COLLEGE RESOURCES
In The News, How To
. . ., College Programs, Special Offers, Testing Information and Websites, College
and Career Planning Guide, College Research Websites
Summer 2007
(New postings for the week
are in RED)
Hints for Rising Seniors
*Deadlines for 2007-2008
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Web
Resources for Researching Colleges |
HINTS FOR RISING SENIORS
LETTERS
OF RECOMMENDATION FROM TEACHERS
Many colleges
ask you to supplement your application with letters of recommendation. Choose one
teacher to do all your recommendations unless more are necessary. It is your responsibility to determine what
letters, if any, are required. Colleges
may specify that recommendations come from:
Ø
Teachers in academic subjects who can speak to your academic strengths.
Ø
Coaches and teachers who can attest to your athletic or artistic
talent.
Ø
Counselors who can address your personal strengths, accomplishments,
and special circumstances which might impact on an admissions decision; or
others, such as club sponsors, religious leaders or employers who can give
evidence of your character and leadership ability.
You should choose a person who knows you well enough
to write a letter of recommendation that will cite your strengths and
abilities. Allow the person sufficient
time to write a thoughtful letter. It is
helpful to share your resume in order to provide background information about
you. If the
letter is to be mailed directly to the college, provide
a stamped addressed envelope. It
is appropriate to send a thank you note to anyone writing a letter of
recommendation.
Teacher recommendation request forms are available
in the Guidance Office.
DEADLINES
**Counselor Data Packet**
**Teacher Letters of Recommendation **
**Counselors must
have your completed packet by these deadlines.
**Teachers must
have your request for recommendations by these deadlines.
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Application Deadline for College |
Deadline to Return Completed Packet to
Counselor Deadline to Request Recommendations from
Teachers |
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November 1, 2007 |
October 1, 2007 |
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November 15, 2007 |
October 15, 2007 |
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December 1, 2007 |
November 1, 2007 |
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December 15, 2007 |
November 15, 2007 |
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January 1 or 2, 2008 |
December 3, 2007 |
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January 15, 2008 |
December 14, 2007 |
|
February 1, 2008 |
January 2, 2008 |
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February 15, 2008 |
January 15, 2008 |
COLLEGE PROGRAMS – ON AND OFF CAMPUS
2006-2007
Be sure to check the bulletin board outside of
Guidance for more information about on-campus visits.
Rochester
Institute of Technology Summer
Overnight Program 7/20-21, 8/3-4; www.admissions.rit.edu
THE EDUCATION CONSERVANCY
WE
ADMIT…GUIDANCE FROM THOSE WHO DO
Applying to college does not have to be overwhelming!
The following principles and guidelines can help
make the college admission process more manageable,
more productive, and more educationally appropriate. This guidance is offered
by the Education Conservancy, a group of admission professionals committed to
calming the commercial frenzy by affirming educational values in college
admission.
Principles
These guiding principles are relevant for parents,
students, counselors and admission deans:
• Education is a process, not a product. Students are
learners, not customers.
• The benefits and predictors of good education are
knowable yet virtually impossible to measure.
• Rankings oversimplify and mislead.
• A student’s intellectual skills and attitude about
learning are more important than what college a
student attends.
• Educational values are best served by admission
practices that are consistent with these values.
• College admission should be part of an educational
process directed toward student autonomy and
intellectual maturity.
• Colleges can be assessed, but not ranked. Students
can be evaluated, but not measured.
• Students’ thoughts, ideas and passions are worthy to
be engaged and handled with utmost care.
Student Guidelines
An admission decision, test score, or GPA is not a
measure of your self-worth. And, most students are
admitted to colleges they want to attend. Knowing
this, we encourage you to:
• Be confident! Take responsibility for your college
admission process. The more you do for yourself,
the better the results will be.
• Be deliberate! Applying to college involves
thoughtful research to determine distinctions among
colleges, as well as careful self-examination to
identify your interests, learning style and other criteria.
Plan to make well-considered applications to the most
suitable colleges. This is often referred to as
“making good matches.”
• Be realistic and trust your instincts! Choosing a
college is an important process, but not a life or death
decision. Since there are limits to what you can know
about colleges and about yourself, you should
allow yourself to do educated guesswork.
