Meet Isabellia!
Isabellia is a senior at Muncie Central and joined Upward Bound at the beginning of 2020. Aside from gardening, karate, and diving, she has a unique hobby of taxidermy.

​Isabellia became interested in taxidermy because she was curious about the anatomy of living things. She taught herself, with the help of Youtube, to learn how to become a taxidermist. Although she first found interest as a freshman, she became more serious about the hobby during the pandemic. This unusual craft has led Isabellia to realize her passion and career interests.

She plans to attend Indiana State University majoring in Biology with a specialization in Medical Laboratory Science. Her career goal is to become an elected Coroner. Isabellia says she appreciates Upward Bound because it "allows space and a room dedicated to getting your work done."

1. Find your passion
​

Find what you gravitate towards the most in life, consider why you like doing it, what you are talented in, and think about if you want to have a career in it.  If you have a passion for what you do, you are more likely to be fulfilled in your professional life.

2. Think about colleges when picking your major 

Some colleges may not have your anticipated major, so you may want to do research on the schools you are interested in. Some colleges are known to excel in certain majors and really prepare you for your career. You should also look up the percentage of students that graduate from a college with your anticipated major and the job placement rate.

3. Carefully consider career advice

People close to you, such as family members, may try to decide or persuade your career path decision because they believe you will be good at it. However, it’s up to you to choose your path because you know yourself best. 

4. Declare a major on college applications
​
Declaring a major before coming into college could help you as an applicant figure out where you would fit best at the college.  If you’re not sure about which major to pick, you can apply as “undecided” and take your core classes before you decide on a major. Take different electives to get a feel for different majors. You can choose a major that you feel best fits you as you can always change your major while in college. 

5. Know how far your major will take you at the undergraduate level

​For many majors, a bachelor’s degree is all you may need to get into your career.  However, there are careers that may require getting a higher degree such as a master or a doctorate. Some careers may also require you to obtain additional certifications in order to enter the field.

6. Weigh a STEM discipline

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are very promising majors but are not for everyone. You will need to have strong math skills, be analytical, and have problem-solving skills. STEM careers are expected to grow and have great job security.

 7.  Pair a major with a useful minor

Minors are used to well-round your education and help provide a focus on what you want to do after college. It can also reinforce skills across disciplines and prepare students to work in more than one industry.

8. Calculate possible salaries 

If you want to make a certain amount of money when you get into your career, then you should consider what your average salary could be when you graduate college. You may need to pay off student loans, along with your typical life expenses. Consider what type of life-style you want to live and how the average salary of your career compares.

Students, you’ve probably spent some time thinking about scholarship applications. Although there are several scholarships available during the first semester of your senior year (and you should definitely apply for those if you aren’t already doing so), most scholarships will be due spring semester, with peak times being March-April. With that in mind, fall semester is a great time to do some scholarship prep so that you will be in a good position to apply for the best scholarships. Here are some application components that you can prepare in advance.


Essays
Scholarship essays should be tailored to each individual application, but luckily many applications have similar essay prompts. If you come up with ideas for essays now, it will save you time down the road. 


Some common essay prompts include:

• Why do you deserve this scholarship/how will this scholarship help you?
• Tell us about a time that you persevered through obstacles or learned from failure.
• Why are you interested in your future major/career path?
• What are some of your academic/career goals, and how do you plan to achieve them?
• Tell us about yourself.
• Tell us something that you learned from extracurricular activities/work experience/volunteerism.

Letters of Recommendation
Now is the perfect time to recruit people to write recommendations for you. If you have a pool of potential recommenders ready, you won’t have to find someone last-minute. Choose adults who know you well, who are interested in your future success, and who you can trust to produce a quality letter on a deadline. And remember, no family members! 


Ideas of Who to Ask for a Recommendation:

• Teachers or counselors at your school
• Athletic coaches or advisors for your extracurricular activities
• Adult mentors, friends, or neighbors
• Supervisors where you work or volunteer
• Leaders in your church or place of worship

Academic Information:
Scholarship applications will require
information about academics. To prepare
yourself for scholarship applications, follow
these steps:

• Figure out your Grade Point Average (GPA) if you don’t already know it
• Find out how to request an official transcript from your school
• If you haven’t already, take the ACT and have your scores ready

Financial Information:
Financial need is a component of several applications. If you are asked to provide information about finances, you will likely need information from your family’s most recent tax return and/or data from your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 


Scholarships can be time-consuming, but a little preparation in advance can go a long way. Now get out there and start applying!   


We have complied a multiple lists of scholarship that can be found here (). 

​We have to highlight one of our amazing and engaged students, Trey Michael Matthews! Trey is a senior this year at Muncie Central High School where he is apart of GEAR Up, the National Honor Society, and Upward Bound. He helps out the community by volunteering his time, such as working concessions and tickets at basketball games, as well as tutoring younger students who need the extra help. 
During Trey's free time he enjoys making music, animating, and drawing. His greatest accomplishment to date was being inducted into the National Honor Society. Trey aspires to live the best life he can. His advice for his peers is to “stay on top of your work.” Trey shared, “doing well academically can provide an abundance of opportunities in the future” giving him the boost he needs to sustain himself and live a nice life. Post-graduation, Trey has plans to enroll in Ball State University where he will pursue a degree in Spanish education in addition to becoming a dental assistant.

Standardized testing season, for Juniors especially, is upon us! Let's work together to make sure that you are well prepared. 

The SAT and the ACT are the standardized tests used by institutions to decide on students being admitted. Though they serve the same purpose, there are some differences worth considering before signing up. One of the most noteworthy differences is that the SAT allows more time per question. This makes it a great option for those who need more time for comprehension of questions. The ACT is best suited for students with reading and writing comprehension skills since it has more reading questions and less time per question. Noteworthy similarities are the times that they should be taken, the spring of students junior (11th) year. This will time for students to retake their test if need be and/or to have enough time to submit their results to their selected institutions. 

It is important to mention that more institutions are moving towards being test-optional. What does this mean? It means that students are not required to send in their SAT and /or ACT scores to institutions with this policy. However, it does not mean that the scores are no longer important. Institutions will take a harder look at the other information submitted to the admissions board (extracurricular actives, recommendations, essays, and academic profile). So students should make sure that this information is a reflection of the type of student they would like to present themselves as. The test-optional alternative could give some the impression that they no longer have to take the ACT or the SAT, but These tests could be beneficial for those with above-average scores as they would speak positively on the student. 

Admissions into institutions will remain competitive so for those who take the SAT and/or the ACT, here are some helpful tips:
1. Before taking the test one should practice pacing. While preparing students should take a practice exam with the same time constraints so they are prepared to spend a certain amount of time on each question. This will help students to answer all the questions on their exams. 

2. Students should be skilled in answer elimination. They should be able to read through the options provided and know which ones are not correct. This will make finding the real answer easier. 

3. Selective reading is another skill students should have before they take their exams. Being able to only read relevant information will save time for exams. 

All of these skills should be practiced while students study for their exams. Considering that the best time to take these exams is the spring of the junior year, Students should begin studying and perfecting these skills ASAP. The length and the depth of studying should increase the closer one gets to their junior year. This will ensure that the students are properly prepared for not only standardized tests but the quizzes and exams they take on a regular basis at school.