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THE NATIONAL SOCIETY
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THE NATIONAL SOCIETY
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Student Council
BENEFITS
Member Benefits
NEWS
Monthly Update
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Monthly Update for September 2003 The school year is in full swing, and we know that your days are filling up fast with schoolwork and activities. Check out our September update for all the latest Society news and some great tips from our members who are just beginning their college careers. Be sure to mark your calendars for our upcoming member events if you are near Washington D.C. or Long Beach.
Service Activity NSHSS members from the surrounding areas attended and got a great introduction to Habitat and Campus Chapters. Alyn Woodson gave an introductory workshop to the members and Mr. Nobel. The workshop included brainstorming sessions on the best way to start chapters, raise funds, and raise area awareness. "We were honored to host NSHSS members at our Conference. They were enthusiastic, inquisitive, and motivated to take what they learned and apply it to their communities," said Patrick Scanlon, Campus Chapters and Youth Programs Manager for the Southeast Region of Habitat for Humanity International. “It’s time for us to truly roll up our sleeves and get to work,” said Mr. Nobel. NSHSS membership in attendance seemed to agree. College Resources As you begin the new school term, many of you are searching for that perfect college match. Check out The Princeton Review’s annual rankings of colleges based on every category imaginable, from schools made up of “Birkenstock-Wearing, Tree-Hugging, Clove-Smoking Vegetarians” to ones whose “Students Never Stop Studying.” Based on surveys of students attending colleges across the country, these rankings can help you decide where to send those college applications.
Some top rankings from U.S. college students:
Best overall academic undergraduate experience: Yale, Princeton, Duke, Amherst, MIT
Toughest to get into: US Military Academy, Yale, Princeton, Harvard, US Naval Academy
Best dorms: Loyola College in Maryland, Smith College, Bryn Mawr, Scripps, Agnes Scott
Best food: Bowdoin, Colby, Saint Anselm, Wheaton (Illinois), Cornell
You can look through a wide variety of rankings, including best value, accessibility of professors, popularity of Greek system, athletics, partying, politics and more at www.princetonreview.com
Upcoming Events
Washington, D.C. NSHSS will be attending the annual conference of the National Scholarship Providers Association, on Sept. 30-Oct. 3 and will be hosting a member event for DC area students. Members can meet Honorary Chair Claes Nobel, and hear speakers from Presidential Classroom, The Gates Millennium Scholars Fund, NASA, Projects Abroad, and others. The event will be held in the Hilton Washington, Sept. 30, 2003, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Thoroughbred Room. For more information, please contact Susan Thurman at susan.thurman@nshss.org
Long Beach, CA NSHSS members are also invited to a member event on The Queen Mary, the historic ship harbored at Long Beach, CA. where NSHSS will participate in the annual conference of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. The event will be held on Friday Oct. 3 from 6:30-9 p.m. in the Queen Elizabeth Room of The Queen Mary. This impressive ocean liner is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is one of the most famous ships in history. Mr. Nobel will present an NSHSS scholarship to Berkeley freshman Charlene Kemmerer (see January member showcase) and members will hear speakers from Presidential Classroom and other resources. The program begins at 6:30 but members who can arrive before 6 p.m. can tour the Queen Mary for free (admission is normally $20). For more information, please contact Scott Jordan at susan.thurman@nshss.org
New Features
Scholar’s Store
Member Showcase
Member Mentors
From: Margie Pascua Maui High School ‘03 University of Hawaii at Manoa ‘07 I'm at the University of Hawaii at Manoa right now and
I'm finished with my classes for the day. Though the size of UHM campus
isn't as big as the other universities in the mainland, I find myself
wishing I have a bike ready all the time to be able to make my way faster
to my friends' dormitories or to stores. Compared to other students who
walk to their classes for 10 to 20 minutes, I'm more fortunate because my
classes are a few minutes away from each other. But it is advisable to
have a bike or other forms of transportation available to get to different
places faster. Still, there are good reasons to stay on foot, considering
that walking is a healthy exercise that may prevent the dreaded Freshmen
Fifteen. There is a shuttle service here, but I don't know how to use it,
or what the schedule is. But overall, living in the campus is not too
difficult or unpleasant. There is much to experience, even if one doesn't
attend parties. There is nothing, aside from the existence of homework and exams, that I can say "it's just like high school." Living in the dormitories--especially for people who are much too fond of home living--needs some getting used to. Though many fear that cafeteria food won't be a suitable substitute for homecooked meals, cafeteria food is not as horrible as expected, and on occasion, actually tastes really delicious. Community bathrooms don't get crowded even if there are only two showers and two toilets for every bathroom. Parking is the big problem here though; the parking lot fills up very early in the morning, even street parking fills up by seven o'clock. Still, if one is dorming and is walking distance to his/her classes, it's ok. For high school students who are planning on going out of state for college, homesickness will virtually affect all so cellphones and a laptop (with internet connection, of course) will ease the homesickness. No one should be afraid to go out of state for college because it is more important that one find the experience and opportunities that one wants to have whereever they may be located. For any high school student out there that are thinking of going to University of Hawaii at Manoa, the environment is ideal, friendly, and filled with much aloha. Thanks for reading. Good luck to all high school students that are college-hunting.
