College Planning
Our college preparatory program focus is on providing students with the planning to succeed as self-advocates and independent learners in post-secondary life. Our goal is to teach and encourage our high school students to consider their strengths and perform with confidence. Our character education lessons are embedded into weekly discussions to prepare our students to be life-long learners who can communicate clearly, think critically, and solve problems creatively.
The college counseling process spans all four years of high school with an emphasis on supporting students and parents as they determine their goals, assess their strengths, and discern which schools will be a good fit academically and personally to offer the best opportunities for growth and success. Post-secondary planning occurs at each quarterly meeting to review annual planning and expectations to ensure that students are meeting strategic goals and remain on track to fulfill requirements.
College Advisory
During weekly advisory meetings, students in grades 10-12 review important information and topics that will help them to prepare for life after high school. Students will address three important questions in planning for the future: Who am I?, Where am I going?, and How do I get there?
Focus topics will cover planning, organization, preparation, and self-exploration. Students will compile information in a planning packet containing checklists, schedules, and specific requirements for diploma preparation. In addition, the advisor will follow up with parents, faculty, employers, and job training supervisors to ensure that the student is fulfilling his or her set obligations.
Advisory topics include the following:
Keeping a Post-secondary Planning Journal
Requirements for Graduation
Learning Styles & Needs: A review of modifications and accommodations
Goal Setting
Interviewing Skills and Etiquette
Developing a Student Portfolio
Expectations and Timeline
Test Preparation and Resources
Executive Functions
Balancing School and Work
Community Service
Internship Experience
Financial Aid
Writing an Essay for college application
Keys to Success
Junior and Senior Internship Experience
Our post-secondary program sets high expectations for our students to set goals for future achievement. We believe that each student should have the opportunity to observe and explore potential career interests during a Junior year shadow experience and apply these skills in the Senior year Internship. This experience will comprise a four-phase process, including:
the actual shadow/internship experience,
a research paper,
a journal/portfolio, and
final presentation.
College Planning Resources
Students will be expected to manage their college planning tools in several digital platforms designed to promote college-readiness, enhance test-preparation, and provide access to information to assist with individual college planning.
CollegeEd https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/
College Board https://www.collegeboard.org/
Kahn Academy https://www.khanacademy.org/
Kuder Navigator https://navigator.kuder.com/account/login-register
Raise.Me https://www.raise.me/