Looking Beyond: Career and College Planning for Underclassmen

Objectives: Students will acquire knowledge regarding

the proper preparation that is essential in choosing from a wide range of substantial post-secondary options, including college.

Students will be provided with information

and materials that will enable them to employ strategies to achieve future career success and satisfaction.

PA Career Education and Work Standards 13.1.11.B, C, F ASCA National Standards I.B, II.A

What Are You Going To Do?

•  56% of 2015 NH graduates went on to a traditional four year college program last year.

•  44% of 2016 NH graduates chose other post-secondary plans. –  30% - Community College, Trade, Business, Nursing

Schools, etc. –  14% - Military, Union Apprenticeships, Training

programs, Workforce

What Are You Going To Do?

When choosing and preparing for different career and college paths after high school, your junior year becomes an important time!

• Consider your own personal goals for life. •  What do you want out of life? •  What do you need to make these happen?

• Conduct career & college research •  School resources (counselors, teachers, etc) •  Internet resources •  Institution resources (college fairs, college

visits, job shadowing) •  Register for and take standardized tests (SAT, ACT) •  Prepare documents (essays, resume and/or list of activities and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, references, etc.)

Getting Ready is a Process

Post Secondary Choices: The Options

After graduation, you will have many options to consider. Think about your goals and what you need to reach them.

•  College/University •  Community College •  Vocational, Technical, or

Career Training •  Armed Services •  Apprenticeships/Internships •  Entering the Work Force

Hint: Waiting until graduation to plan for this may not get you the

results you want!

Education Pays

Conducting Career and College Research

•  Use your personal network. Speak with your family and family members about your interests and skills.

•  Speak with your counselor! •  Embrace your school gmail account and Google

Classroom! It is your friend! (+ Dr. Barkovich’s too!) •  Attend admission representative visits in the

Counseling Resource Center (CRC) •  Utilize resources on the internet – for example, use

your College Board account to its fullest!

Check Out www.nhsd.net

PA Career Zone

Department of Labor

O*Net’s My Next Move

America’s Career Resource Network

BigFuture – Collegeboard

My Road – Collegeboard

The Post-Secondary Option Selection Process

Determine what factors are important for the type of program/school you want to attend to have. Do these matter to you?

•  Size •  Location •  Academic Program Offerings •  Reputation •  Cost •  Other?

Pittsburgh National College Fair

•  Community “field trip” February 9, 2017 •  6 pm – How to Make the Most of a College Fair •  6:15 pm – Buses depart to the David L. Lawrence

Convention Center for the evening session •  8:20 pm – return to NH •  Counselors will be available to assist on site

Field Trip forms as due by February 2!

Pittsburgh National College Fair

At the college fair, don’t waste time completing multiple information forms for each school!

www.gotomyncf.com Enter your information and print out a barcode specifically

for you. At the fair, schools will “scan” your information, which will get you on their radar and mailing lists.

College/Military Representative Visits

•  Over 100 different schools and branches of the military visit the CRC in the Fall and Sring. It’s a great time for you to learn more about a particular school. Sometimes the representative you meet is a member of the school’s admission committee!

•  Listen to the announcements and check out the postings in the CRC, in your classrooms, and online to find out when the college/military representatives are visiting North Hills.

•  You will need your teacher’s approval to miss class for a college/military representative visit. Passes can be obtained in the CRC. Please do so BEFORE the time of the visit.

Standardized Testing

PSAT Score Reports

•  Online Score Reports made available 1/7/16 –  If you did not receive an email link to this you may not

have indicated a valid email address when testing. You can sign up for an account at www.collegeboard.com.

•  Paper Reports are scheduled to arrive at NH by the end of the month.

•  Students will receive their score report and test booklet early – mid February.

About Those Numbers

Think of the PSAT reports as roadmaps. They show where you’re doing well and what you should work on. •  Get summaries of your performance on each test

and content area •  Filter results to see how you performed on specific

questions •  Percentiles help show you how you did compared to

your peers and how you might align with admissions criteria at post-secondary schools

Other Perks of Scores

SAT or ACT?

•  The SAT and ACT are globally recognized college admission tests that let you show colleges what you know and how well you can apply that knowledge.

•  Most students take the SAT or ACT during the spring of their junior or fall of their senior year of high school

•  Almost all colleges and universities accept either the SAT or ACT to make admission decisions.

•  The SAT and ACT scores are one of the most important factors that colleges consider when making their admission decisions. Data indicates that combination of high school grades and SAT/ACT scores is the best predictor of your academic success in college.