• Be open-minded! Resist the notion that there is one
perfect college. Great education happens in
many places.
• Use a variety of resources for gathering
information. Seek advice from those people who know you,
care about you, and are willing to help.
• Be honest; be yourself! Do not try to game the
system.
• Resist taking any standardized test numerous times
(twice is usually sufficient).
• Limit your applications to a well-researched and
reasonable number. No more than six should be
sufficient, except in special cases.
• Know that what you do in college is a better
predictor of future success and happiness than where
you go to college.
Parent Guidelines
An admission decision, test score, or GPA is not a
measure of a student’s worth. And, parents should always be mindful of the
behavior they are modeling for their children. Knowing this, we encourage you
to:
• Recognize that gaining admission to college is
merely one step in a process of education that will
include your student attending a college where she or
he can maximize talents and growth. Emphasize
the education.
• Resist doing for your students what they are capable
of doing for themselves.
• Allow your child to take responsibility for his or
her own part of the college application process. Be
involved in the process, but do not try to control it.
• Resist relying on rankings and college selectivity
to determine the most suitable colleges for your child.
• Realize that researching, selecting, and applying to
colleges does not have to be an expensive process.
• Resist attempts to turn the process into a status
competition. Develop a healthy, educationally based,
and family-appropriate approach to college admissions.
• Consider that gaming the system may not only
diminish your child’s self-confidence, it may also
jeopardize desired admission outcomes.
• Listen to, encourage and believe in your child. Do
not use the term “we” as in “we are applying to….”
• Discuss the idea of education as an ongoing process,
and how selecting a college might be different
from buying a product.
• Love them enough to let them demonstrate the
independence you have instilled in them.
• Keep this process in perspective. Remember that
student skills, self-confidence, curiosity, and desire to
learn are some of the most important ingredients in
quality education and successful college admissions.
Do not sacrifice these by overemphasizing getting into
the “best” college.
THIS GUIDANCE IS OFFERED BY THE FOLLOWING VETERAN
ADMISSION
PROFESSIONALS:
805 SW Broadway,
Phillip
Ballinger,
Michael Beseda,
St. Mary’s
Jennifer Britz,
J. Antonio Cabasco,
Sean Callaway,
Pace University
John Carroll,
Sidonia Dalby,
Doris Davis,
Will Dix,
Bill Fitzsimmons,
Karl Furstenberg,
Marilee Jones,
MIT
Daniel Lundquist,
Brad MacGowan,
Bonnie Marcus,
Paul Marthers,
Robert Massa,
David McDonald,
Tom McWhertor,
Mark Moody,
The
Marty O’Connell,
Colleges That Change Lives
Ted O’Neill,
Bruce Poch,
Jon Reider,
Jeff Rickey,
Mike Sexton,
Lewis and
Bill Shain,
Jim Sumner,
Steven Syverson,
Harold Wingood,
Thirty College Admissions Myths
Beliefs that are not based on
real facts and ideas that are held uncritically become the stuff of myths. There are many that relate to the college
admissions process. We want to describe the
most frequent myths about, yes the mystifying experience of applying to college
and present the actual facts so that you can make a more educated set of right
decisions. Students frequently apply to
the wrong institutions because they take common misinformation as a statement
of truth. Here goes:
- You have to attend an elite college or university in order to
prepare for and get accepted to a major graduate school.
- An Ivy League or other elite degree guarantees contacts and
professional success for the rest of your life; or, without an elite
diploma you will not have a chance for a successful personal and
professional life.
- All colleges have pretty much the same ambiance, character and
values, so it doesn’t matter where you attend in terms of the education
you will receive.
- You hurt your chances for acceptance if you apply for financial
aid to a selective college.
- You have to attend a large university to get exposure to a
broad range of courses and famous professors; or, good teaching and
contact with faculty only takes place in small colleges.
- Colleges and universities really don’t change much over the
years, so your parents’ memory of Old Siwash as a good or bad school is
pretty accurate, and you should decide to apply accordingly.
- The popularity of a college with students in your school or
town is a sure sign of its academic strength and appropriateness for you.
- The recognition a university has because of its nationally
ranked athletic program mean it also has top academic programs.
- Family or friends with connections to a selective college will
ensure your acceptance.
