A Student Services Presentation

Graduation RequirementsTo earn a diploma from Nashoba Valley Technical High School all students must meet state MCAS requirements and complete the following:

English 4 years Mathematics 4 years Science 4 years Social Studies 4 years Physical Education 4 years Technical Program 4 years World Languages 2 years recommended for those pursuing post

secondary education Community Service 5 hours per year Four Year Writing Project including a senior project and senior

presentation – subject matter determined during senior year

World Language Here at NVTHS we offer Spanish as a World Language of study. We

have Levels 1-4.

A student who started Spanish in 9th grade, would be eligible to take up to level 4; whereas, a student who starts Level 1 in 11th grade will only be able to complete levels 1 & 2 prior to graduating.

Many 4-year universities require that a student complete, two consecutive years or a World Language. Those that start and complete levels 1 & 2 (beginning in either 9th or 11th grade) will meet that criteria.

Additionally, there are BYU courses available for students to take in many other languages. Once completed, the credits will be able to be transferred onto the student’s NVTHS transcript. The courses cost money and are to be done on the student’s own time, at home, over the internet. Contact Student Services for more details, if interested.

Community Service Each year, as a student of NVTHS, every student is

required to complete 5 hours of community service.

That means that if a student has been enrolled at our school since Freshman year, he or she must attain a total of 20 hours of community service in order to graduate.

Community Service log sheets can be found in Student Services. Just fill one out and turn it into Ms. Judge (Student Services Administrative Assistant), to receive credit for your service hours.

Dual Enrollment Dual Enrollment is an option available to students in their

11th and 12th grade school years.

While still retaining enrolled status at NVTHS, one can “dually enroll” in one of four local colleges

Please attend our Dual Enrollment meeting on Thursday, March 31st at 2:45 in the library.

By participating in Dual, a student can earn a NVTHS diploma while completing enough credits to earn an Associates Degree at one of the partner schools.

Participation in Dual Enrollment is based on a number of factors.

Dual Enrollment Continued Student must have earned the required cummulative GPA,

grades in their math courses, and “college level” placement scores on the Accuplacer Exam. These details will be discussed at greater length at the information session.

Student must have positive recommendations from all teachers, the Assistant Principal and the Principal.

Student must be either a junior or senior.

Student must have earned 80 points or more on the Dual Enrollment rubric.

Co-Op Co-Op is an option for a student in the middle of his or her

11th grade year and all of 12th grade (After completing 2 years of a technical program at NVTHS).

The student must keep in mind that participation in Co-Op relies on his or her overall grades, attendance, discipline record, and recommendations from academic and technical program teachers.

If the plan is to go straight to work upon graduating, the student should speak with Mr. Jussaume about possible co-op opportunities with area companies who look to hire Nashoba students upon graduation.

The time after the bell rings… A student should be using his or her time after school

wisely to participate in after school activities - Join a club, a sports team, or get a part-time job. Doing community service is also great.

Students should be spending time building their resumes in a variety of ways, in order to diversify their skills and experiences.

If one needs additional help, teachers stay after school on Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30-3:30.

Students may also make appointments with their guidance counselor to see and work with them.

Post-Secondary Education Opportunities Post-Graduate Opportunity – at NVTHS Military Enter the work force Attend College:

2-Year Associates Degree 4-Year Bachelors Degree Professional Degree

Masters Doctorate

It is never too early to start thinking of the future…

Post Graduate Opportunity If one decides after graduation that he or she is not

interested in attending college or entering the military, Nashoba Tech offers a Post Graduate Certificate Program.

Students are able to pursue certification in one of our 20 programs. The program chosen must be a different program than the one pursued in high school for certification.

Successful completion of Post Graduate programs will qualify the student to earn state and national certifications.

As a resident of our district, one is able to participate TUITION-FREE!

United States Military Service Joining the military is one route available to students

following graduation.

One way that the military figures out which division of the armed services suits those that enlist best is by taking the ASVAB test, hosted here at NVTHS.

We encourage interested seniors to sign up to take the ASVAB during his or her SENIOR YEAR to discover what military careers may be most suitable for them. Some students will take the test in Junior Year and then again in their Senior Year.

Resume for work, etc.Start thinking about building your student’s resume NOW, so that they do not forget all the great things they have done as their years go by.

A resume will be needed to give to the person they are asking to write a letter of recommendation for them for college applications, duel enrollment, or for job applications.

A resume serves to describe to colleges how great of a student one has become through the years.

Resumes should include: school activities (clubs, committees, etc.), athletic activities, community activities and service, special awards and recognitions, and work experience

Having an updated resume is also necessary, if one is planning on going out on Co-Op.

College

The more education and skills you have, the more you can earn.

The College Process

PSAT & SAT Exam (Or ACT)

College Search

Applying to College

Making a Decision

Paying for College

PSAT & SAT Your student may start an account and complete his or her

profile on COLLEGEBOARD.ORG, so that when the time comes one will be able to sign up to take the SAT.

The SAT is normally taken in the Spring of Junior Year, and then again in the Fall of Senior year if necessary.

