Career & College Information

College Planning Night: Monday, September 25 at 7pm in the PAC

You are invited to attend College Planning Night on Monday, September 25th at 7pm in the Performing Arts Center. A guest panel of speakers representing Private Colleges, the U of M system, the UW system, NDSU, Community Colleges and the MN State College and University systems will give general information about the different types of colleges. Students will gain knowledge about what type of college might be the best fit for them. All parents and students are welcome to join us for this event.

The 2023 National College Fair at the Minneapolis Convention Center will be taking place this fall on October 4th from 9-12 pm and 5-8 pm, and October 5th from 9-12 pm.

Visit National College Fair website for more information:

https://www.nacacattend.org/23Minnesota

Apply to UW Stout and receive your admissions decision on Friday, October 13th in the West Learning Commons Computer Lab. In addition, two $1,000 UW Stout Scholarships will be awarded to two CHS seniors who participate. More information to come.

Pay Less for College: Monday, October 30 6:30pm at PAC

Mike Branch, Certified Financial Planner with Focus Financial Network, will help educate parents on way to get the most out of the financial aid system, reduce taxes, and find ways to pay less for their child's education. Registration is required for this free event. Register at https://forms.gle/3XnoZJKyLjETguag6 

Financial Aid Night: Wednesday, November 15th in the West Learning Commons from 7-8:30pm

Learn how to access financial aid including federal and state grants, scholarships, loans and work study. Learn about the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), what it means and how to fill out the form. Jeff Olson, Director of Financial Aid from Bethel University, will present information on the financial aid process, explain the FAFSA, how to apply, etc. This session is open to all parents and students who want to learn more about financial aid.

Centennial High School will host a FAFSA Completion Night on Tuesday, January 23rd from 5-7pm in the West Learning Commons Computer Lab. Financial Aid professionals will be there to assist students and parents filling out the FAFSA form. This is a free event and open to all seniors and their families. Registration is not required.

Please have these items with you:

-Social Security Number (both student and parents)

-Driver's License Number (if you have one)

-2022 Tax Returns for student and parent

-Information on savings, investments, and business and farm assets for student and parents

-Records of untaxed income

Application Process:

• Determine which schools you would like to apply and apply on-line.
• Consider applying to more than one school representing various levels of selectivity (I recommend narrowing it to your top 3 choices.  You can apply to as many schools as you want but you will be spending more money on application fees.
• Determine application deadline and review admission requirements.  (I recommend applying early so your application has the best opportunity to be reviewed on a timely basis – fall of senior year.)
• Complete the application online.
• Request your transcript via Naviance Student.
• Make an appointment with your Counselor if you are applying with the Common App.

Scholarships:

Local Scholarships:  Student may apply for our local scholarship which will be available to you

November 1 – February 1.  The application will be available to you on Naviance Student.

Other Scholarships:  Scholarships are offered through your parent’s or student’s employer.  You may go to Naviance and go to MY COLLEGES tab and scroll down to COLLEGE RESEARCH.  Some colleges and universities may offer scholarships for academic and athletics.

Suggestions:

Set up a file and keep copies of all material you send and receive.

Complete scholarship applications before deadlines.  Visit the career center to check on available scholarship information or check Naviance Student.  Listen to announcements and apply for the local scholarship program in the Spring.  Check with the college you want to attend for scholarship application.

Some schools will require letters of recommendation.  Make sure you make a request for a letter of recommendation at least 3 weeks before the deadline (teacher/counselor/other).  Most colleges do not require letters of recommendation unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Write, re-write, and proofread an essay if one is required.

Check with the college to be sure your application is complete.

Complete the Federal Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA)

Apply for student housing early-some schools you need to do this early!

Detail your accomplishments and community involvement including your volunteer and employment activities.

Good luck and set up an appointment with your School Counselor if you need help!

Visit the Career Center located in the West Building, room W411, for additional information and resources for Post-Secondary Planning.

• Does the college/university use ACT scores for scholarship or honors consideration?

• Are you a good standardized test taker?

• Is your ACT score a good reflection of your academic ability and potential?

If the answer is yes to any of those questions, you may want to submit an ACT score regardless of test optional admissions.  Register to take the ACT at www.actstudent.org 

To see if a college/university is test optional, check the individual college website or www.fairtest.org for a list of test optional colleges. 

 2023-2024 Test Dates (National)

Students with a disability may qualify for accommodations for college entrance or placement exams, such as the Accuplacer/ACT/SAT. For details, talk to your counselor or visit the following websites: www.act.org; www.collegeboards.com.

If the college you are applying to requires the SAT, visit www.collegeboard.com to see the list of test dates and registration information.

• Find resources to complete your sophomore advisory task
• Build hours for applying to NHS in the future (if interested)
• Help your community

The group offers links and postings with opportunities for volunteering at the school and in the area. There are ongoing links and new postings.