- It is unnecessary and not worth all the trouble and expense
involved to visit college campuses before you decide where to apply.
- You have to apply on the early decision or action plan of a
selective college to have a good or any chance of being accepted; or,
applying early gives you a much better chance for acceptance.
- The more colleges you apply to, the better your chances for
admissions to a top college.
- You have to attend a large university to find a diverse student
body.
- You have to be a well-rounded individual to be accepted by a
selective college; or, you have to have attained world class standing or
recognition to be accepted.
- High test scores on the SAT or ACT are the most important
factor on admission decisions. Your
scores are average so you know a top college could never accept you; or,
very high test scores should guarantee your admission to an elite college.
- Admission committees automatically consider your best individual
test scores, i.e., your highest verbal on one test highest math on
another, or the committees average all of your scores and use the average
to make their decision.
- Interviews are required by all selective colleges and can make
or break your chances for acceptance.
- Admissions committees don’t read all those essays and
recommendations they require from applicants. I don’t need to put a lot of effort and
thought into my responses. They
just want to make me and the other applicants go through a lot of hassle.
- You have to know what you want to major in, in order to apply
to college and to better your chances for acceptance.
- You are the first one in your family to apply to college and
you have no connections to any school.
You are certain this puts you at a disadvantage.
- The colleges that cost the most are automatically the best.
- You are a strong student but you won’t qualify for any
scholarships because your family earns too much.
- Once the financial aid office makes an offer of aid to you, it
won’t change its mind about offering more help if you are to enroll.
- If no one from your high school has applied to or been accepted
to a particular selective college in recent years, then your chances for
admission are pretty low.
- Since you have become so bored in your small suburban or rural
high school, you need to attend the largest or urban-located university
you can find to make sure you have access to an exciting campus and social
life.
- If you have a learning disability or ADD, you should not tell admissions
committees about it, since this will automatically disqualify you for
acceptance.
- Teacher recommendations really don’t matter very much.
- It is always better to get an A grade in a regular high school
course than a B in an Advanced Placement or Honors class.
- It is the really creative of off-the-wall essays that make the
most favorable impression on the admissions officers. The more different your personal
statement, the more they will want to accept you.
- The elite, famous colleges are really for students from rich
families. Therefore, you will not
fit in socially and will not find other students like yourself.
Adapted from: MAKING IT INTO A
IN THE NEWS
Job Prospects Good for College Grads in US
The hiring frenzy for graduating
college students during the late 1990s has not returned, but it's getting
close, analysts say.
By Tom A. Peter | Correspondent of The Christian
Science Monitor
As graduating college
students move in with their parents or occupy a friend's couch while they
search for jobs, hosts of these transients will be relieved to hear that by all
measures it should be a relatively short job hunt.
A steadily improving
job market indicates that most graduates will have little problem finding a job
that will elevate them from the ranks of student to young professional.
Based on statistics
from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the future
looks bright for college grads this year. At least 17.4 percent more jobs await
the class of 2007 than last year's class. Even better, 26 of 29 undergraduate
majors surveyed by NACE reported larger starting salary offers.
Among grads both new
and old, a university degree seems to be a virtual employment guarantee. As of
March, people with a bachelor's degree or higher experienced a 1.8 percent
unemployment rate compared with a national average of 4.4 percent, according to
the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
"It is a
favorable market for the new college graduates," says Brett Good, district
president for southern
The abundance of job
opportunities reflects the continued improvement of the economy since the Sept.
11, 2001, attacks. While the market for entry-level positions has yet to match
the hiring frenzies seen during the late 1990s, analysts say it's getting
close. "Every year since 2002, things got a little bit better, and then
there was a significant improvement in 2005-06, and we've continued to improve
at a very solid level," says Richard White, director of career services at
In addition, companies
have begun taking steps to fill the impending void created when baby boomers,
who account for 45 percent of the workforce, begin retiring. "It's getting
enough coverage that organizations are taking it seriously and saying how do we
work with what will become a very problematic supply-and-demand issue,"
says Mr. Good.
All of this means that
it's a good time to be graduating from college. But for those with specialized
degrees, it's an even better time. Starting salaries for business or technical
majors have grown the most. Marketing graduates, for example, saw their average
initial salary offer increase by 10.3 percent this year, according to NACE.
