Thursday, March 24, 2011

The Career Center- Definitely check them out!

Services on campus – as Maria said, so many choices, where to begin! Yes, I am also a connoisseur of food so I do have to give the Hive a shout out, but I want to share with our blog world the incredible resources the Career Center provides.

Do you plan to get a job after you graduate from college, or as a student at BHSU? The Career Center, assists students in exploring career and job opportunities while a student, as a new graduate and even as an alum. While a student, you may qualify for a Work Study and need to know what jobs are available or if you do not qualify for Work Study, what are my options? What jobs are available in the community, what about internships? What types of careers can I get with my planned major? These are all questions that The Career Center can help to answer.

They host job fairs, etiquette dinners , and networking events all to prepare students to be professionals during their job searches, interviews, and careers. Don’t wait until you’re a senior to seek out the Career Center, but don’t forget how beneficial they can be when you are trying to find that first job after you graduate. Speaking from experience, writing that first resume with no professional experience to refer to is not the easiest thing!
If you are attending or planning to attend BHSU, you are more than likely on a quest to advance your career options, let The Career Center guide you through the many possibilities.
Meet with someone from The Career Center during a Campus Visit, Preview Day or New Student Registration.

Go Yellow Jackets!!

Laura Weber
Assistant Director of Admissions
Black Hills State University
Laura.Weber@bhsu.edu

Monday, March 21, 2011

Eat at the Hive? Yes PLEASE!

This week, the theme of the BHSU Admissions Blog is going to be "awesome services on campus" for lack of better words:). We have so many AWESOME services on campus for students, that we thought we should do a little blog bragging!

I am very pleased to take this opportunity to brag about one of the most awesome-est-est-est (yes, THAT awesome) services on campus, Dining Services! Yes, it is true that I may be biased because I love to eat good food, but who doesn't?

Back in the Fall of 2010, our Student Union debuted and included, among other things, a brand new dining facility that we have come to know as the "Hive." The Hive offers a wide, and I mean WIDE variety of food daily for students, faculty and staff, and community members alike. Guests are able to choose food options from a variety of delicious stations, which are named PAO, The Grille, Bravo, Market Place Entrees, Sweet Peppers Deli, Field of Greens, and of course, the Bakery. For a complete description of the amazing food choices at each of these stations, please visit the Dining Services page. The Hive is all you can eat, and never ceases to amaze me with all of its glorious dining options!

Students who attend a Preview Day actually get to eat at the Hive for free as part of the program! If that isn't enough of an incentive to attend Preview Day, I don't know what is! We have one more Preview Day date available on April 16, so sign up today at www.bhsu.edu/PreviewDay.

OK, OK, I am getting hungry just writing about the Hive. I better get going... dinner is served in one hour!


Maria Hartung
BHSU Admissions Counselor
Maria.Hartung@bhsu.edu
605-394-3350

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Dual Enrollment… The Pros

Spring has sprung, the birds are chirping and summer is fast approaching! Spring time is the perfect time to apply for Dual Enrollment at Black Hills State!

As Emily explained in our last blog, Dual Enrollment is a great way to get your feet wet by taking college courses and making the transition from high school to college that much easier.
So what are the pros to being Dual Enrolled…?

The most obvious reason is getting a head start on college. By taking college courses such as Composition, Speech, College Algebra or any other general education requirement during high school, you save time in the long run and in turn that means you save money. You are essentially eliminating courses you will have to take in college and the sooner you are finished with your electives and general education courses, the sooner you can get started on the courses that are required for your major. That sounds great, right?

Another great reason for deciding to dual enroll is because it makes you more qualified for scholarships. Yes, that’s right… scholarships! For example, when universities see that you have taken four years of math (college level course included), they know you are serious about college and are ready to handle the class load of a college student. Colleges then feel good about awarding you money because they know you are ready.

The final reason our Dual Enrollment program at BHSU is a great idea – because it’s FUN! Not only can you take general education courses, you can also take fun electives that might introduce you to a new hobby such as rock climbing or perhaps a career that you have never considered.
If you are interested in applying for our program make sure to sign up soon! Remember space is limited in all of our courses, so the sooner you apply the better!

Visit our web site www.bhsu.edu/dualenrollment to find out more information today!

Anne Dickman
BHSU Admissions Counselor
Anne.Dickman@bhsu.edu
605.642.6227

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Dual Enrollment Vs. Advanced Placement (AP)

The first days of spring weather have hit campus! So basically everyone on campus is enjoying their days into the evenings and getting out into the sunshine! I hope all you seniors out there do not have senioritis too bad yet. We in the office have been talking about what seniors need to be doing lately, but now it is time to concentrate on another subject, Dual Enrollment!

Dual Enrollment is a program that is designed for high school students, particularly current sophomores and juniors, to get a jump start on their college career. You can take a college course at Black Hills State whether on the main campus, in Rapid City, or online; and earn college and possibly even high school credit for it.

