist for this week

For freshmen

Now is the time to start learning the basics of money management.

• Open a savings account and save some of your income.
• Open a checking account, learn to write checks and balance a monthly statement.
• Keep a list of expenses — all the items you purchase.
• Talk about upcoming expenses with your parents. Find out what they expect you to pay for that new car, a bike, or college.

For sophomores

Here are a few important things to know about the SAT Subject Tests:

• The SAT Subject Tests are one-hour, primarily multiple-choice tests in specific subjects. They measure knowledge or skills in a particular subject and your ability to apply that knowledge.
• Some colleges may require one or more of these tests for admissions purposes or use them for placement in courses.
• The best time to take a Subject Test is at the completion of a course in that subject.
• If you are taking an Honors or Pre-AP course in one of the areas tested by a Subject Test, you may want to take the test this spring.
• Seek advice from your teacher. Registration materials for the tests are usually in your counselor's office.
• Get an update on a list of SAT tests that are available from the College Board (www.collegeboard.com).

For juniors

Here are a few notes about dual-credit enrollment:

• An advantage of dual credit is the ability to earn both high school credit and college credit at the same time. It is a "two-for-one" venture.
• Taking a college course while in high school gives you the opportunity to experience the structure and expectations of college classes.
• One disadvantage of dual credit is that not all colleges will accept a course for college credit if it was also taken for high school credit. Check with prospective colleges to determine if they accept dual-credit courses.

For seniors

It's your senior year and you may be thinking, "I'm outta here!" But if you plan on going to college, here's why you should stay focused:

• Colleges accept students contingent upon "successful completion of the senior year."
• Admissions personnel watch for dramatic grade drops on midyear reports and final transcripts. Should your grades reflect a steep decline, the school may request a written explanation describing the reasons for the poor performance.
• Occasionally, a college may require a student to attend summer school or be placed on academic probation for the first semester of the freshman year.
• In rare instances, a selective college may actually revoke a student's acceptance if his/her grades drop in the final semester.

For parents

If you filed a FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the federal government. Here is some information about it:

• The SAR will list the amount of money that you and your child are expected to contribute toward college expenses. This amount is called the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC).
• The SAR will also inform you of any federal grants (such as the Pell Grant) or federal loans for which your family qualifies.
• The college financial aid office will also receive the SAR information if you provided the college's name on the FAFSA. The college will subtract the EFC from the Cost of Attendance (COA) to determine the student's financial need.
• You can expect the colleges' financial aid award letters to arrive during the month of April.
• More information about the Student Aid Report and the Estimated Family Contribution can be found in AIE's "Applying for Financial Aid" section (www.AIE.org/College/ccs_finaid.cfm).

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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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