College and Career Planning
Academic Preparation
Math skills are a key to success in most post secondary education institutions
- Algebra I & II CP/Geometry CP are minimum required math courses
Laboratory Sciences
- Colleges expect students to have 2 to 3 lab sciences. Which include Physical Science, Biology and Chemistry.
College preparatory English is a requirement for universities and colleges
- Grammar, reading, composition, American lit, world lit, and speech are key to success
Social Sciences
- Four years of social science courses are required for most 2 and 4 year school
World Language
- Two or more years of world language is expected by most colleges
Computer Science
- Basic understanding and use of office related programs is a must
Fine Arts
- Colleges view a year of fine arts a key to cultural and intellectual growth
Academic Electives
- Colleges expect students to have a minimum number of academic electives
School and Community Activities
- Sports, academic clubs, fine arts activities, peer tutoring, student government, community activities and organizations and church groups can all have an impact on college and career success
School Success Starts at Home
- Set up a study area in your home
- Encourage good study habits
- Help your child build self-discipline
- Get involved in your child's school
- Monitor your child’s progress in school by reviewing and discussing all progress reports and report cards when they arrive in your home
- If a teacher is requesting a conference both you and your child should attend in order to establish future academic goals.
- Talk with your child about their Smart Futures results. The use of this program begins in 8th-grade career class. (see below)
- Attend the Junior High Scheduling, Academic, and Career Planning Information Meeting to learn more about the classes your child should take to meet graduation requirements and lay the groundwork for higher education.
- Encourage your child to be an active learner by taking notes, participating in discussions, asking questions, and learning from mistakes.
- Require that your child use their daily agenda to keep track of all assignments and to complete all homework in a timely manner.
- Help your child develop problem-solving skills by asking for his or her input, assigning responsibilities, and allowing him or her to make certain decisions.
- Help your child set realistic goals. Recognize your child’s efforts as well as successes.
- Encourage your child to take the most appropriate and challenging courses available to them.
Smart Futures
- SmartFutures is an online career-planning and portfolio platform (K-12) that was created in 2005 to help students “get real” about who they are, where they are going, and how to get there. SmartFutures develops career-planning, skill credentialing, e-mentoring, and individualized work-based learning experiences to increase student preparedness for post-graduation success.
Ninth Grade
- Make sure you are enrolled in the appropriate academic program. Honors (H), College Preparation (CP), or Core (check with your School Counselor if you are unsure).
- College Preparatory or CP classes do just that, prepare you for college.
- Academics are important to your success so work towards achieving your full potential.
- Work hard and get good grades!!
- GPA and class rank start to be calculated at the start of your ninth grade year and will be part of your permanent record
- Work with the Smart Futures program to help learn more about possible careers for you.
- Take your job shadowing experiences seriously. This may be your first opportunity to see your career at work.
- Extracurricular activities based in and out of school are also an important part of career preparation.
- Listen to your parent's advice as well as other adults that are involved in your life. They care about you and want the very best.
- College is expensive, so start exploring ways of paying for or funding your college costs now!
- Use the internet and books that are available in most libraries to gain information about colleges, technical schools and the military.
- Know what colleges want and expect (please refer to helpful links for additional resources)
- Research majors, programs, costs, staff to student ratio, admission requirements and high school requirements. Tour colleges and vocational-technical schools when and if possible.
- Look into participating in summer and school programs that may be available to you.
- Attendance is very important. If you are not in school it will affect your grades and acceptance into college or vocational-technical schools.
- See your School Counselor with questions and concerns. They can point you in the right direction.
College and Career Planning Resources
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Career Exploration Program provides high-quality, career exploration and planning materials at no cost to high schools throughout the country. The Program encourages students to explore a wide variety of careers, rather than limiting their exploration by telling them what they can or should do.
Cappex is a site that offers a million campus reviews by students who have actually attended the schools. Plus they calculate realistic chances of admission by adding key academic details to the users profile.
Chegg helps students with college admissions by letting applicants build a portfolio to showcase themselves to prospective colleges. It is helpful for students who may not have the best numbers and might need to boost their ability for college admissions.
Find colleges, learn about financial aid and use expert college planning tools.
Prepare students for college success with the cornerstone of our College Readiness System.
Find professional development, research and tools for K–12 and Higher Ed.
Learn how we're transforming education to improve college opportunities for all students.
- College Raptor
College Raptor is the best way for high school families to find college matches, discover colleges that may offer them the best financial aid and simplify the college search process—all for FREE!
- College Scorecard
https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/
The scorecard offers the first comprehensive look at after-college earnings for students who attend all types of undergraduate institutions.It provides a snapshot of what former students of each school might earn, how much debt they leave with, and what percentage can repay their loans.
