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Virginia Department of Education

Division of Instruction
Student Resources

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Welcome to the Division of Instruction's Web page for secondary students. This page has been developed to provide students with quick and efficient access to many areas of interest. 

High
School		 Graduation
Requirements

High School Career Planning Resources

  • The Guide to Career Prospects in Virginia http://www.ccps.virginia.edu/career_prospects/
    Topics include: career search, career statistics, links to career advice, résumé guides, job search

  • Virginia View
    http://www.vaview.vt.edu/
    Topics include: financial aid, after high school, military, job search preparation, teens, internships, summer jobs

  • R U Ready?
    High School Hotline for Virginia
    http://www.readyva.com/
    Topics include: choosing a career, educational paths, paying for your education, the job search

  • Virginia Career Resources Network:
    VACRN provides a student focused portal to information about career planning and job opportunities in Virginia. http://www.vacrn.net

College and University 
Search and Information Sources
  • The College Board 
    http://collegeboard.com
    Topics include: planning for college, taking admissions tests, finding the right college, getting into college and paying for college. 
    Students may apply to 500 colleges on-line, get vital financial aid information, and register and prepare for the SAT. My Organizer, a new feature, offers each student an individualized home page that can be updated and used throughout the college search and application process. Key dates and deadlines can be found more easily. 
  •  Collegxpress
    http://www.collegexpress.com/ 
    Topics include:  college search, admissions advice, financial aid, student center, sports source, parents’ corner
  •  Collegenet 
    http://www.collegenet.com/
    Topics include: college search, financial aid, scholarship search, college recruiting, college resources, virtual bookstore, college applications
  •   GoCollege 
    http://www.gocollege.com/
    Topics include: updated SAT and ACT test dates, crime statistics in colleges around the US, college search, scholarship search, academics, resources
  • The Independent Higher Education Network 
    http://www.fihe.org/
    Link to 667 private colleges and universities in the United States
    Topics include: corporate programs, college search, and what’s new
  • Princeton Review
    http://www.princetonreview.com/
    Topics include: score improvement from the test prep experts, tools to find and apply to the right schools, school search, financial aid comparison calculator, career assessment, inside scoop on admissions, getting the money you need, and eye on test prep
  • U.S. News College Education 
    http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/cohome.htm
    Topics include: colleges rankings and comparisons, looking beyond the top 20, surfing for schools, the price of advice, volunteering for credit
    Interactive tools include:  Fiske campus profiles, college search, college comparisons, college forum, community college search, application organizer, scholarship search, college planner, grade calculators, class scheduler, admission tips, international students, study abroad, Canadian schools
  •  Peterson’s Thomson Learning
    http://www.petersons.com/
    Topics include: colleges and universities, graduate programs, summer opportunities, adult distance learning programs, career education/guidance, study abroad, college search tool, career colleges, free practice TOEFL test
  •  Schools in the USA
    http://www.schoolsintheusa.com/
    Topics include: business, engineering, health and nursing, teaching, distance studies, learn overseas, 4 year colleges and international students


College Campus Tours and Videos

The following link provides online tours and campus visits:

http://www.campustours.com/
 
 

College Applications

http://www.applyweb.com/

http://www.collegeapps.com/

http://cnsearch.collegenet.com/cgi-bin/APPLY/index
 
 

Scholarship Opportunities and Awards

  •  The National Beta Club presents The John W. Harris Leadership Award to honor students who exemplify outstanding leadership abilities.
    http://www.betaclub.org

    Students are selected as winners based on academic achievement, test scores, service work, and a written essay. In 2002, the scholarship money was awarded to 208 students. Two students in the top 5 finalists were selected from Virginia. They will receive an award of $8,000 and $6,000 each. Six additional finalists from Virginia will receive an award of $1,000 each. Applications and other materials are mailed to the Beta Club sponsor (faculty advisor) each September. Students interested in applying should contact their Beta Club sponsor. The deadline for applying is December 10.
    http://www.betaclub.org/scholarship/scholarship.html

  • Advanced Placement Fee Payment Program

    The primary purpose of the Advanced Placement Fee Payment Program is to enable Virginia school divisions to reimburse part or all of the cost of advanced placement test fees for low-income individuals who (1) are enrolled in an advanced placement class; and (2) plan to take an advanced placement test. Local divisions are surveyed in October of each school year and given a grant award based upon the number of eligible students taking AP classes and the local division’s Composite Index of Local Ability-to-Pay. For more information contact Faye Rollings-Carter or call (804) 225-2593.

  • Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship

    The Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship provides scholarships for study at institutions of higher education to outstanding high school graduates who show promise of continued excellence. The intent of the scholarship is to recognize and promote student excellence and achievement. The request for student applications is sent to each senior high school during the middle of February and completed applications are due to the Virginia Department of Education by March 31st each year. Financial need is not a consideration. For more information contact Willie Stroble or call (804) 786-9377.

  • Lee – Jackson Scholarship

    The objective of this scholarship program is to acquaint young people with two of Virginia’s leaders, Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. Students must complete an application which must be accompanied by an essay on either General Lee or General Jackson, or both. Scholarship information is provided to each senior high school during the month of September. Any student classified as a junior or senior, a resident of Virginia, plans to attend a four-year accredited U. S. college, and later enrolls is eligible to apply. The deadline for submitting the application and essay is in December. Financial need is not a consideration. For more information contact Willie Stroble or call (804) 786-9377.

