Academic Empowerment Foundation

Bridging the Gap Through Scholarship

Can Your Social Media Profile Get You Rejected?

Can Your Social Media Profile Get You Rejected?

Be mindful of what you’re posting on your social media profiles. While your social media account can enhance the college application, it can also hinder the chances of getting accepted if the posts show the student in a negative light. ⠀
⠀
“A 2018 Kaplan Test Prep survey found that about 25% of college admissions officers review applicants’ social media profiles.” -U.S. News & World Report⠀
⠀
Focus on creating an online presence that adds to your positive image and shows schools and organizations that you would be an excellent addition to their student body.

EdSurge: Will Admissions Algorithms Replace the SAT?

In the article “As Colleges Move Away From the SAT, Will Admissions Algorithms Step In? by Rebecca Koenig, the new ways colleges are using technology to screen and rank admissions eligibility of students has been growing and changing, especially in light of the massive effect on higher education the coronavirus pandemic has influenced.

Much of the article looks at positive aspects such advances could incur, as well as some of the oversights and biases we see every day when automated algorithms take over decision making from people who might be able to make more nuanced decisions.

This year’s problematic and devastating Ofqual exams results in England only begin with problems in the algorithms used, so hopefully lessons can be learned with the testing here going forward.

BBC News: A-levels: Anger over ‘unfair’ results this year
BBC News: GCSE and A-level results ‘could be affected by bias’

This report was co-published by EdSurge with Slate Magazine.

Article: https://www.edsurge.com/news/2020-07-10-as-colleges-move-away-from-the-sat-will-admissions-algorithms-step-in

Book Grants Assistance During Government Shutdown

The Academic Empowerment Foundation will provide Financial Assistance to students who are attending College during the Government Shutdown. Students who will need financial support to purchase book and supplies during the Spring 2019 Semester. The Academic Empowerment Foundation is here to provide support to our college students education.

Funding for this special emergency Book and Supply Grant Program is provided through the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capitol Area (CFCNCA) with donated funds from local Federal Government Employees, Retirees, and Department of Defense personnel within the Washington DC Metro Area.



The Academic Empowerment Foundation (AEF) will to do our part to support families and students that are in need during this stressful time; therefore, we have opened this special application period until February 08, 2019 for Federal Government employees who have a student in college and needs financial assistance to purchase books and other supplies during the Spring 2019 semester.

HOW TO APPLY: 


Complete items (1-4) below and mail your application for financial support for Books and Supplies to the Academic Empowerment Foundation, Inc. (AEF), P.O. Box 824, Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20773.


1. Student’s Full Name, Home Address, Email Address, Home and Cell Phone Numbers Parents/Guardian Home Address, Home, work and Cell Phone Numbers, Federal Agency, and email address (personal and work)

2. Name and Address of College/University/Institution you are attending, Major/Field of study, Classification, College ID Number, and GPA

3. A copy of your Spring 2019 Class Schedule, and date and sign your application

4. A copy of the government furlough letter sent to your parent/guardian.


NOTE: No Applications will be accepted or received after February 8, 2019.


Academy Application Nominations Open Until October 14th

There are five service academies in the United States which offer young men and women a free college education at highly-ranked, nationally-recognized academies, while preparing them for an officer’s commission in the armed forces. The Air Force Academy, the Merchant Marine Academy, the Military Academy at West Point, and the Naval Academy all require a nomination from an authorized nominating source. The Coast Guard Academy is the only one of the armed forces service academies that offers appointments on the basis of an annual nationwide competition; there are no Congressional nominations.

Acceptance at an academy involves a five year active duty commitment. If you do not graduate, different consequences will apply, depending upon the conditions of your resignation or removal, and when either occurs.

Competition for appointments in the Fifth District is very keen. Therefore, you are encouraged to start the application process during the late spring of your junior year by contacting Congressman Hoyer’s Office and by applying through all available sources. These include United States Senators Mikulski and Cardin, the Vice President and through the Branch of Service, if you are the child of a deceased or disabled veteran.

Guidelines

  • Must be at least 17 years of age, but not yet 23 years of age.
  • A citizen of the United States.
  • Unmarried, no legal obligation to support a child or dependent.
  • A Legal resident of the Fifth Congressional District.