Salaries offered to liberal arts grads on the other hand increased on average
by only 1.3 percent in 2006.
Charlie Smith, a film
major at
"Of everybody I
know who has already graduated, there's nobody who hit the ground
running," says Mr. Smith. "It's not because anybody's stupid or they
don't have any talent. It's just impossible to hit the ground running unless
you're an accountant."
Christopher Bayerle,
an art history major at Birmingham Southern College in
Still, there may be a
number of opportunities for grads like Smith and Mr. Bayerle, as a number of
employers see value in a broad range of studies. Of 150 senior executives
recently surveyed by the staffing organization Accountemps, 21 percent said
that to prepare for future business success they would study the liberal arts,
up from 14 percent in 1996. Liberal arts came in second only to business
administration, which gained 39 percent of the votes, but beat both accounting
and law. "[The liberal arts] really stress critical thinking and analysis,
which is a skill set that's important for a number of organizations," says
Good.
Though many accounting
and economics majors land jobs early, only 30 to 40 percent of students have
secured a job by commencement, estimates Dr. White at
Regardless of a
student's major, internships offer one surefire path to a job. Sixty-four
percent of students who completed an internship said they received a full-time
job offer from a company or organization where they interned, reports a 2006
survey by Vault Inc., a career counseling company.
Caitlin Watras, a
senior at
She'd taken
internships throughout her undergraduate career, hoping they would lead to a
full-time position. "When I chose the places where I was going to intern,
I was looking for a company that I could potentially go back to," she
says.
In such a job-seeker's
market, recruiters may begin offering more than just high salaries to attract
new talent. "Recruiters have to be very aggressive," says Dianne
Durkin, president and founder of Loyalty Factor LLC, a training and consulting
firm in
As a result, firms are
more willing to meet graduates on their terms by offering them jobs that
emphasize learning and growth opportunities, such as job rotations within the
company, flexible hours, and liberal vacation policies, says Mrs. Durkin.
"[These new
grads] are willing to work hard, but they're willing to work on their
terms," says Durkin. "Recruiters have to cater to this, because if
they don't, [grads] will find somebody else who will take them."
Additionally,
companies may start appealing to this group of grads' sense of social
responsibility. "An important element of attracting and retaining talent
is creating a workplace and a work culture that stands for something, that is
engaged in the community," says John Challenger president of Challenger,
Gray & Christmas, an outplacement firm in
Among other things, he
imagines companies will draw attention to their environmentally friendly
polices to lure green-minded grads.
Here’s a very thoughtful article on the college process from the The New York Times, "Young, Gifted, and Not Getting Into Harvard" published 4/29/07.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/29/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/29Rparenting.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
The University of Mary
Washington (UMW) and the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) has signed an
agreement guaranteeing admission to UMW to students at any of
The
intent of the agreement is to ease the transfer process for students who wish
to complete a bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, bachelor of liberal
studies or bachelor of professional studies degree at UMW.
To
be eligible for the program, community college students must have earned an
associate degree with a 3.25 grade-point average or higher, as well as a grade
of a C or higher in all courses that apply toward the transfer program.
Students also must declare intent to transfer to UMW after completing 15
credits at the community college, but before applying for graduation.
As
part of the agreement, students who declare intent to transfer to UMW will
receive academic advising from the community college regarding the courses
required to complete the transfer-oriented associate degree program. The
community colleges also will make information available to prospective students
about UMW and the agreement. Those students who do not meet the requirements
are still encouraged to apply for admission to UMW through the traditional
transfer process.
Under
the agreement, those students who meet the requirements do not have to pay the
UMW application fee, and their associate degree program will fulfill the
lower-level general education requirements at UMW. Once admitted to UMW, these
students will be considered for admission to competitive programs,
registration, financial aid, scholarships, student housing, parking and any
other opportunities open to students of junior standing on the same basis as
those students who are native to UMW.
The
agreement between UMW and VCCS emerged after the passage of the
Higher
Education Restructuring Act, which specifies that state four-year colleges and universities,
should adopt system-wide transfer agreements with
transfer-oriented
associate degree program, will remain in effect.
