*****FUTURE FOCUS FLASH #4: SEP 26 – OCT 2, 2011*****
This weekly email compiles postsecondary planning information for counselors working with overaged, undercredited youth.
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The Future Focus Calendar is now online! Simply go to Future Focus Calendar to view and print a monthly or list version of events. You can also download information to your Outlook by going to Future Focus Calendar for Outlook , and then personalize reminders to help keep you and your students on track with deadlines.
Events currently posted in the calendar include:
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CUNY Priority Deadlines (Sep 15 & Feb 1) & SUNY Recommended Deadline (Dec 1)
CUNY Fall Counselor Conferences (various starting in October)
College Access Consortium Monthly Meetings (2

 Big Apple College Fair ( nd or 3 rd www.bigapplecollegefairs.com
)
Thursdays of every month)
ACT & SAT Test Dates and Registration Deadlines (various)
: October 22 (Javits Center)
 Black College Expo ( www.blackcollegeexpo.com
): October 22 (York College, see website for ticket
 info)
NY Urban League HBCU College Fair ( www.nyul.org/HBCU ): November 12 (Riverbank State Park)
 FAFSA 2012-2013 Application Cycle Begin (Jan 1, 2012)
Have something you think should be on the calendar? Email me.
This event is free and open to the general public including high school students, male and female. The sessions offer a great opportunity for young people to meet successful role models and learn about career fields they always talk about: Lawyer, Medical Doctor, and Graduate Study. Consider taking a group of students!
The Sixth Annual City University of New York Black Male Initiative (CUNY BMI) Conference, From High
School or GED to J.D., M.D. or Ph.D.: Exposing African American/Black and Latino/Hispanic Students to Graduate and
Professional School Opportunities will be held on Friday, October 7, 2011 at Hunter College/CUNY, from 8:00
AM to 6:00 PM. More detailed information and registration can be found at www.cuny.edu/bmi .
Come out to NYC’s largest College Fair on Monday, October 10th from 10am to 2pm at Metropolitan
Pavilion. Over 75 colleges and universities will be represented, along with all day workshops provided by
KAPLAN, and day-long entertainment and music. This event is FREE and not to be missed. Also, if you’re a poet, come with a one-minute poem for a chance to win a scholarship.
WHEN: Monday, October 10th (Columbus Day) 10am-2pm
WHERE: Metropolitan Pavilion (125 West 18th Street, between 6th & 7th Ave, NY, NY)
WHAT: 75+ Colleges, All Day Entertainment, Workshops by KAPLAN, $650,000 in scholarships and prizes
REGISTER NOW: www.knickspoetryslam.com

Year Up is a one-year, intensive training program that provides urban young adults, ages 18-24, with a combination of hands-on skill development, college credits, and corporate internships. During the first six months of the program, participants focus on skill mastery in one of two areas: 1) Desktop Support / IT Help
Desk; 2) Investment Operations. Equal emphasis is placed on developing the professional skills required in today's workplace such as effective communication, leadership, and teamwork. During the second six months of the program, students are placed in internships with local partner companies. A stipend is provided to all participants throughout the one-year, full-time educational program.
Year Up New York is gearing up to fill its March 2012 class. Admission is considered and admitted on a rolling basis so students should apply early. Eligible students are high school or GED graduates who are eligible to work in the US and who come from moderate to low-income backgrounds. An Open House,
Learning Assessment and Interview is part of the application process. Year Up New York holds weekly Open
Houses every Tuesday from 3:30-4:30pm and 4:30-5:30pm. We are located at: 55 Exchange Place, Suite 403,
New York, NY 10005. To speak with an admissions representative about attending an Open House, please call 212-785-3340 ext 1338. Go to www.yearup.org
for more information.
The NYCHA Resident Training Academy (RTA) is actively recruiting for training program participants. The
RTA provides employment-focused training and job placement assistance to NYCHA residents in the construction, janitorial and pest control fields. The RTA works with successful graduates of the Academy to become successfully placed into jobs at NYCHA as Caretakers and Pest Control Technicians, and with
NYCHA contractors in construction-related positions. The RTA is designed not only to prepare trainees for entry-level employment but to assist in developing career plans that will lead to promotions and increased wages. The RTA is a collaboration among NYCHA, the Robin Hood Foundation, the New York City College of Technology, Brooklyn Workforce Innovations (BWI), Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW),
Center for Family Life (CFL), and St. Nicks Alliance.
The inaugural class of the Pest Control training begins on October 31 st . The flyer is attached. The educational requirements for the program are 10th grade reading and 9th grade math proficiency on the Test of Adult
Basic Education. The construction flyer can be seen at: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/downloads/pdf/nrtaflyer.pdf
. Please distribute to your networks and begin referring NYCHA residents today!
Most jobs in New York City government are filled through civil service exams. Computerized Testing Centers offer popular exams on a walk-in basis, six days a week, at two convenient locations. Download the new
"Exams for Jobs" booklet - ( http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcas/downloads/pdf/misc/examsforjobs.pdf
) with the latest information about upcoming civil service exams scheduled through June 2012. Included in the book:
 Complete schedule of upcoming exams
 How to apply online or by mail
 Directions to our new Computerized Testing Centers
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Starting salaries and Job descriptions
The education or work experience you need to qualify
The NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) holds civil service exams for City jobs. For more information, call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK or visit www.nyc.gov/dcas .
Earn While You Learn! YouthBuild East Harlem is currently accepting applications for the 2011-2012 program year. This program gives youth the opportunity to re-build the community, while earning certifications in the