  • Granville P. Meade Scholarship

    The Granville P. Meade fund provides scholarship awards to worthy and needy Virginia high school seniors to attend one of Virginia’s public or private colleges or universities. Applicants must have been born in and currently reside in the State of Virginia. The request for student applications is sent to each senior high school during the month of January. Students must submit their completed applications to their principals by March 1, 2006. For more information contact Willie Stroble or call (804) 786-9377.

  • Annual James Monroe Scholarship Award

    The Annual James Monroe Scholarship Award is a writing contest for students who are juniors or seniors in a public, private, or home-school high school program. The topic of this year's contest is "The Election of 1820: Era of Good Feeling." Scholarship awards of $1,000, $750, and $500 will be given to first, second, and third place winners respectively. The James Monroe Foundation can be contacted via e-mail at Scholarship@MonroeFoundation.org.

  • Virginia High School League Charles E. Savedge Journalism Scholarship

    Virginia schools may nominate an outstanding student journalist. The student must be a senior who participates as the editor, writer, photographer, ad sales person, or designer of the school's newspaper, yearbook, and/or magazine. For more information contact Bob Button or Sharon Condoulis at (434) 977-8475.

  • Virginia High School League Achievement Award

    This achievement award honors outstanding female athletes, outstanding male athletes, and academic activities participants from schools in Groups A, AA, and AAA. In addition, one person will be recognized for courageous achievement. All nominees will receive an achievement award certificate. Ten nominees will be selected to receive the League's $1,000 Achievement Award, which is sponsored by Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance. For more information contact Sharon Condoulis at (434) 977-8475.

  • Wachovia Citizenship Scholarship

    The Wachovia Citizenship Award program offers six (6) $1,000 scholarships for graduating seniors wishing to further their education at an institution of higher learning, including universities, colleges and trade schools. Six awards are given annually to a male and female student-participant who demonstrates outstanding traits of citizenship in his/her high school career. Only students graduating from a VHSL (Group A, AA & AAA) member school will be eligible for these awards. For more information contact Bob Button or Sharon Condoulis at (434) 977-8475.

  • Target All-Around Scholarships

    Target Stores award college scholarships to "well-rounded" high school and college students who have been engaged in community service. The winning students will be awarded four $10,000 and more than 2,100 $1,000 scholarships. Those eligible must be high school seniors, high school graduates, and current college students (age 24 and under) in the contiguous U.S. who are or will be enrolled in a full-time undergraduate course of study. Application deadline is November 1, 2005. More information can be found at the Target Web site:
    http://target.com/target_group/community_giving/scholarships.jhtml.

  • Updated Virginia High School League Book of Records

    The VHSL Book of Records (1913-2001) is posted on the VHSL Web site at http://www.vhsl.org, and reflects current information as of January 1, 2002. Some information may be incomplete, and anyone who can provide more complete information is urged to contact the VHSL office.

  • 2005 Lucent Global Science Scholars

    The Lucent Technologies Foundation’s annual international competition to identify and reward the academic excellence and achievements in science and mathematics will present a $5000 cash award to 23 graduating high school seniors in the United States. Winners will also be invited to participate with Bell Labs researchers and fellow Global Science Scholars from around the world in the Global Summit for one week in July 2005.

    For additional information contact http://www.iie.org/programs/lucent. Click on the U.S. portion of the map for details, including specific eligibility and application requirements, a downloadable application form, and contact information. Deadline is February 28, 2005.

  • Micron Science and Technology Scholars Program

    Micron Technology Foundation, Inc. will now include Virginia in its $230,000 scholarships competition. This program was established to recognize high school seniors in the states of Idaho, Utah, Texas,Virginia and Colorado who have demonstrated excellence in academics and leadership. Applications can be accessed at www.micron.csfa.org. For more information about this program and additional opportunities go towww.micron.com/scholars. The program is closed at this time. You may return to this site on November 15, 2005 to access the program guidelines and application form for the 2006 program.

Financial Aid
http://www.Finaid.org

Topics include: Scholarships, loans, savings, military aid, other types of aid, financial aid applications, FAQ, calculator, and beyond financial aid.

College Admissions Tests
PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, ACT, AP, IB

  •  SAT Prep: ONE-ON-ONE with the SAT
Expert advice for every type question, mini diagnostic SAT with predicted SAT score, customized study plan for each student, over 600 practice questions, a full-length real SAT test and more!  Information to order online at http://www.collegeboard.com.
 

Summer Opportunities

  • Summer Employment or Volunteer Service with the Federal Government http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/

  • Summer Research Program at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute
    http://www.roswellpark.org

    The Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York, holds an annual Summer Research Participation Program in Science for high school juniors. The program introduces students to scientific research through a project supervised by a senior scientist, helps develop their own philosophy of science, and aids in planning their college career. Program and application information can be obtained at http://www.roswellpark.org/document_1230_97.html.

  • Summer High School Apprenticeship Research Program
    Modern Technology Systems, Inc.

    The program is designed to attract underrepresented students (particularly African American, Native American, Native Alaska, Hispanic, and Pacific Islander) who have demonstrated an interest in and an aptitude for mathematics, engineering, science, geography, or technology (SMEGT). Students receive a salary while working full-time from the end of June through mid August under the direction of a NASA mentor in a specific SMEGT field. For more information contact Lisa Williams, Co-Program Manager, Modern Technology Systems, Inc., 6801 Kenilworth Avenue, Suite 200, Riverdale, MD 20737, Phone: (301) 985-5171, Fax: (301) 985-5176, or send inquiries by e-mail to sharp@mtsibase.com.