The
The
Virginia Community College System includes 23 community colleges located on 40
campuses across the Commonwealth. Together,
The
guaranteed admission agreement is one of several statewide agreements adopted
over the past two years with various public and private four-year institutions.
The statewide agreements are detailed on the VCCS website: http://www.vccs.edu/vccsasr/agreements.htm.
For
more information about the Guaranteed Admission Agreement, contact John
Morello, associate vice president for academic affairs at UMW, at (540)
654-1052, or Monty Sullivan, vice chancellor for academic services and research
at the VCCS, at (804) 819-4972.
Which Schools Are Best Value? List Released (NBC4)
Which
public colleges are the best education values? Kiplinger's Personal Finance is
out with the newest rankings of the 100 best education values in the
STATE OF
Colleges Accept 70% of Applicants: The average selectivity rate, or percent of
applicants offered admission, at four-year colleges and universities in the
Wait List Chances Slim: A student’s likelihood of being admitted from
the wait list was about 1 in 3 (on average 35% of students who were placed on
wait lists were admitted).
Recalculating High School GPAs: With growing
concern over grade inflation, lack of class rank information, and variance in
high school transcripts, about half of all colleges “recalculate” high school
GPAs to standardize comparisons of applicant grades.
Students’ Demonstrated Interest in
College Bound and
Determined – from The UVA Magazine – College Bound and Determined Finding
balance in the admission process – UVA’s admission
deans clear away some of the misinformation and media hype that surround the
process of getting into a selective university – by Maura Singleton
http://www.uvamagazine.org/site/c.esJNK1PlJrH/b.1994057/k.C61F/College_Bound_and-Determined.htm
So Many Grading Scales.
What’s An Admissions Director to Do? Article highlights college struggles with ways to standardize Applicants
GPAs. “It is incredibly difficult to find out what a GPA really means.” Grades are subjective. How do colleges deal with all the different
scales? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2006/09/25/AR2006092500999.html
HOW TO . . .
FIND A GREAT ARTS COLLEGE Jay Mathews, Washington Post staff writer, 5/30/06 Ten (10)
rules for picking the college that is most likely to nurture your creative
instincts:
1. Be sure you REALLY want an arts
program, particularly if you are thinking of one of the
specialty schools. “The
greatest consideration is commitment” – a consistent answer from administrators
in arts programs. “Students have to be aware that this is what they really want
to do with their lives – it is something they cannot live without.” Carol Kim, dean of
enrollment management at California Inst. of the Arts in Valencia
2.
Get your parents on board. Parents are not sure that an arts education is a doorway to success or
happiness. “The discipline that is
required to study the arts carries over to almost everything else.” Thomas Novak, dean of
admissions and financial aid at the New England Conservatory in
3.
Find out if the people teaching a college’s arts courses
are active professionals. Journalism
is no art, but the principle is the same.
Jay Mathews warn reporter wannabees to make sure the journalism schools
they apply to are staffed by former journalists, and not just theoretical types
with doctorates in communication. The same advice goes for people who want to
become actors, musicians, painters and novelists.
4.
Decide if you want more than just the arts. This is a variation of point one.
You can major in the arts without filling every waking minute with
creative activity. There are plenty of
liberal arts colleges with strong drama or music or writing programs. You just have to decide if you want to mix
your passion for an art with other things, like sports or science or history
that some arts schools don’t offer. If you choose this more balanced approach,
you will have to worry about your high school grades and ACT or SAT
scores. The liberal arts colleges insist
on evidence of academic accomplishment.
The specialty arts schools don’t care so much, as long as you ace the audition
or have a portfolio that reminds them of Jackson Pollock.
5.
Check out the two-year art schools if you are impatient to
get started. There are some
professional theater conservatory programs that grant two-year certificates
designed to launch you into the real world of professional acting. But if you
change your mind, a two-year degree will not have as much weight as a degree
from a more traditional college.
6.
If you dream of Broadway, make sure the school does your
favorite kind of productions. Just
because a college says it has a strong drama department does not mean it shares
your taste. If you need musical comedy, make sure that is a standard part of
the department’s repertoire.
7.
Find out if you like the WAY they teach your specialty. If you see yourself as a method actor, you might check to make sure
Stanislavsky is an acceptable model at the drama program of your choice. (Take
a lesson with your potential professor is applying for music, dance, etc. You will be working with a particular
professor during your college career. Do you “click?”)
