Homestead's Guidance Department

School Counselors at Homestead High School strive to provide our students with numerous opportunities for academic, personal, career, and post-secondary counseling. Students are invited to visit the Guidance office regularly. 

• Allen County Extension Homemakers Scholastic Award: One $2,000 scholarship awarded to an Allen County high school senior planning to attend Purdue University, West Lafayette, or Purdue Fort Wayne. Must be full-time student in the College of Health & Human Sciences. Deadline: 5/1/25

• Parkview Opportunity Scholars Program: Recipients pursuing an eligible 2-year degree program at Ivy Tech Northeast can receive up to $10,000 in college funding. Scholar loans are 100% forgiven when the scholar works at Parkview Health for one year after graduation. Deadline: 6/30/25

• Army ROTC Scholarships: Full-tuition scholarships for 2-4 years available. Includes room and board with an additional stipend for books and fees. Deadlines vary.

• Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne: All scholarships listed (with the exception of a few) require students to be residents of Allen County, Indiana. Scholarship deadlines will vary by institution.

• MadeByMe Scholarship: $1,000 award for residents from Allen County pursuing a certificate or degree in a skilled manufacturing or trade program.

• The Next Level Jobs Workforce Ready Grant offers free job training from Ivy Tech or Vincennes for Hoosiers in high-demand sectors, including Advanced Manufacturing, Building & Construction, Health & Life Science, IT & Business Services, and Transportation & Logistics.

• BigFuture Scholarship Search: Students in the class of 2025 who use BigFuture Scholarship Search and save 3 scholarships to their list will earn entries in monthly drawings for $500 and $40,000 scholarships. Deadlines vary.

Students are encouraged to review scholarship opportunities for incoming freshmen at their colleges and universities of interest. Additionally, students can peruse national scholarship search sites, such as the College Board Scholarship Search or Fastweb to widen their scholarship search.

Why Common App?

The Common App makes college applications stress-free as everything is all in the same place. This application is used broadly by 950 universities and colleges and has helped many students accomplish the first steps needed to begin the process of the next step of pursuing their education.

Not only can the common app be used for applying to schools across the country, but it can be used to find scholarships and financial aid opportunities!

What are the Application Requirements?

Many universities and colleges will have the same requirements, which entails filling out the information that provides details about your background, extracurriculars, and just essential information about you. Some schools will require that the student provides an essay that is a minimum of 250 words with a maximum of 650 words. 

Many students are intimidated by the essay requirement, but do not stress! Start off with one of the seven prompts below:

1.  Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to our success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

If you are unsure of your essay's quality or what college admissions look for in the requirement essay, ask for a teacher, family member, or counselor to help review and provide feedback on your essay before submitting your final application!

Recommendation Letters

Recommendation letters are an essential aspect of applying to colleges and universities. Some schools require recommendation letters, and some do not. It is always beneficial to include one to polish up your application.