One year ago, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) Scholarship Advisement Program (SAP) launched the Choctaw Scholarship Undergraduate Database - an online database packed with information regarding undergraduate scholarship, loan, grant, award, and internship funding opportunities for CNO students. Since the launch of this free, comprehensive, custom-designed program - the first of its kind among American Indian tribes - CNO students enrolled in SAP have been guided through the murky waters of college-related financial opportunities. While providing students and parents with a sweeping view of the options that can make their college dreams a reality, this invaluable tool has opened doors and lighted pathways for CNO students all across the nation.

All members of SAP have the opportunity to register for free access to this database, where thousands of financial aid options worth billions of dollars rest at their fingertips.  The database has been customized for CNO members.  Nearly every opportunity in the database is transportable (not specific to a college or location) and CNO members are eligible for each opportunity.

In December, 2010, one year later, SAP is proud to introduce the next big step in education for CNO students: The Choctaw Scholarship Database for graduate students.  This unique online database makes it easy for members of the Choctaw Nation to find funding to start, continue, or return to graduate school by searching thousands of fellowships, loans, grants, awards, and other funding opportunities, worth billions of dollars.  This money can be used at private or public, religious or secular, and minority serving colleges or universities across the country.

"This was a superb event, and I have

attended many over the years."

High praise from recruiters combined with gratitude and pride from students and parents are typical of follow-up survey comments from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) Scholarship Advisement Program's (SAP) third annual Ivy League & Friends - Choctaw Student Recruitment. The event was held in Durant, OK Saturday, Nov. 6 at the Choctaw Casino Resort.  

In November, 2010 SAP was honored as the recipient of the Education Award in the first inaugural Drum Awards.  The Education Award honors outstanding educators or programs that instill wisdom, impart knowledge and contribute to the growth of Native American communities.  Comments from recruiters about this year's Ivy League & Friends echo the Drum Award recognition and show why the CNO's college fair is now considered the nation's best Native American recruitment event.  

It's unique," says Jean Lee, recruiter from Yale University.  "And that's not just my opinion.  My colleagues and associates agree.  There simply is no other Native American recruiting event like it, or close to it, in the nation."  

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Every autumn, there are two topics that create a persistent, almost-reverent buzz in the hallways of high-schools all across the country: the ACT and the SAT, the top two college entrance exams. Both are standardized tests measuring high school achievement used for college admission. 

These sets of letters are whispered at lockers and written on chalkboards. Students talk about the dates when they plan to take the tests, and they talk about the scores they made on them.

With all this talk about the ACT and the SAT, what exactly do these tests even mean? Is one test more highly-regarded than the other? Is one test better for some students, while the other test is better for other students? Which test helps more with scholarships? And how on earth do the scores from the two tests relate to one another? It can all seem pretty confusing on the surface, and this is why it's important to break things down to a simpler level.

The first thing to understand regarding the ACT and the SAT are the differences between the two.