    Basis for the nomination

    • Candidate’s school record–grade point average and class rank. The average competitive candidate is in the upper fifth of his/her class.
    • Extra-curricular activities–athletics, community service, and school organizations.
    • SAT scores–A competitive candidate must score above 560 on verbal, 600 on math, and 560 on the essay section. You are encouraged to retake the SAT if your scores, your mathematics score in particular, are not at this level.
    • Motivation.
    • Interview with Congressman Hoyer’s Service Academy Selection Board, which are held during the month of November and eligible candidates will be notified of the date in October.
    • You must also complete the appropriate application process with each academy of interest to you.

    Congressman Steny Hoyer’s office is currently accepting applications for anyone interested in entering a U.S. Service Academy in the summer of 2016.

    Online application is available here

    Applications may be submitted to Congressman Hoyer’s Waldorf District Office at the conclusion of your junior year until the designated date in October of your senior year:

    Attn: Stefanie Carey Barone
    401 Post Office Road
    Suite 202
    Waldorf, MD 20602

    All applications must be postmarked by October 14, 2015. Your file will be reviewed and you will be advised in late October/early November of the scheduled time of your interview. Interviews, required of all applicants, will be conducted towards the end of November. Any questions should be addressed to Ms. Stefanie Carey Barone at (301) 843-1577.

    You may also request a paper copy of the application by writing to the Waldorf District Office address listed above.

    Link: http://hoyer.house.gov/academy-nominations

Financial Assistance Available for Books and Supplies (Fall Semester 2016)

Apply for Financial Assistance for Books and Supplies (for Graduates and Post Graduates for the Fall Semester 2016)

One of the missions of the Academic Empowerment Foundation Inc., (AEF) is to provide Financial Assistance to students from the Washington DC Metro Area to help them purchase books and supplies.

Limited funds are donated to the AEF from Federal Government Employees through the National Area Combined Federal Campaign Annual Events.

To submit your request for financial support for books and supplies, each applicant must submit the following information to the AEF for financial support:

  1. Student’s Full Name, Home Address, Email Address, Home and Cell Phone Numbers Parents/Guardian Home Address, Home and Cell Phone Numbers
  2. Name and Address of College/University/Institution you are attending, Major/Field of study, Classification, and GPA
  3. An unofficial copy of your Fall 2016 Class Schedule
  4. Freshmen ONLY: Provide a copy of your Acceptance Letter
  5. Student’s Signature and Date

    Download a PDF of the Fall Semester 2016 application here The applications acceptance period is now closed

    Mail completed applications/packages to:

    The Academic Empowerment Foundation, Inc. (AEF)
    P.O. Box 824
    Upper Marlboro, MD 20774

    Application Packages will not be accepted after 4:00 PM August 10, 2015.

    Funds will be mailed to each approved applicant on or about August 15, 2015.

    All checks will be made payable to the institution listed on your application. Each applicant must include all requested information listed below. All submissions of incomplete applications/packages will not be considered or accepted.

Temple University Removes SAT Requirement for New Students

Philadelphia’s Temple University announced on Tuesday it will no longer require prospective students to submit a standardized test score when they apply, joining a small but growing group of schools that believe there are other ways to gauge talent.

Temple said it is the first public research university in the United States’ Northeast to broaden its admissions policy in this way. Most U.S. schools still rely on students’ SAT or ACT test scores when choosing whom to admit.

Neil Theobald, the school’s president, suggested the move, which will apply to those who apply for fall 2015, will lead to a more diverse student body.

“By giving students more choices, we open doors to more first-generation students and those from underserved communities whose enormous academic promise may be overlooked by conventional measures of achievement,” he said in a statement.

More than 800 four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. do not require applicants to submit either SAT or ACT scores, according to FairTest, a group that advocates for alternatives to standardized testing in university admissions.

Read the full article at Reuters: Temple University scraps SAT requirement for new students

Scholarships for PG County High School Seniors

David Macklin Memorial ScholarshipPrince George’s County Association of REALTORS®, Inc.
DAVID MACLIN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
9400 Basil Court, Suite 400
Largo, MD 20774
301 306-7900

The Prince George’s County Association of REALTORS® (PGCAR) David Maclin Memorial Scholarship Fund Committee would like to acknowledge the community service efforts of our public school seniors. To this end, we are striving to award a $2,500 scholarship to three Prince George’s County High School students.

Each scholarship is to be used toward further education in any community college, university or trade school, and will be divided into two payments of $1,250 each. $1,250 will be paid for your Freshman year and $1,250 for your Sophomore year.

The scholarship criteria consists of writing a composition of 500 words or less on “What Difference Have I Made in My Community.” The scholarship applicant must be a graduating high school senior with at least a 2.0 grade point average.