8.
Talking to students at the colleges that interest you is
crucial. What is it like to work with
faculty at that school? Are other students as serious about their major as you
are? What are the opportunities for students
to perform or display in their major.
9.
Check out the alumni. What are they doing?
10. If all else fails, do it yourself. Undergraduates are starting new
groups all the time. Truly creative
people don’t always need a college to do their work for them.
SPECIAL OFFERS
JUNIORS AND SENIORS traveling with a parent or
guardian can buy one ticket on Amtrak and get one ticket free to visit colleges
anywhere in the
TEST INFORMATION FOR MHS 2007-2008
New registration dates will be added as soon as they are published
Remember, if you are registering
on line, do so early so you can avoid being sent far away to take the
test.
PSAT October 2007 at
ACT Information and
Registration: www.actstudent.org
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TEST DATES 07-08 |
DEADLINE FOR REGULAR REGISTRATION |
DEADLINE FOR LATE REGISTRATION |
WHERE IS THE TEST GIVEN? |
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September 15 |
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October 27 |
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December 8 |
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February 9 |
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April 12 |
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June 14 |
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SAT and SUBJECT
TESTS Information
and Registration: www.collegeboard.com
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TEST DATES 07-08 |
DEADLINE FOR REGULAR REGISTRATION |
DEADLINE FOR LATE REGISTRATION |
WHERE IS THE TEST GIVEN? |
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October 6 |
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November 3 Language Test with Listening only |
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Other FCPS high schools |
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December 1 |
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Other FCPS high schools |
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January 26 |
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March 1 (SAT Reasoning only) |
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Other FCPS high schools |
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May 3 |
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Other FCPS high schools |
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June 7 |
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CONCORDANCE TABLE Comparison table of ACT and SAT
test results.
http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/highered/ra/sat/satACT_concordance.pdf
TOEFL Information and Registration: www.ets.org/toefl
The website allows test takers to
download the Bulletins (including
registration forms), register online, get the most up-to-date list of test
centers and test dates, find institution codes for sending scores, access test
preparation materials and services and find answers to frequently asked
questions.
TESTING INFORMATION FOR JUNIORS Now that the writing test has
become a reality for both the ACT and SAT, it is important to know that there
are clear differences between the two.
The ACT offers an optional Writing Test that is only taken if a student intends to apply to a
college requiring it. With the SAT, it
is mandatory – always. What should juniors be advised to do? Go to www.actstudent.org and click on
“Writing Test Option.” To view a
college’s decision about the writing portion, click on “What Colleges Have
Decided About the Writing Test.” It is also important to know that the only
colleges which do not accept the ACT that MHS knows about is
Fairfax
County Public Schools offers SAT preparation and other enrichment
courses for secondary school students at several area schools (including
How’s
Your Penmanship? If you’re
going to practice writing essays for the ACT or the SAT, do not practice on the
computer. You will be hand writing the
essays. If you practice on the computer,
you will not get an accurate idea of timing.
It will probably take you longer to hand write the essay than it would
if it were done on the computer as most people type faster than they can write.
Before Test Day:
Make sure
you have the correct writing implements – pencils, pens, eraser.
Have your
ID and admission ticket.
Bring
snacks with you if necessary.
Be
well-rested and ready to go.
Make sure
your test center is open during the inclement weather season. Tune in to
Plan
ahead to arrive to test center on time.
On Test Day:
Give
yourself plenty of time to get to the test center.
Be sure
you’re going to the correct test center.
Pace
yourself.
WEBSITES FOR COLLEGE TESTING
ACT www.act.student.org Registration and information about
the ACT; an online course for $19.95 at www.actstudent.org/onlineprep/index.html
College Board www.collegeboard.com Registration and information about the PSAT, SAT
and Advanced Placement exams; SAT preparation for $69.95
Fairfax County Public Schools SAT
Test Prep - http://www.fcps.edu/DIS/OACE/prek12/prek12-secondary.html
FairTest http://www.fairtest.org/univers.htm
Number2.com
www.number2.com
is a site that offers a comprehensive, free
course.