“New” SAT showcases in March

•  The redesigned SAT will feature 2 required sections – Evidence-Based Reading & Writing AND Math and will be scored on a 400 to 1600 point scale. –  Scores for each section will be reported separately and will each be

scored on a 200 to 800 point scale. •  Another important change is the move to rights-only scoring:

There will no longer be a penalty for wrong answers. •  They will also introduce an enriched score report that provides

more insight into students’ strengths and areas for improvement, helping teachers and students focus.

•  Register online at www.collegeboard.com.

New Optional Essay

•  The Essay section will no longer be required by the College Board. However, many colleges may still require students to complete the Essay.

•  The editing work students do in the multiple-choice Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section is deeply predictive of college success.

•  Feedback from college admission officers was split; some of them found the essay useful while many did not.

When in doubt, give it a shot! Don’t close any doors.

Summary of the Changes

SAT Subject Tests

SAT Subject Tests (SAT II)

•  Subject tests fall into 5 general subject areas: English, History/Social Studies, Mathematics, Science and Languages.

•  Measure your knowledge and skills as well as your ability to apply that knowledge.

•  Some colleges specify the subject tests they require for admissions or placement; others allow applicants to choose which to take.

•  All subject tests are one hour-multiple choice formats, however, some tests have unique formats.

•  Students should find out if the school to which he/she is applying requires subject tests for admissions, how many tests, and what subject areas are required.

SAT I & II Registration Fees

•  SAT I (no essay) $43 •  SAT I (w/ essay) $54.50 •  Late registration add $28 •  Change test/date/center fee add $28 •  Waitlist fee add $46 •  SAT II Subject Tests:

–  Basic Subject Test fee $26 –  Language Test with Listening add $26 –  All other Subject Tests add $18 each

New SAT Prep

•  What’s the best way for students to prepare for the redesigned SAT? –  Rigorous course work will be, more than ever, the best

preparation for the SAT. –  As test day approaches, students can use free College

Board resources to get to know the exam and to build on their preparation with targeted review and authentic practice.

Using Scores With Khan Academy

•  How to Video

Standardized Testing: ACT

The ACT (American College Test) is another standardized test that institutions also use for admissions purposes. ACT is a test of knowledge, similar to your chapter tests. Students register at www.actstudent.org.

Many schools accept the ACT in place of the SAT. It differs

from the SAT in the following ways: •  4 sections on the ACT (Science is #4) •  Scores range from 1-36. (A 36 is equal to a 2400 SAT.) •  The way to “study” for the ACTs is to do your best in your

classes at NH. The ACT is similar to mid-term or final exams that you would take at school here.

ACT Format

ACT Prep

ACT Registration Fees

•  ACT (no writing) $39.50 •  ACT (w/ writing) $56.50 •  Late registration add $25 •  Standby add $49 •  Test date change $24 •  Test center change $24 •  Score reports for colleges 5 and 6 $12.50

Test Dates Test Month Registration Deadline ACT September Mid-August SAT-I and II October Early September ACT October Mid September SAT-I and II November Early October ACT December Early November SAT-I and II December Early November SAT-I and II January Late December ACT February Late December SAT-I March Early February ACT April Early March SAT-I and II May Early April ACT June Early May SAT-I and II June Early May

Offered at North Hills

NCAA: Becoming a College Athlete

Student athletes who are hoping to continue athletic participation at the Division I or II collegiate level must be declared eligible through the NCAA Eligibility Center. Please alert your counselor and coach if this is your intent.

Representing Yourself Online

•  It is not unusual for colleges to do a search for your name on Google, Facebook, and other public sites to learn more about who you are.

•  Please be aware of how you are portrayed online and make sure to represent yourself in a manner that will not affect the possibility of your acceptance.

Professional Presence

•  Be sure that your email address will not hurt your chances for admission. Many schools ask you to provide this and you don’t want a joke to cost you admission. (Example: Indicating an email like “sk8ergirlzrawesome@yahoo.com” may not send the message that you are a mature young adult who is serious about your studies.)

•  Consider establishing an additional email address for such correspondence. Ex. JDoe@gmail.com

Prepare Documents

•  Activity List, Bio, Resume, “Curriculum Vitae” – A short overview/summary of experiences

and qualifications •  Recommendation Information Form •  References/Letters of Recommendation •  Portfolios (some majors, honors programs,

etc.)

Wrap Up/Questions?