Grand Prairie High School Sophomores Beyond High School

Grand Prairie High School Sophomores: Beyond High School

Counselors and Other Support Staff Latonya Irving Melissa Hohnstreiter Jacqueline Rodgers Aracely Coleman Charita Lovely Janet Farris Patricia Calahan Blanca Mc. Gee Danita Peterman Eunice De La Barcena Beatrice Ramirez A-Casti Casto-Gan Gar-John Jol-Mon Moo-roc Rod-U V-Z Social Worker CTE Counselor Registrar Counseling Clerk

ADVISE TX Advisor Mr. Cuellar *Texas A & M University* Bachelor of Art (B. A. ) Sociology Provides assistance with the following: Financial aid application College application assistance Scholarship searches College/Universities searches Registering for the ACT/SAT Assistance with college essays (editing, etc)

Helping Students Find Their Way Post-Secondary Education, College Readiness Preparation, and Planning

What is Post-Secondary Education? Education Beyond High School What are Your Options? 4 -Year Universities Community Colleges/2 Year College Trade Schools Professional Schools

What is College Readiness? College readiness means that a student can enter a college classroom, without remediation, and successfully complete entry -level college requirements. Students that are enrolled in remediation courses in their first year of college have only a 17 -39% graduation rate (College Board 2004).

Planning and Preparing for College – This is Your Time to………. Research colleges and universities Create a college research file Visit college campuses Meet with college representatives Go to www. bigfuture. org/college-search to build a college list Go to http: //www. texasrealitycheck. com/ to find out how much money you will need to support your future lifestyle and to determine what kind of career you will need

Planning and Preparing for College Take the PSAT Know your G. P. A and Rank Considering postsecondary education Attend college/career fairs Deciding to attend college Selecting high school courses to prepare for postsecondary training (Pre-AP/AP) Maintaining good grades Discussing educational and career goals with counselors, teachers, and parents Obtaining information about colleges and academic programs Obtaining information about financial aid opportunities (loans, grants, scholarships) Exploring college majors and career interests Community service Student organizations (Student Council)

Selecting a College/University

What’s Important Size Location Academic Programs Campus Life Cost Diversity Other Activities

Ask Yourself These Questions What do I want to achieve in the future? What kind of career am I interested in? What are my strengths and interests? How can I find which careers are best for me? If I go to college, where will I go? Should I stay close to home or should I go far away?

Ask Yourself These Questions What are the pros and cons of staying close to home and going far away? Should I go to a university, community college, technical school, or military? What will it cost? How can I afford college? Will I have to work and go to school? Is there financial aid available if I don’t get a scholarship?

College Testing ACT, SAT, and TSI

ACT College Testing ◦ www. actstudent. org ◦ Fee waiver available for qualified students ◦ Needed for 4 year universities SAT ◦ www. collegeboard. com ◦ Fee waiver available for qualified students ◦ Needed for 4 year universities TSI ◦ Needed for 2 year universities only

Scholarships Websites

Scholarships Websites www. scholarships. com www. collegexpress. com www. collegeanswer. com www. fastweb. com www. collegeboard. com www. collegenet. com www. scholarshipmonkey. com www. cappex. com www. zinch. com www. scholarshippoints. com www. nextstudent. com www. studentscholarships. org www. scholarshipexperts. com www. supercollege. com www. scholarshiphunter. com

College Research Websites

College Research & Important Websites www. collegeboard. org www. actstudent. org www. Gentx. org www. utexas. edu/world/univ/alpha www. careersandcolleges. com http: //www. collegeforalltexans. com/ www. bigfuture. org/college-search http: //www. texasrealitycheck. com/ www. collegemajors 101. com College-insight. org nces. ed. gov/collegenavigator/ www. collegeview. com www. goseecampus. com www. unigo. com https: //collegeprowler. com www. collegeview. com

Reminders Talk to your school counselor Take the PSAT Take more challenging courses Attend college/career fairs Research colleges/universities Plan college visits Research scholarships and other financial aid Research the school of choice