Many high school students have the opportunity to participate in Advanced Placement (AP) classes as well, but there is a difference between Dual Enrollment and AP classes. AP classes are taught at your school by a teacher and in order to gain college credit, you must complete the class and then an exam at the end of the class. Then if you receive a high enough score on the AP exam, you are eligible to earn high school and college credit. Dual Enrollment courses are a little different. If you complete a Dual Enrollment class on the BHSU main campus, our Rapid City campus, or online, and if you pass it, you will earn college and possibly even high school credit. Almost all of the courses high school students take through the Dual Enrollment Program will transfer to other universities, so taking a Dual Enrollment class through Black Hills State is a great opportunity to get started early.

Visit with your guidance counselor or give me a call to learn how you can get started on your college classes at Black Hills State!

Emily Pier
BHSU Admissions Counselor
Emily.Pier@BHSU.edu
605.642.6067

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Choosing Classes, Meeting Classmates, and Becoming an Official Yellow Jacket

Art, English, a science course – probably biology, for sure College Algebra – before I forget everything I have learned about math, and room for one more course, oh the possibilities! Do I want to take my wellness course, or maybe I should do Fly Fishing and a World History course? I wonder what time of the day I will be able to have my classes. I want to be able to fit in some part time work and then of course I want to be sure to have enough time for studying and doing projects for class, oh, and don’t forget some free time to have a little fun!

These are the conversations that begin to fill the Jonas Computer Labs on the Black Hills State University Campus come New Student Registration. How exciting it is to be able to start to plan your own schedules and explore some new areas of interest when planning your Fall 2011 schedule. Students also get the opportunity to begin to meet their new classmates, receive their housing and roommate assignments, and receive your very own student ID card, or what we like to call the Buzz Card.

New incoming students that have been accepted to BHSU can sign up for New Student Registration (NSR) now! Head to the BHSU website at: www.BHSU.edu/NSR. There are 6 days available with 2 different sessions available each of those days. Find one that works best for your schedule and then you can join in on the conversations that I was talking about before. Parents or supporters are welcome to join you for this half day on campus to learn more about what your college experience will be like and how they can support you.

If you are still going through the application process, get in your necessary information now so we can start thinking about the next step and as always, if you have any questions, we in the Office of Admissions are ready to help.

Gotta run, I need to catch the Yellow Jackets Men’s Basketball team’s game in the first round of the national tournament!

Go Yellow Jackets!!

Laura Weber
Assistant Director of Admissions
Black Hills State University

Monday, March 7, 2011

New Student Registration

Greetings from the Office of Admissions at BHSU! I hope all of you high school seniors are preparing for college next fall and enjoying the last of your senior year.

We have visited with a number of excited parents and students who are looking forward to taking the next step . While it still may seem that next fall is a long way off, preparations for fall classes are well underway. If you are an accepted student, you will need to sign up for New Student Registration in order to register for classes. This is a required program and there are already students signed up for almost all of the available dates. You are able to sign up online at www.bhsu.edu/nsr or by calling the Office of Admissions at 605-642-6343.

Keep in mind that signing up for New Student Registration does not commit you to a school, it only reserves your place for that day. So especially if you are going to be working or busy this summer, it is a good idea to sign up now so you can get into a session that works for you. And as always, remember to call or email us with any questions about New Student Registration. Go Jackets!


Emily Pier
Admissions Counselor
Black Hills State University
605-642-6067
Emily.Pier@bhsu.edu

Friday, March 4, 2011

Finances for College- Where to Begin?!?

Hello again, Prospective Students! For those of you who are new to this blog or maybe just forgot me over the holidays, my name is Kyle. I am a Senior here at Black Hills State University and I am majoring in Speech Communication with a Minor in Military Science. What I do with this blog, is provide tips and tricks to prospective students on how to become a student here at our University.

Life has really been picking up speed for me, being that this is my last semester in college. Real life is staring me in the face and I have to tell you that it’s really exciting! There is a light at the end of the tunnel and I swear to you it’s not a train. However, I am not here to speak to you about the end of the road, I’m here to help you get into the car and start driving. Unless your last name is Trump, most of you will be frantically trying to line up the finances to make this college-thing work.

There are a variety of reasons why you may want to pursue additional sources of Financial Aid to help pay for college . Some of you can fork over the bill, but if don’t HAVE to pay for ALL of it out of YOUR pocket, you might as well see what’s out there. Federal aid, loans, grants, scholarships, and whatever else you can find can really help lessen the sting and give you more time to concentrate on the important stuff, like showing up and being successful.