COLLEGE AND CAREER PLANNING GUIDE Resources for All Grade Levels
www.fcps.edu/McLeanHS
www.fcps.edu/ss/CareerConnections
www.careercruising.com User Name:
Freshman Year:
- Talk with your parents,
teachers and friends about your likes and dislikes and your personal
characteristics
- Go to the resources listed
above learn about yourself and occupations as well as colleges and majors
- Discuss careers and course
planning when you meet with your counselor in the fall
- Review requirements for
certain careers/colleges/career & technical schools or the military
- Visit the
- Become involved in school and
community organizations
- Discuss job information with
people who are currently in a field which is of interest to you
- Talk with college students
who are currently taking courses in a field which is of interest to you
- Consider career goals or
interests in selecting classes in the spring
- Start a listing (resume) of all activities, honors
and awards, grades 9-end of high school. Use your home computer to start a
resume in a Word document. Nothing is too insignificant.
Sophomore Year:
- Review previous plans. Continue activities begun in your
freshman year or find ones to do over the next three years
- Explore career and education
options using resources mentioned above and visit the
- Ask your counselor to review
school records and test data
- Take the PSAT and/or certain
SAT Subject Tests if appropriate
- Go to the website listed
above learn about yourself and occupations as well as colleges and majors
- Consider career
goals/interests in selecting classes in the spring
- Add to your resume
Junior Year:
- If you are interested,
acquire part-time volunteer or job experience related to career plans or
area of interest
- Take the PSAT in the fall and
college entrance exams (ACT, SAT Reasoning, SAT Subject, TOEFL) in the
spring
- Identify appropriate college
majors as they relate to possible career goals
- Consider career
goals/interests as you select classes in the spring
- Attend college information
programs in the
- Go to the websites listed
above to explore your career
path and search for majors
- Visit the
- Add to your resume
- Start researching scholarship
opportunities at www.fcps.edu/ss/CareerConnections
and the
Senior Year:
- Complete your resume using
the format in the MHS College Handbook or another of your choice
- Meet with your counselor to
complete college application process
- Attend college information
programs in the
- Take necessary entrance
exams: ACT, SAT Reasoning, SAT
Subject, TOEFL
- Identify career/college
choices; use websites noted above
- Complete forms for
computerized needs analysis for financial aid and scholarships
- KEEP GRADES UP – admission is contingent upon successful completion
of your senior year
- Apply for employment, college
(2 or 4 yr.), career/technical school;
join the military, start a business, take a year off
WEB SITES FOR
COLLEGE RESEARCH
2007 Colleges, College Scholarships, and Financial Aid page www.college-scholarships.com
- designed to offer college bound
students, parents, and counselors easy access to information on:
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Free college scholarship and financial aid searches. |
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SAT and ACT test preparation tips, and more. |
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Colleges and
universities throughout the |
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Career schools,
vocational schools, technical schools, career colleges, vocational colleges, and technical
colleges |
A2ZColleges.Com http://a2zcolleges.com Search for colleges by majors,
states, find college addresses and phone numbers.
The American Association of
Community Colleges http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Content/NavigationMenu/AboutCommunityColleges/CommunityCollegeFinder1/Community_College_Finder.htm
- locate community colleges around the
country.
Art Schools http://artsschools.com – locate Art schools, art degrees,
art history schools and art history degrees.
The British Council http://www.britishcouncil.org/usa Do you want to study in the
California Colleges http://www.californiacolleges.edu
– allows students
to obtain information about higher education opportunities in
Career Connections www.fcps.edu/ss/CareerConnections
- Fairfax County
Public Schools provides a variety of resources for students and their families
to assist with career and post high school planning. Some of these are web based software programs
that require school-specific logins and school IDs. Others are free web sites.
Career Cruising www.careercruising.com - research colleges and careers. Spanish
version available on the site. Come
to
Career
and Technical Education Programs in
The
Center for Student
The College Board www.collegeboard.com – search for colleges, register
for SATs, plan for college, find a college, apply to college, pay for college
The College Board Information
about AP credit and placement policies www.collegeboard.com/ap/cfreditpolicy
College Confidential http://www.collegeconfidential.com/
- search for
colleges, take part in discussion forums, ask questions of deans, find out
about college life, financial aid and planning.
