• Apply for Financial Aid (every year) by completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
• Add the Scholarships Due Calendar to your Google Calendar and get reminders of new scholarships regularly.
• To apply for many Scholarships in one place, create a profile on Going Merry, ScholarsApp,  and/or Fastweb
• Need a Letter of Recommendation? Be sure to ask for a letter in person also, and follow up with frequent, friendly email reminders!

• Counseling Informational Documents

• Check out these Scholarships for First Generation, Low Income and/or Minority Students
• List of United States military schools and academies from Wikipedia 

Are you a highly performing student? Are you enrolled in the most rigorous courses possible? Are you involved in your school, community, and or special interests? Do you work, have significant out-of-school responsibilities, and have experiences that you have risen above to succeed? Are you interested in attending school out of town and possibly out of state? 

If you answered yes to these questions, you may be interested in applying to highly competitive universities and/or liberal arts colleges. As stated by MyinTuition, “A great education costs less than you think. Need-based financial aid can make a school like Yale your most affordable option.” 

Check out MyinTuition to estimate your cost at more than “70 top universities in three minutes”

What is a Liberal Arts Eduication? What is a LIberal Arts College? Click here to learn more from TopUniversities.com

Arizona’s Public Universities:

• Arizona State University Admissions (Tempe and other campuses)
• University of Arizona Admissions (Tucson and other campuses)
• Northern Arizona University Admissions (Flagstaff in state application)

Arizona Private Universities (limited listing):

• DeVry University
• Embry-Riddle University (Prescott)
• Grand Canyon University (Phoenix)

Arizona Community Colleges:

• AZTransfer: Provides resources to students planning to transfer from a community college to a state university.
• Dual Credit Students: If you would like to transfer credits to another school, request Cochise CollegeTranscript Here
• Cochise College (Sierra Vista, Douglas, Benson)
  • Degrees and Certificate Programs at Cochise College
• Eastern Arizona College (Thatcher)
• Pima Community College (Tucson)
• Arizona Western College (Yuma)
• Central Arizona College (Coolidge)
• Coconino Community College (Flagstaff)
• Diné College (Tsaile, AZ )
• Maricopa Community Colleges (Phoenix area):
  • Chandler/Gilbert
  • Estrella Mountain
  • GateWay
  • Glendale
  • Paradise Valley
  • Phoenix
  • Rio Salado
  • Scottsdale
• Mojave Community College (Kingman)
• Northland Pioneer College (4 campuses throughout Navajo and Apache Counties in NE AZ)
• Tohono O’odham Community College (Phoenix Area)
• Yavapai College (Prescott area)
• Dine College
• San Carlos Apache College

New Mexico Colleges and Universities

•  WNMU Apply Now:Western New Mexico University in Silver City

•  NMSU Apply Here: New Mexico State University in Las Cruces

• Research and Apply to many schools at once with Common App. You can also apply to many schools with a MyCoalition account
• Search colleges with College Simply
• Check out these Colleges and Universities that meet 100% of Student Need.
• Use Net Price Calculator to see what a specific school will cost YOU to attend.
• Highly competitive schools may require the CSS Profile (an additional financial aid application)
• For financial Aid: Hefar Group gives a free consultation to help families complete their FAFSA and CSS Profile (for highly competitive schools), to get the most financial aid possible even if a student doesn’t qualify for Pell Grant.
• (Note: if you are taking dual credit classes (2 or more per semester) and your sibling is also in college, you can claim 2 children in college next year. 
• For college rankings/info: US News Best Colleges. You can order the magazine and an online annual subscription, which could be especially helpful in your junior-senior year.

• For competitive schools- look to take the most rigorous course of study in high school (honors/dual credit)- they will ask when you are applying, or they will ask your counselor to verify this!
• Start looking for summer programs in your junior year (you might find some virtual ones open to sophomores as well)
• Think about volunteering in the community, working, and doing something outside of academics that you are passionate about. It's not about breadth, but depth (not scattering your energy all over, but focusing energy on a few things you really care about)
• Ask for letters of recommendation beginning in your junior year. 
• In taking CTE classes, complete a program- show dedication to a skill/program. Then you can try another or even complete (take beyond level one) in 2 areas!

• Apply for Financial Aid (every year) by completing the FAFSA  (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
• Benji is powered by Artificial Intelligence and learns with you. The more questions you ask, the better Benji will get at providing students like you with the information they need to apply for financial aid.
• Add the Scholarships Due Calendar to your Google Calendar and get reminders of new scholarships regularly.
• To apply for many Scholarships in one place, create a profile on Going Merry, ScholarsApp,  and/or Fastweb
• Need a Letter of Recommendation? Be sure to ask for a letter in person also, and follow up with frequent, friendly email reminders!

• NCAA Clearinghouse - create a profile account
• Play NAIA (for smaller colleges/universities)

• Army ROTC
• Air Force ROTC
• Navy ROTC
• The American Legion Scholarships

• Arizona at Work
• Add the Summer Programs/Jobs/Fly-ins/Foreign Exchange Calendar