College Resources
Senior Seminar is a class devoted to helping students through their last year of high school. We offer support for completing college applications and other post-secondary options, requesting recommendation letters, finding scholarships, and hosting visits from college representatives. We promote senior bonding and service opportunities. Additionally, we provide the seniors with time to plan for financial realities, research career pathways, and successfully navigate their senior classes.
Important Links:
- College Representatives: Schedule your visit on Scoir
New Mexico School for the Arts is a public, statewide charter high school that serves young artists with a pre-professional arts and academics program. Students choose among 5 art programs: Dance, Visual Art, Theatre, Music, or Creative Writing.
We look forward to hosting you at NMSA this year. Our schedule permits college visits during lunch T-F from 12:10-12:40. All students receive the schedule weekly. I hang posters in a designated spot so students will anticipate your arrival.
- Pathway to College and Career for 9-12 grade. Download this packet for a checklist of resources we use at NMSA.
- Financial aid and scholarships
- FAFSA–apply after Dec 1 of senior year (all schools). Merit and need-based.
- CSS Profile–apply after Oct 1 of senior year. Merit and need-based.
- Schools that require the CSS Profile.
- Opportunity Scholarship–free tuition and fees at all NM public universities. Merit-based.
- Investigate the Western Undergraduate Exchange schools, and colleges that offer a discount to NM residents–the application deadline is Nov 1!
- The LANL scholarship application is due in Jan. With over 200 scholarships, it is our most commonly awarded scholarship. Both merit and need-based awards.
- We are a Davis Scholarship Partner School–if you qualify for free lunch at NMSA, consider applying for the Davis Scholarship. Historically, ~25% of applicants receive the award.
- QuestBridge – A program that aims to match high-achieving, low-income students with full scholarships to prestigious universities. Merit and need based scholarship. Should have a 4.0+GPA to apply.
- Apply for Free Lunch at our School in order to qualify for fee waivers on college applications
College Counseling
Acacia McCombs, Senior Advisor
amccombs@nmschoolforthearts.org
- Your college list
What are some ways to develop and refine your college list?
Research college: start with SCOIR. Explore its college web pages, linked college suggestions, and the scattergrams. Use other college search tools such as Unigo, Niche, Big Future and Peterson’s. College websites are rich sources of information regarding majors, programs, and experiences. It can be slow at first, getting the hang of navigating the websites for various schools, but the more you do it, the more expert you will become at finding information about the college that is relevant to your needs and interests.
Visit campuses: Summer, Thanksgiving, and Spring Break offer times to visit and experience college campuses yourself. Sign up to take a tour.
Meet College Representatives: Each year we bring dozens of college representatives to campus to meet with you during lunch. Often these are the people who read your applications and admit you to their schools. Choose a few to meet with and ask them questions about programming. Calendar here. Keep up with the details in a spreadsheet.
NMSA School Profiles. Please click here for all years.