The College Finder http://www.college-finder.info/ - search for colleges matching your career.
Colleges for Students with
Learning Disabilities http://www.college-scholarships.com/learning_disabilities.htm
The colleges listed
have specific programs for students with learning disabilities.
College Match www.collegedata.com– choose, prepare, apply and pay
for college with advice and tools from CollegeData. Get college admission help and search for
colleges and scholarships. Search for colleges by Making Your Match; calculate
your admissions chances; find money for college.
CollegeNET http://www.collegenet.com/ - search for colleges, review, compare and
sort.
College Prowler www.collegeprowler.com – individual guides for colleges
and universities which take what current students say about their schools, free
college counseling, scholarships.
Colleges That Change Lives www.ctcl.com – recognizes 40 special colleges
and universities where enrollment ranges from 300 to 3000 students
College and University Home Pages
http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/cdemello/univ.html
Alphabetical
listing of colleges and universities.
College View http://www.collegeview.com/ - search for colleges including
Christian and Historically Black Colleges and Universities, learn about
financial aid, careers, majors.
The Common Application www.commonapp.org – The Common Application is a
not-for-profit organization that serves students and member institutions by
providing an admission application – online and in print – that students may
submit to any of their nearly 300 members.
Conservatories and Music Careers http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/787
A series of
essays discussing the relationship of conservatory music education and careers
in music. Presented by the Peabody Conservatory.
Culinary Schools http://www.allculinaryschools.com Your guide to education and
careers in the culinary arts.
Double Degree in Music http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/692 Information about double majoring in music and
something else by the admissions dean at Peabody Conservatory.
The Eco League http://www.ecoleague.org/is the
only college consortium in the
The Education Conservancy http://www.educationconservancy.org
The Education Conservancy was established in March, 2004. The Education
Conservancy (EC) is a non-profit organization committed to improving college
admission processes for students, colleges and high schools. Check out “We
Admit . . . Guidance from Those Who Do.”
The link is on the bottom right of the home page.
FairTest www.fairtest.org (click on University
Testing) –
International Students The
Overseas Association for College Admissions Counseling
http://www.oacac.com
maintains a list of American colleges and universities with Financial Aid for
international undergraduates. Click on
Links and scroll to Immigration, Visa and Financial Aid Issues to find the
2005-2007 list.
Knowledge for College – www.CollegeAnswer.com
– site for students which features a free scholarship search,
e-newsletters which highlight monthly events, planning and paying for college
advice from students like you, enter to win a monthly $1000 scholarship.
My College Guide http://www.mycollegeguide.org/ - read about colleges, do a
search, ask questions of the “admissions guru.”
MyMajors.com http://www.mymajors.com
Have you decided
that you want to go to college, but don't know what you want to major in? If you aren't
sure, MyMajors.com can provide useful advice on college and university majors
that a high school senior or first year college student with your interests and
achievements might do well in. (Editor’s Note: Colleges
suggested are limited to those institutions which have contracted with MyMajor.com
and does not represent all college
options.)
Next Step Magazine http://www.nextstepmagazine.com/nsmpages/home.aspx
- includes interactive
tools to help students through the college-planning process, scholarships,
college match.
Peace
Corps Feeder Colleges This page lists
the colleges which send the most students, both undergraduate and graduate to
the Peace Corps.
Petersons Guides www.petersons.com – includes information on getting
started in the admissions process, finding a college, preparing for tests,
paying for college
Student Farms in Higher Education
http://www.newfarm.org/features/0104/studentfarms/directory.shtml
Universities and Colleges in
Virginia Domicile http://www.schev.edu/Students/VAdomicile.asp
How to qualify
for in-state tuition in
Work Colleges http://www.workcolleges.org/wcc.htm
On each
campus, there has been a historical recognition of the value of work and an
institutional commitment to promote an understanding of that value among
students through establishment of a work program. These work programs help
students to understand work as a tool for experiential education, as a means of
serving the community, and as a place for integrating academic learning,
practical knowledge, and life lived in the larger community. The colleges blend
courses in liberal learning and applied studies with their own particular
vision of the undergraduate curriculum.
See website: http://www.workcolleges.org/colleges.htm (listing of Work College Consortium schools where students are required to work to help run the school).