The first step you want to take is to fill out the FAFSA. As soon as you and your parents or guardians are done doing your 2010 taxes, you want to fill out the FAFSA, www.fafsa.ed.gov to see what kind of federal money you qualify for. There are grants, unsubsidized loans, subsidized loans, federal work-study, and a myriad of other programs that I don’t even know the names for. You may qualify for some or all of these programs. You don’t know until you take the 30 minutes to fill out the form. It’s free to submit. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain by filling out a FAFSA.

Step Two is to go to our website and complete our scholarship form. BHSU is currently awarding scholarships so putting your name in the pot sooner rather than later can have huge rewards. There are two reasons why scholarships are so great: 1) The form is a single page and submits you for ALL our scholarships with the exception of Music and Athletic scholarships, so it’s quick and easy. 2) You don’t pay scholarships back. This is money set aside for students just like you to reward you for your past achievements and current aspirations. You worked hard through high school to earn this, but unless you fill out the form, you will never know if you would have qualified.

After you’ve completed the above, you will want to see what kind of outside scholarships you can qualify for. Outside scholarships are offered by many organizations and can be located through a variety of websites. One good place to check is our scholarship website: www.bhsu.edu/scholarships. Not only does this site provide you with our scholarship application and explanations on many of the scholarships we offer, there is a link that says, “outside scholarships,” that will show you a huge array of other programs that may help you pay for school.

This is only a quick snapshot of what’s available. Go online or even ask your friends what they found. Financial Aid is a good thing and you shouldn’t be embarrassed to call and ask what scholarships and programs are available to help fund your education. You may or may not qualify for some of these programs but I can tell you this: The only scholarship you will definitely not receive is the one you don’t apply for. Good luck, and happy hunting!

Kyle Wade
BHSU Senior, Student Blogger
Kyle.Wade@yellowjackets.bhsu.edu

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

FAFSA…. It’s not too late!

By now you’ve all at least heard of the acronym so commonly associated with going to college and perhaps you have even taken the time to submit your FAFSA or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Though the priority date was yesterday March 1st, do not fret friends because it’s certainly not too late to go online and submit your FAFSA application!
FAFSA, the federal government’s program for student aid, is a great way to help pay for college.
How it works – the government bases not only your income, but also the income of your parents or your legal guardian; as well as your household size, and compares that to what it takes to pay for college and through a moderately complex formula, they determine how much a student and a student’s family can contribute to the cost of college. The amount remaining is essentially the amount the federal government is willing to lend you in the form of a loan, and/or give to you in the form of a grant in order for you to successfully complete your higher education and obtain a degree.


Now the money you are given through FAFSA does not only come in the form of loans, but there are also scholarships and grants that students are eligible to earn. This money is FREE money and will never have to be paid back! That’s great, right? Not to mention, the loans that students receive through the FAFSA program have very low interest rates; therefore the payments you will make after college are much easier to handle.


Before you sit down with your parents to begin the application process on the FAFSA web site www.fafsa.gov, make sure you have all of your 2010 tax information. This is the key to successfully filling out your FAFSA application and making this as easy as possible! Simply log on to the web site and follow the simple application process. Don’t forget to include Black Hills State University’s code – 003459 on your application. This will ensure that your information is sent directly to us!

Remember, even if you think you won’t be eligible for any aid it’s ridiculous not to try and the application is free! There are tons of different scholarships and grants out there for interested students so it’s definitely worth checking it out!

Anne Dickman
BHSU Admissions Counselor
Anne.Dickman@bhsu.edu

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

New Student Registration

Hello everyone! I apologize for our hiatus from the blog! It has been a very busy start to 2011 here in the Office of Admissions. We have been hard at work accepting some amazing future Yellow Jackets for admission to BHSU, sending out housing contracts, reviewing scholarship applications, visiting with students on campus, and preparing for New Student Registration just to name a few.

Speaking of New Student Registration (NSR), all accepted freshman students for the Fall of 2011 should be receiving their NSR invites in the mail this week! The NSR online registration form is now open and available to make reservations so if you are an accepted fall 2011 student reserve your NSR session spot today! You can also give our office a call to make your reservation at 605-642-6343. New Student Registration (NSR) is a required program intended to provide you with the best opportunities in your first year at BHSU. At NSR, you will register for classes, meet faculty & staff, establish relationships with current students, and begin the transformation to college! NSR sessions will take place on the following dates and times:

Friday, June 3- 8:00 am
Friday, June 3- 1:00 pm
Thursday, June 16- 8:00 am
Thursday, June 16- 1:00 pm
Friday, June 17- 8:00 am
Friday, June 17- 1:00 pm
Friday, July 8- 8:00 am
Friday, July 8- 1:00 pm
Friday, July 22- 8:00 am
Friday, July 22- 1:00 pm

These sessions will fill up quickly, so please reserve your spot as soon as possible. We look forward to seeing you this summer at NSR!

Maria Hartung
BHSU Admissions Counselor
Maria.Hartung@BHSU.edu