The Boettcher Foundation awards undergraduate scholarships to Colorado’s best and brightest students. Their merit-based awards essentially guarantee a 4-year fully paid scholarship to any college or university in Colorado. The application process for this scholarship is very rigorous and the competition is steep. Annually, well over 1,000 students apply for the 50 available scholarships. According to the Foundation:

Our application review is a holistic selection process that evaluates applicants on four selection criteria – superior scholastic ability and intellectual curiosity; evidence of leadership and involvement; service to community and school; and outstanding character.

Typically, competitive applicants rank in the top 5% of their classes and have test scores that average 1388 on the SAT and 32 on the ACT (as a reminder, we are not requiring test scores for this year’s applicants.) It’s important to note these averages are precisely those; every year we have Scholars who score below and above those averages.

Though grades, coursework, and test scores are important, we know that numbers do not tell the whole story of a student’s unique abilities, lived experiences, or character. We also weigh the qualitative components of an application that include leadership, involvement, and service to community and school.

The application opens September 1 every year. Your high school counselor will be receiving updated information about the scholarship. Then, they are able to invite qualified students to apply so if you are interested make sure to connect with your counselor. To see if you might be a qualified applicant check out the Boettcher website.

Boettcher Scholars are an amazing community of students and citizens.

Great College Advice

The post Are You A Talented Colorado High School Student? Learn About the Boettcher Scholarship first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Average Starting Salary

According to the study, the average starting salary for four-year college graduates in Colorado was $38,860.  The lowest starting salary was $32,539 for graduates of Adams State College. While the highest was $56,671 for graduates of Colorado School of Mines.  Statistics like these need to be taken with a grain of salt, however.  Of course School of Mines grads’ salaries are high. The school only offers majors in applied sciences and engineering, and jobs in these fields tend to pay very well.

Adams State

Unfortunately, Adams State grads also had the highest debt to first-year earnings ratio in the state.  An executive from the college defended Adams State by saying that 60 percent of its students receive a Pell Grant. A grant from the federal government that’s awarded to low-income students.  Thus, Adams State students probably incur more debt. Because they and their families have to borrow more money than students at other colleges.

Lowest Starting Salaries

Additionally, of the four colleges whose graduates had the lowest starting salaries, three are located in “remote towns” (a term used in the study).  Graduates who stay in those areas may have more difficulty finding a job in their field. And are unlikely to make as much money as people in a metropolitan area like Denver.  The study only includes college graduates who stayed in Colorado; if you’re interested in going to college here and then working elsewhere, the data may not be of much use.  Finally, it’s important to note that starting salaries may not be indicative of how much graduates will make over the course of their careers. Prospective students should consider this when trying to determine the value of a degree from a particular college.

Some of the study’s results were surprising.  For example, students who graduated from two-year colleges with associate’s degrees in applied sciences earned almost $7,000 more per year than students who graduated from four-year colleges with bachelor’s degrees (not with any specific major).

Business Degrees

Students who earned a business administration degree at the University of Colorado Denver (UCD) had an average starting salary of $43,518. While students who graduated from Regis University with the same degree had an average starting salary of $57,120.  Tuition at Regis for the 2012-2013 school year was $31,200 (this does not include fees, room and board, books, or personal expenses), whereas tuition at UCD was $6,384 for Colorado residents and $19,896 for non-residents.  Therefore, although Regis costs a great deal more than UCD, data like this suggest the additional cost is worth it, especially if you’re an out-of-state student who wants to study business.

Although this study certainly has shortcomings, the data it provides is still useful.  

If you don’t live in Colorado and/or aren’t planning to attend college here, there may be information like this for the state you’re interested in.  Ten states have or will report this type of data, and a recent bill introduced in Congress would require every state to do so.  See this article for more information.

The post Starting Salaries for Graduates from Colorado Universities first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

For a student interested in outdoor opportunities Fort Lewis College is a dream come true. From the mountain views that circle the campus to a major in Adventure Education Fort Lewis is a perfect fit for the outdoor enthusiast. Hiking, kayaking, backpacking, and skiing are all close by and the campus makes it easy to enjoy with the college’s Outdoor Pursuits program that provides resources, maps, and equipment for students.

Fort Lewis offers a great variety of majors ranging from biology to public health and business to education.

I have included a few pictures in this post that I took during my visit but for more information about Fort Lewis College check out https://explore.fortlewis.edu/

The post Looking for Outdoor Opportunities? Consider Fort Lewis College first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Just the fact that you were nominated by your high school means that you are a talented and high achieving student. You, and your family, should be very proud.

The first step to the Boettcher selection process is filling out the application. Make sure to take your time as you fill out the application to read, and understand, the questions that are being asked of you.

As the pool gets narrowed to the semi-finalist stage you will have your application reviewed alongside Colorado’s best and brightest. Just by the sheer fact of your nomination the Boettcher Foundation will know that you are a good student, now is the time to help distinguish yourself from your peers.

Keep in mind that during the selection process applicants will be evaluated according to the following:

• Evidence of leadership and involvement
• Service to community and school
• Superior scholastic ability
• Outstanding character.

The Foundation is clear on how they want you to focus this application through what they call the ACE strategy

A=Academics
C=Community Service
E=Extracurricular Activities

The “ACE” strategy is meant to help you ensure your application stands out. Show the application readers what you have done with your time in high school both inside the classroom and outside.

If you haven’t started your application, I recommend you start now!

The post Are You Working on a Boettcher Scholarship Application? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.