construction trade. Applicants must be between the ages of 17-24, unemployed, not enrolled in school, ready to study for the GED, and committed to completing a 10-month program. YouthBuild participants earn a biweekly stipend, metro-cards and meals (if qualified). Job and college placement is available upon graduation.
Stop by: Youth Action Programs & Homes Inc./ 206 E. 118th Street/ New York, NY 10035
Applications are also available online at www.youthaction-nyc.org
Get
No cost to attend.
Friday, October 7 – Fordham University, Bronx
Tuesday, October 11 – Pace University, New York City
Thursday, October 13 – Wagner College, Staten Island
Wednesday, November 2 – Adelphi University, Garden City
Fee Waivers from CUNY, SAT and ACT ship automatically to schools based on previous year’s use.
SUNY Fee Waivers can be downloaded online. If you are a CBO working within a school, check with your principal and Guidance Counselor for arrival of college materials as they are often marked generally to the school to one of these individuals. If you are unfamiliar with the fee waivers, see the following websites for guidance:
 SAT Fee Waivers (click on link or call 1888-SAT HELP)
 ACT Fee Waivers (click on link for more information or call
319/337-1270
)
 CUNY Fee Waivers are sent to schools via CUNY based on previous year’s use, and will be mailed within the next two weeks. If you are a new program or school, please log into www.cuny.edu/counselor (Counselor Corner) and register your school or program. From there, please contact your CUNY representative or the Help Desk for Counselors to inquire about fee waivers for new programs or schools (212-290-5607 or counselor@mail.cuny.edu
. CUNY does not accept any other type of fee waiver including waivers distributed by the College Board or any other organization. Avery limited quantity of CUNY fee waivers are provided to high school counselors/college advisors to be distributed to students with the most financial need. Students must request a CUNY fee waiver from their counselor/college advisor. Once the supply of
CUNY fee waivers is exhausted, no additional waivers will be provided to the high school.
 SUNY Fee Waivers can be downloaded online. SUNY accepts the college application fee waivers distributed by ACT and SAT to testers who also received ACT or SAT fee waivers.
Remember that SUNY will bill students the application fee if they are found to be ineligible for a
SUNY Fee Waiver.
Most everything is online but if you need hardcopies, you can print them from the counselor websites or order shipments. Some items arrive automatically based on previous year’s shipment. It is a good idea to have some SAT and ACT registration packets on hand for standby testing procedures.
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ACT Order Request and Downloads
SAT Order Requests and Downloads
Federal Student Aid Publications
HESC (TAP) Publications
 SUNY Downloads (contact SUNY to make order requests at 800-342-3811 or askSUNY@suny.edu
)
 CUNY Downloads (contact the Counselor Help Desk at 212-290-5607 or counselor@mail.cuny.edu
to make order requests)

Priority Deadline for Spring 2012 Admission is next week: Thursday, September 15
Priority Deadline for Fall 2012 admission: February 1
Register to receive information updates from the Office of Admissions at CUNY through the Counselor
Corner. Download the most up-to-date information including CUNY’s Admissions Profiles, Academic
Grid, College Brochures and Application Worksheets. (Fee Waivers are sent directly to your school and more information will be provided in the next Flash.)
Register for upcoming counselor professional development including the Fall Counselor Conferences. Fall
Counselor Conferences are repeated at CUNY campuses across the city and provide the annual update for this year’s admission cycle. The conferences are a great place to get to know or revisit with the
CUNY admissions staff and start planning campus visits and college nights.
Rolling Admission. Recommended Deadline: Dec 1. Check individual colleges for EOP Admission deadlines.
Download SUNY’s Brochures, Profiles and Fee Waiver through the Counselor Connect website. You can also look up and register for upcoming counselor professional development including the SOAR
Workshops, OpInform and end-of-year Counselor Forum.
SUNY Online Academic Record (SOAR) Workshops in NYC
Beginning with applications for fall 2012, SUNY campuses will provide students with the option to report their academic records online as part of the application process. Join us for a live demonstration and
Best,
Lan To question and answer session to learn about SOAR - the SUNY Online Academic Record. Live workshops and webinars available.
Director of Postsecondary Initiatives
Good Shepherd Services
Lan_To@goodshepherds.org
www.goodshepherds.org
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