I’m a 17-year-old senior, first in my family to graduate high school and go to college. My parents and I are lost when it comes to scholarships. My counselors aren’t much help, and searching online is confusing. I need help figuring out where to apply and what I might be eligible for. I’m transferring from a community college to a 4-year university, and I want to study child development, psychology, or juvenile justice. I’m a California resident, but I can’t go straight to a 4-year because I didn’t know I needed two years of language. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Here are a few things about me that might matter:
I’m Mexican/Italian
I’m left-handed (I heard there might be scholarships for that haha)
I’m pansexual
I’m the oldest sibling
My parents were teen parents
I grew up fairly poor, but my family is doing better now
Please let me know if you think something is important. Thanks for reading, and please help!
Is the two years of language a graduation requirement or just an A-G requirement? It might help to ask your counselor if you can take a college class for credit (dual enrollment = both high school and college credit, concurrent enrollment = college credit only). If you need it for graduation, the dual enrollment might work. Just ask them directly: ‘Can I take a college class to make up the language requirement?’ That should give you a clear yes or no answer.
If you go that route, my counselor said they need to be IGETC courses (transferable to UC and CSU). You can check for IGETC courses on assist.org. I did this last year and am doing it again this spring (I’m also a Cali HS senior). Tuition should be free, but check for extra costs like health insurance, student fees, textbooks, etc.
I use that platform too. It takes a lot of time to write essays. Some require letters of recommendation, headshots, and transcripts. Just so you know. But it’s worth it.