From Kathryn L. Sternbergh Northeast Junior Senior High School, Blandinsville, IL ‘03
Western Illinois University ‘07 I am attending Western Illinois University now, and I am pleased with the first weeks of classes. I am a current art major, and I am thinking about a double minor in international relations and possibly Spanish. My college experience has been very pleasant thus far.
I would like to offer some advice for the other, selected few students that will be able to join the National Society of High School Scholars this coming year. As a senior in high school, many kids are pressured, not only by their teachers, but by family members to perform well in school and apply for as many scholarships and grants as they can. While this is very important, it is helpful to get a jump start on things while still enjoying your last year of what hopefully has been an exciting chapter of your scholastic life. In any case, getting started in the summer of your senior year does not hurt any! I know from certain friends in my own senior class that waiting will only make the situation that much harder to bear when the time comes to buckle down and start filling out forms. Do not feel ashamed that YOU are getting a jump start. You can still have fun while preparing yourself for the next chapter in what is going to be the rest of your life!
I know that teachers make college sound all serious and scary, and in a way, it is. But thousands of kids go through it every day. What separates them is the preparations they make BEFORE stepping onto campus. An IMPORTANT MUST you have to do is to get your Federal Application for Student Aid sheets ASAP!! The FAFSA website and their mailing services are wonderful ways to receive aid, but you have to act quickly! Get registered for a PIN number and do the application on line! Get a financial aid advisor from your school to help you. Never be afraid to ask yourself questions. One who never asks, never learns.
Finally, have fun your last year. While going to parties and football games, set aside a time where you can just fill out applications for school, for work, and for financial aid. As a tip for all students planning on handwriting your applications: My English teacher looked at me one day and said, "Kathryn, you can do better, and I won't let you turn in those applications until you have typed them." You know what? She didn't. She watched me type every application I had until they were all typed and neat to make a good first impression.
Being on top of the ball is key. Have a little fun, but be a little serious too. That way, you can never go wrong!
Council Corner – From the Student Council From Anthony Eskander, student council member; UCLA ’07
Anthony is beginning a biochemistry and neuroscience double major at UCLA with research in pediatric neuropathology as well as medical ethics. He was also chosen by the UCLA Alumni Association to act as an Alumni Ambassador for the Southern California Region and will be visiting various high schools making presentations about the world of opportunities offered by UCLA.
Advice for Seniors:
College Experience: Attention college goers, so you think you know it all after senior year. Well, I got news for you, YOU DON’T! I say this because I was once in your shoes, walking the through hall of high school as if I owned it. When I first stepped on the campus of UCLA, I knew from the start that I had not an inkling of how big the university was, in reference to the programs, clubs, organizations, and other opportunities available. I have learned from then that you cannot let the magnitude of a college get to you, it is up to you to research and take advantage of the opportunities available. Never feel ashamed or embarrassed to ask a counselor or professor the simplest of questions, for if you do, you might be missing out on a professional relationship that might end up proving beneficial later on, especially in the pursuance of a graduate education. Keep your ears and mind open; you will hear of so many various different programs that you might want to participate in. Never feel scared or shy to step up and join a group or organization. Unlike high school, there will not be the information fair that has EVERY possible opportunity in the school.
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Saturday, August
23, NSHSS members gathered with Habitat for Humanity High School Chapter
Leaders at Pope High School in Marietta, Georgia, for the Habitat for
Humanity Leadership Conference. The conference, hosted by Pope High
School’s “Hammerin’ Hounds,” focused on honing the skills of HFH Leaders
and sharing best practices. For NSHSS members, it was a great introduction
to not only the mission and goals of Habitat but also to local volunteers.
Mr. Nobel gave the keynote speech kicking off the conference.