- Education Planner
- EducationPlanner is your one-stop career and college planning website. It provides practical and easy-to-understand advice to help prepare students for the important decisions they will face in the future.
- Middle school students will discover their interests and the things that motivate them by participating in several fun, interactive activities that get them thinking about careers.
- High school students will discover and learn all about careers and colleges—including ways to pay—using simple search tools, clever interactive exercises, and straightforward instructions.
- In addition to being a resource for students, this website also provides information and tools for parents and counselors to help them motivate and prepare today's youth for a successful tomorrow.
- EDx
Here is the taste of what college could be like by virtually sitting in on a top-tier college or university class. There are also options for remedial learning to shore up weak areas and AP test prep.
- Fast Web
The leading online resource in finding scholarships to help you pay for school.
- Targeted Scholarships
- Financial Aid
- College Search
- Career Advice
- and more
- Occupational Outlook Handbook
- The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives. It includes the following information:
- the training and education needed
- earnings
- expected job prospects
- what workers do on the job
- working conditions
- Parchment
Parchment contains worthwhile admissions tools that are coupled with the capability to manage academic credentials online so they can be sent easily and shared securely.
- Pennsylvania Career Guide
The Pennsylvania Career Guide
- The Pennsylvania Career Guide has helped students and job seekers evaluate their career options for more than 20 years. This guide is broken into five sections to help you navigate through the job search process. This Guide helps you to explore a variety of career options while giving you a realistic picture of the job market and dispelling some career myths. It will help you to discover in-demand occupations that you may have not previously considered. It contains an Interest Assessment that will examine some of your interests and hobbies and match them with jobs that may fit your personality. Learn about the jobs that match by using the Occupational Data Bank, which contains information on more than 200 occupations in Pennsylvania – including wages, education and job outlook. Tips can also be found on writing an outstanding résumé and acing a job interview. This Guide will help you examine avenues of opportunity, develop realistic goals and most importantly, make informed career choices.
- Pennsylvania Career Standards
http://www.pacareerstandards.com
The Career Education and Work Standards are part of the State Board of Education’s regulations of required education for all students in Pennsylvania.The Career Education and Work Standards address four areas of knowledge:
- Career Awareness and Preparation
- Career Acquisition (Getting a Job)
- Career Retention and Advancement
- Entrepreneurship
- Pennsylvania Career Zone
Self-Assessments can help you know yourself better. And knowing yourself better can help you choose a satisfying job or occupational field to explore. Starting your search by looking at broad sectors can help you find related occupations within an area that you might enjoy. After High School you will need to work to pay for housing, transportation, and clothes... Find out
- Pennsylvania Workforce Development
Pennsylvania Workforce Development
Pennsylvania's workforce development system enables businesses and workers to compete in the worldwide, knowledge-based economy. The workforce system will enhance employer competitiveness and innovation, while preparing Pennsylvanians for new careers in higher-wage jobs, effectively improving the quality of life for our most valuable resource-our citizens.
- PHEAA-Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA)
PHEAA is a national provider of student financial aid services, serving millions of students and thousands of schools through its loan guaranty, loan servicing, financial aid processing, outreach, and other student aid programs.PHEAA continues to devote its energy, resources, and imagination to developing innovative ways to ease the financial burden of higher education for students, families, schools, and taxpayers.
- Pocono Info
http://poconoinfo.communityos.org/cms/
Getting help - Whether it’s information about opioid abuse, availability of child care services, accessing homeless shelters, or assistance with an aging parent, Monroe County residents need only dial toll-free 2-1-1 to connect with a comprehensive database of local, state and federal health and human service programs available in our community. Trained caseworkers will be on hand to answer questions and refer individuals in need to services that are available.
- Scholastic Aptitude Test or SAT
- Accepted by more than 2000 colleges and universities, the SAT helps demonstrate what you've learned in school and your readiness for college-level work.
- Register for the SAT online today. Most students take the SAT during the spring of their junior year and a second time during the fall of their senior year.
- Get ready for the SAT with official sample questions, a full-length practice test, study tips, and new video tutorials from Khan Academy.
- And more
- Smart Futures
- SmartFutures is an online career-planning and portfolio platform (K-12) that was created in 2005 to help students “get real” about who they are, where they are going, and how to get there. SmartFutures develops career-planning, skill credentialing, e-mentoring, and individualized work-based learning experiences to increase student preparedness for post-graduation success.
- SOAR - Students Occupationally and Academically Ready
SOAR is the career and technical Program of Study (POS) educational plan that articulates the secondary career and technical programs to postsecondary degree or diploma or certificate programs. SOAR programs lead students into a career pathway that align the secondary courses to a postsecondary program to complete a degree or certificate.
- University Research and Review
This site will help identify your abilities, interests and goals. There will be follow up emails with suggested possibilities for areas of study and colleges to consider. the results are human analyzed and not through automation.