SCHOOLOGY GROUP CODE: 6FD9H-S8GST

Other Opportunities: 

• Use Volunteer Match to search for volunteer opportunities by zip code:  www.volunteermatch.org 
• College Transitions - Volunteer Opportunities for High School Students https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/volunteer-opportunities
• Stop by the career center for a list of other volunteer opportunities.

Scholarships are listed on the Naviance Student website. Some are local and only available to CHS seniors. Click on the "College" tab. Scroll down towards the bottom and click on "Scholarship Search." Students need to click on each scholarship on the list and look at the criteria to determine if they meet the qualifications.  If so, the application can be downloaded or click on the link to the scholarship website.

Students can also fill out the profile under "National Scholarship Search." Once the profile is filled out, the program will list the scholarships in which the student may qualify for based on their profile information.

NAVIANCE STUDENT

User name and password is the same as your google account.

Other sources of scholarships:

• College or University in which the student plans on attending
• Parent's place of employment
• Student's place of employment
• RaiseMe: Earn micro-scholarships from colleges for your achievements in high school.  Create an account an get started.  https://www.raise.me/
• Free internet scholarship search: www.fastweb.com
• https://www.studentscholarships.org/
• Institutional Scholarships for Minnesota Colleges/Universities can be found at: http://www.ohe.state.mn.us/sPages/scholarshipsAll.cfm
• American Indian College Fund website
• https://collegefund.org/student-resources/scholarships/scholarship-programs/
• Native American Scholarship: https://edubirdie.com/blog/native-american-students-scholarships

*Local Scholarship Application will come out in early 2024-stay tuned*

Student user name and password is the same as your google account

Local Scholarships which have SEPARATE APPLICATIONS can be found on Naviance Student under “Colleges” and then “Scholarship Search”

• American Legion Auxiliary - Must be a child, brother, sister or grandchild of a veteran  3/3/23

• American Legion Post #566 - Must be a child, grandchild, brother or sister of a Veteran  3/3/23

• Anoka County Kennel Club - Must be pursuing a degree in an animal related field  5/01/22

• BIPOC Student Scholarship - Must identify as a student of color graduating from a MN high school     3/31/22

• Bluedorn Jump Start - Must have been in Mr. Bluedorn’s class in 2011/12  3/25/22

• Centennial School Employees Association - must have a parent employed by ISD #12 and the parent must have full share membership status with MSEA/CSEA.   2/28/2023

• Centennial Utilities - applicants must be or have as a legal guardian, a customer of Centennial Utilities.

• Fairview Lakes Medical Center - must be pursuing a degree in the medical field 3/23/22

• Kao Kalia Yang Scholarship - must ethnically identify as Hmong American 4/02/22

• Nate Dunn Next Generation of Leaders - must demonstrate leadership experience  4/01/22

• 916 Education Foundation Scholarships - must be a senior currently enrolled in the 916 program.  4/01/22

AND MORE!!

Steps for filling out the FAFSA:

1. Create an FSA ID – student and parent must create their own FSA ID by logging on and following the instructions:
   https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch 

2. Fill out the FAFSA form using your 2021 tax information:
   https://fafsa.gov

Since the FAFSA submission date has been moved up, some colleges/universities have moved up other deadlines such as admissions and scholarship deadlines.  Contact the Office of Admissions at each college to determine individual deadlines.

Check out the FAFSA YouTube Channel for a step-by-step video on creating an FSA ID and filling out the form: https://www.youtube.com/user/FederalStudentAid 

The Minnesota Office of Higher Education offers a variety of financial aid resources online at http://www.ohe.state.mn.us/

Free Application for Federal Student Aid:

• www.fafsa..gov
• https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/fsaid 

U.S. Dept. of Education's most comprehensive resource on student financial aid

• Applying for Financial Aid Overview (14 minutes) – discusses the FAFSA and the MN Dream Act application and who should apply for each, what is needed to complete both apps, dependency status, answers to some FAQs.

• 2021-2022 What You Need to Know (48 minutes) – explains the types of financial aid available, what is needed to complete the FAFSA, a demo of FAFSA on the Web.

• Financial Aid Presentation Video (53 minutes) – very detailed explanation of financial aid, the FAFSA application process, how EFC is determined (with Minnesota West as an example), some helpful FAFSA tips and what happens after the FAFSA.

NAVIANCE STUDENT

http://connection.naviance.com/centennialhs

Student username and password is the same as your google account log in

Enrichment programs offered at MN Private Colleges

https://www.mnprivatecolleges.org/advice/summer-enrichment-programs 

Minnesota Office of Higher Education Summer Enrichment Programs

http://www.ohe.state.mn.us/sPages/saePrograms.cfm

Summer Enrichment Programs offered at St. Paul College

https://mnscu.rschooltoday.com/public/getclass/category_id/850/program_id/43

The MN State system of state universities, community and technical colleges sponsors this comprehensive exploration and planning website. A terrific resource with practical steps to assist with planning.

https://careerwise.minnstate.edu/