Compositions should be sent to PGCAR and should include a completed application form, parental/guardian permission slip, 3 letters of recommendation and Letter of Acceptance from the university or college.

All entries must be received by close of business on February 28th, 2014. All winners will be notified no later than March 31st, 2014. The entries will be judged by the David E. Maclin Memorial Scholarship Fund Committee.

ScholarshipsOnline: Top 10 Scholarships for Women

Financial aid is a huge problem for millions of students every year who want to attend college. And yet, it is reported that billions of dollars in scholarship funding and grants are given away annually. One web site, ScholarshipsOnline.org, helps students find those opportunities.

They have identified the Top 10 2013/14 scholarship opportunities for women:

#1 – The AARP Foundation Women’s Scholarship Program provides scholarship funds to low-income women who are over the age of 50, and are seeking new job skills, training, and educational opportunities.

Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/04/aarp-foundation-womens-scholarship.html

#2 – The Betty Rendel Scholarship is available to female undergraduates each year who are attending a four-year accredited college or university and majoring in political science, government or economics. It is open to women across the nation.

Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2013/04/betty-rendel-scholarship.html

#3 – The Women’s Independence Scholarship Program, Inc. helps women who have survived domestic violence to return to school and become self-sufficient. The primary candidates are single mothers with young children who lack the resources to attend college.

Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2013/04/womens-independence-scholarship-program.html

#4 – The Miss America Scholarship Fund offers scholarships to over 12,000 young women who compete in the state and local competitions as well as Miss America first place winner, four runners-up, semifinalists and non-finalists.

Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2013/03/miss-america-scholarship-fund.html

#5 – The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship is open to female undergraduate seniors or female students enrolled in a graduate program and studying Computer Science or Computer Engineering.

Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2013/01/google-anita-borg-memorial-scholarship.html

#6 – The Young Women In Public Affairs Award is a scholarship for young women age 16 to 19 with an interest in public affairs who plan to enroll in college.

Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/11/young-women-in-public-affairs-award.html

#7 – The Talbots Scholarship Program awards one-time scholarships to women who want to go back to school to earn their undergraduate degree after graduating from high school or receiving their GED at least ten years ago.

Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/11/the-talbots-scholarship-program.html

#8 – The Go Red Multicultural scholarship champions greater inclusion of multicultural women in the nursing and medical industries, address important gaps in treatment, and ensure that all Americans have an opportunity to work with their healthcare providers to make the best choices that lead to good health.

Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/09/go-red-multicultural-scholarship-fund.html

#9 – The Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund awards scholarships every year to low-income women who are 35 years of age or older.

Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/05/jeanette-rankin-womens-scholarship-fund.html

#10 – The AWG Minority Scholarship program encourages young minority women to pursue courses of education and careers in the field of geosciences.

Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/04/awg-minority-scholarship.html

ScholarshipsOnline is a free online resource for scholarships and grants available to students, parents, and teachers. To find and apply for hundreds of scholarships for men and women of all ages, visit www.ScholarshipsOnline.org

(via BlackNews.com)

AEF and Pigskin Jamboree on CTV in November

If you’re located in the DC Metro area, you can watch a profile and interview of the AEF and the Pigskin Jamboree Workshop on local programming show “Teens N Focus”, airing on CTV Channels 76 & 42 beginning on November 18, 2012.

Upcoming 2013 AEF Events

There are a number of scheduled Academic Empowerment Foundation events for 2013:

January 2013 (Date TBD)
SAT PREP Class (Eight Week Class)
Ebenezer AME Church
Fort Washington, MD 20748
(301) 248-8833

February 16, 2013
11th Annual Alfred Street Baptist Church HBCU College Festival

April 2013 (Date TBD)
SAT TEST PREP & Financial Information Forum
Wise High School, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
http://www.hlkapsi.org

September 2013 (Date TBD)
SAT TEST PREP & Financial Information Forum
Charles Flowers High School, Springdale MD 20744
http://www.hlkapsi.org

September 2013 (Date TBD)
SAT PREP Class (Eight Week Class)
Ebenezer AME Church
Fort Washington, MD 20748
(301) 248-8833

December 14, 2013
24th Annual Pigskin Jamboree/Financial Aid Workshop
Ebenezer AME Church
7806 Allentown Road,Fort Washington, MD 20748

Contact Information

Academic Empowerment Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 824
Upper Marlboro, MD 20773

Lynett Belton, Executive Director
Phone: (301) 683-7705

Find AEF Online