Allison Styffe
Ready, Set, College! webinar recap
Updated: Oct 24, 2022
Every fall we host a webinar series — Ready, Set, College! — to guide students through the important (and sometimes confusing) steps in applying to college and for financial aid. Thanks to those who are joining in, asking questions, and sharing their own experiences. For those who weren't able to attend any or all of the sessions live, no worries, we have the recordings and slides here for you to review:

Session #1: How to Pay for College
The amazing Jenn Satalino, Director of The College Place (Oregon), hosted a webinar jam-packed with info on how to pay for college. How much debt does the average student graduate with? Who needs to complete the FAFSA? What other ways can students get help with college expenses? Jenn answered these questions and many more in her presentation:
View the presentation in English | in Spanish
Download the Opportunities Guide
Session #2: College Apps, Step-by-Step
The Baker college/career counselor — Allison Styffe (Central, Eastern, & Southern BEC/BWC) and Jennifer Tracewell (BWA + Portland, Salem, & Eugene BEC/BWC) — walked students and families through application requirements, steps, and document requests. Plus we threw in some organization tools and tips to keep you on track!
Session #3: How to Make the Most of your Essays
As an English major turned college counselor, I'll always have lots to say about what it takes to write a personal statement you can feel proud of. That's just what we did this week as we dove into the topic of entrance essays — strategies for different prompts, stylistic do's and don'ts, resources to use along the way, and more! After a week with laryngitis, my voice couldn't keep up to present for the full hour, so this time around we watched last year's recording together:
Session #4: Scholarships 101
For our final session in the series, I broke down the important things you should know before seeking out scholarships and some of the best places to find them, with tips on how to work smarter, rather than harder, as you apply for extra college funds.