11 th Grade College/Career Program: What s next?

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1 11 th Grade College/Career Program: What s next? Planning ahead for your Senior year Class of 2013 Presented by your BRHS Guidance Staff

2 Goals/Agenda To Meet your friendly, helpful Guidance Staff. Pass out enlightening information about your future. Discuss Post-High School Options How can the Guidance Office/Career Center help you? Assist you in the transition and preparation for your senior year.

3 Post-High School Options What s Next? 4 year college 2 year college Technical college/trade school Military Apprenticeship Gap Year Full-Time Employment

4 Post-High School Options 4 year college Can apply in state/out of state and/or public/private. SAT/ACT-most schools require and will accept either test. Official application window begins as soon as school starts in August. Get ahead by starting now!

5 Post-High School Options 2 year college Advantages of NVCC: less expensive Conveniently located nearby Easy to schedule classes Guaranteed admission agreements with many Virginia colleges/universities.

6 Post-High School Options Technical College/Trade School Focus on specific skills or trade. Typically a 2-year degree.* Only take classes that apply to trade. Examples: electrician, cosmetology, construction technology, airline mechanic, homeland security, personal trainer, web design, etc. Everest College, ITT Technical, Medical Careers Institute, Westwood College

7 Post-High School Options Military Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard. You can enlist or do ROTC. Recruiters from each service visit Broad Run regularly. If you plan to apply to a military academy, research requirements and start now!!

8 Post-High School Options Apprenticeships Programs that are run by businesses or career organizations that allow you to work full-time AND get paid while training to become a master of that trade/career. Traditionally, careers are hands-on such as an electrician, plumber, heating and air conditioning (HVAC) repair, and now can also be in the telecommunications/ cable field.

9 Post-High School Options Gap Year Taking a year between high school and college to pursue other opportunities. Programs set up specifically for this gap year include AmeriCorps, City Year, Year Up, and others. You can apply to colleges, be accepted, and then ask to defer your admission for one year many colleges allow this.

10 The Career Center Who: Mrs. Chalmers, Career Center Assistant What: The Career Center is a specialized library/resource center for information on all post-high school college and career options. Central place for information on scholarships, financial aid, jobs, volunteer opportunities and summer programs. When: Open during lunch, between classes, before/after school. You can also set up an appointment to meet with Mrs. Chalmers during the school day. Why: Great resource for college information, including college catalogs, handbooks, books about the admissions process, computers available to complete applications, use Family Connection program and more!

11 The Career Center Financial Aid (FAFSA): Free Application for Federal Student Aid Fundamental step in getting money for college. Complete online starting January 1st of Senior year. Determines how much your family can afford for college. Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is sent to colleges you applied to and helps colleges create a financial aid package of grants, scholarships, and loans.

12 The Career Center Choosing a Career Career Center has a LOT of books about various careers, as well as computers on which you can access Family Connections for both college and career information. ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is given twice a year. Measures your interest and ability in career areas and can help students explore career options based on his/her strengths.

13 The Career Center Scholarships Merit (Academic)-given directly by colleges, find out about these on college websites, usually in financial aid section. Community & Business-given for a variety of things like extracurricular activities, career interests, etc. Athletic-given by college athletic offices and must go through NCAA Clearinghouse to qualify. ROTC-can pay for all or part of your tuition. Owe military specified number of years of service in return. See branch websites for specific guidelines, process done in Fall/Winter.

14 College Admissions Factors that colleges look at: 1. Overall GPA and strength of schedule 2. Test scores, SAT/ACT 3. Extracurricular activities 4. Essay or personal statement 5. Letter(s) of recommendation

15 1.) GPA/Strength of Schedule Located on your transcript Junior year is the last full year of grades, last time GPA changes Colleges look at trend in courses over the years Senior classes are important and considered

16 2.) Test Scores: SAT/ACT Take your first test by May or June of this year Take it multiple times (up to three) if you are not satisfied with your scores Colleges will combine highest scores in each section

17 3.) Extracurricular activities Are helpful and important because they show well-rounded student Handful of activities with depth are preferred over laundry list Leadership roles are of value

18 4.) Essay or Personal Statement These help colleges learn who you are instead of what you do. A window into your personality, be creative. Helps colleges evaluate your writing skills, get them proofread! THIS SUMMER is a good time to start working on them.

19 5.) Letter(s) of Recommendation Choose recommenders wisely!! Get to know your counselor better. Start thinking of which teacher(s) you may want to ask. NOT required at all schools, check on Family Connection and/or college websites for application requirements.

20 College Search & Exploration Family Connection is THE resource you need to start using for college information. Check your inbox for messages from the Guidance Office and your counselor about upcoming events related to you. With Family Connections you can: Search colleges and careers See scholarship information and applications See specific statistics for Broad Run students who were admitted to colleges last year (Scattergrams) Search information for all Post-High school options. Send s to your counselor. It s a great communication tool for the whole college process!

21 College Search & Exploration Finding a college that is right for you: Consider factors like size, location, setting (urban vs. rural), majors offered, costs, and special programs like study abroad or ROTC. Research using Family Connections, college s web sites, and Career Center. Start a list of schools you want to explore (you can save them in My Colleges on FC) and plan to VISIT schools when possible.

22 College Search, Exploration, & Admissions College Visits! Go when the college is in session rather than during the summer, weekends, or on break. Take official tour-go to the college s website for information about how to visit and tour the school. Visits help you to see if you like the campus, surroundings, dorms, and you can often meet professors or sit in on a class. Information sessions are usually scheduled and given by the Admissions Office. You can learn about admissions criteria, application process, campus life/activities, and financial aid. College representatives can answer questions you have.

23 College Search & Exploration Talk to college representatives-a large number of colleges/universities send admissions representatives here to BRHS each year. See College Visit schedule on Family Connection or stop by Career Center to see when schools are visiting. Attend College Fairs-great way to meet college representatives and get more information about many colleges all in one place.

24 IT S GAME TIME!!! Get excited and be prepared for a fantastic SENIOR YEAR! We look forward to assisting you with your goals beyond high school.