The Foreign Service Journal, June 2016

74 JUNE 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT have a serious college budget discussion with them at the beginning of junior year. These conversations can be awkward, but they are essential to enabling you to finish college without any surprises. Also, start your scholarship search early. Bracken believes students should “pursue scholarship opportunities as early as freshman year. Early scholarship opportunities do exist.” Use reputable online scholarship search engines to explore the wide variety of scholarship opportunities that exist, and remember to look at scholar- ships for specific colleges, as well. Take the time to do your homework; scholarships are offered based on back- ground, needs, merit and participation in an activity or other affiliation. You may be surprised at the number of scholarships for which you are qualified to apply. You should also apply for scholarships that are offered specifically to FS depen- dents through the American Foreign Service Association, the Foreign Serv ice Youth Foundation and the Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide. Remember, too, it is essential that par- ents file all of the required financial assis- tance materials by the deadline posted for each college, including the Free Applica- tion for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. No Guarantees Unfortunately, there are no guaran- tees in love or in the college application process. You can do everything right, and you might still be rejected or waitlisted. All you can do is submit your best application, the one that truly represents who you are and what you want out of the college experience. The truth is that whatever school you end up attending will have more to teach you than you can possibly learn. Also, the odds that you will get into one of your chosen schools are in your favor—79 percent of colleges accept over half of the students that apply. The “right school” is the school that can best support you in creating the future you envision for yourself. For more information and resources on the college application process, visit FLO’s College & Beyond Webpage: www. state.gov/m/dghr/flo/c21958.htm or email FLOAskEducation@state.gov. n