The SAT will test a student’s knowledge of reading, writing, and mathematics

Scores range from 200-800 for each subject A student cannot fail the test, it’s only testing knowledge. To start preparing for the SAT throughout 10th and 11th grade,

review vocabulary, reading, and math questions. SAT guides are available at bookstores and libraries. Lots of resources are also available over Collegeboard.org. Additionally, there are SAT prep classes available in the local area.

Collegeboard.org We suggest that students set up their Collegeboard.org

account during their 10th grade year so that they will have it ready for 11th grade (signing up for the SAT and researching colleges)

An easy way to remember a collegeboard.org username is to use the first 5 letters of one’s last name and then the student’s 4-digit student ID number.

Example: Calla1234

Public vs Private Schools

Public PrivateFunding mostly from state government; causes tuition to be lower

Funding mostly from tuition and private contributions; tuition is generally higher

Tend to have a higher student population and larger class sizes

Tend to have smaller student population and smaller class sizes

Tend to offer larger variety of majors Less variety in major options

Example: UMass Amherst Example: Clark University

Collegeboard.org

College Board “College Search”

College Fairs, Visits, and Tours Check for local college fairs and attend them so that you

can meet representatives from many schools all at once.

One of the best times to visit colleges is during the spring and summer leading up to senior year, so that a student can make a conscientious decision about where to apply at the start of 12th grade.

Tours, “visit days”, and Open Houses often occur on weekends; however, if one does occur during a normal school day, a student may still attend. He or she would simply fill out a “Permission to Attend College/Career Event” form that can be found down in Student Services. This will excuse the absence, if completed and turned into the Assistant Principal’s Office at least 24 hours in advance.

Applying to College SATs

Application

Resume

Recommendations (3)

Transcript

Essay

Additional Requirements

The SATs SATs

Take junior and senior year

Register on www.collegeboard.org (if one is eligible for free or reduced lunch, register for the exam through the Guidance Counselor)

Upcoming test dates: May 7th and June 4th (also the NVTHS Graduation Date)

Send colleges the test scores

STUDY!!!

Common Application The Common Application serves over 525 institutions

www.commonapp.org

The website can “time out” so save documents frequently

Steps:

Complete the profile

Choose the colleges

Request that the guidance counselor complete the school form

Request teachers to complete letters of recommendation – please give your teachers & counselors a “heads up” with plenty of notice

Applications Continued If the school that the student is applying to does not

use the Common Application, check their website for how to apply

Always ask a Guidance Counselor for additional help!

College Application Fee Waivers are available to those students who qualified for an SAT fee waiver: See Guidance

Watch the DEADLINES- they are not flexible

Letters of Recommendation Identify and ask 3 adults (teachers, guidance

counselors, coaches, employers) for a recommendation prior to the end of junior year or at the start of senior year

Your student should provide the teacher with an updated resume and ask them in person to write a letter of recommendation

On the Common Application, be sure to enter the correct email address for the person writing a recommendation

Write a “thank you” note to show your appreciation

Transcripts Complete a Transcript Release Form located in

Guidance and submit to Ms. Judge (Student Services Secretary)

The student should list the colleges that he or she wants transcripts to be sent to

Transcripts are sent multiple times throughout the year. Rule of thumb for the students: Don’t slack off just because you have been accepted to college! Your final grades will still be sent.

Essays The student should write about a topic that will make

him or her a desirable applicant to the college

The application essay should include: Introduction: One paragraph that introduces the essay.

Body: Several paragraphs explaining the main idea with examples.

Conclusion: One paragraph that summarizes and ends the essay.

Proof read!!!!!

Additional Requirements Be sure to check all of the requirements of the

application for the schools one is applying to

Some schools may have additional requirements that can include:

Interview

Portfolio (art schools)

Sports tapes (recruiting for sports)

On the Spot Decision Days Apply to Safety Schools as a back up

Middlesex Community College and Mount Wachusett Community College will be coming to NVTHS for “On The Spot Decision Days” in the fall and spring

A student may sign up in Guidance, fill out an Application, and a Transcript Request Form

Making a Decision Once one is accepted to colleges, the student must

decide where to go

Some students make their decisions based on financial awards given by the colleges

Re-visit colleges if needed

Submit your non-refundable deposit, only to one school

Paying for College Attend the MEFA presentation, held annually, in

December

Financial Aid – FAFSA for student loans

Scholarships

You DO NOT pay back scholarships and grants, but you DO pay back loans

Scholarships Use the NVTHS website- Student Services webpage

Internal NVTHS scholarships and outside scholarships

Complete the NVTHS Scholarship Application in February of a student’s Senior Year

College Board Scholarship search engine

Check with your student’s employer and your own employer to see if there are scholarships offered through the companies

NVTHS Guidance Website

Nashoba Valley Technical High School Student Services

Coordinator of GuidanceMs. Callahan

Guidance Counselors:

A-F: Ms. SilvaG-N: Mr. SpencerO-Z: Mr. Nardi-Williams

School PsychologistMs. Gilgun

Student Service SecretaryMs. Judge