4 STEPS TO SUCCESS: 

Step #1:  Good Grades and Test Preparation

Your Success begins in High School→ so you can Graduate ON-TIME

Having more choices for college and career is what you want.  And getting good grades in high school and your best score on the SAT is the way to achieve this.  Another big thing colleges and employers look for is EXPERIENCE– and the way you can get work experience while you’re still in high school is by getting a part time job or VOLUNTEERING  (read more…)

CHECK OUT the 3 buttons below for TOOLS that will GIVE YOU AN ADVANTAGE !

Tutoring – Math, Science + more…
SAT Practice Tests
Volunteer Opportunities

Step #2:  Explore Career / College Majors

“A journey of 1,000 miles starts with 1 single step”  Lao-Tzu

Before you can choose the best college, you need to know which type of career you want.  There are over 50,000 distinct jobs in the market today with more being created every year!  Which group of jobs is most interesting to you?  Once you determine this, you can find out which college classes you will need to get hired!

INSTRUCTIONS:  Below are 3 websites to help you explore careers.  They all do about the same thing but each one works a little differently.  Try them all and see which one works the best for you.  Once you decide– You only need to use one of them to complete Step#2

Click a button below to EXPLORE and COMPARE CAREERS!

My Next Move
Career Coach
Career Pathfinder

Step #3:  Comparing Colleges / Campus Visits

Create a List of the 10 best colleges for YOU

Start this step after you know which group of careers interest you, and which college major will prepare you to be hired.  Start by finding out which colleges are best at the college major you need.  Create your “Top 10” list of best colleges and then decide which ones you will visit in person!  Your list should include 2 “safe choices” that will except you can afford “for sure.”  Your list should also include 1 or 2 dream colleges– so Dream Big!  As you do more research and complete more steps below you will begin to narrow your list down to the top 5.

START YOUR RESEARCH:

College Scorecard

( Advanced Options: )

College Navigator

Step #4: Scholarships – FAFSA – Financial Aid

“Your goal should be to graduate from college with as much work experience

and as little debt as possible.”  –  Deborah J. Taylor

When it comes to college financial aid and scholarships– APPLY FOR EVERYTHING.  You will be happily surprised at the many different sources from which you will receive money for college!  Many awards are based on your grades, but others are based on your family background and finances, while others will be based on your volunteering and student activities.  Grants and Scholarships are FREE Money you do not have to pay back.  Student loans must be paid back over many years beginning after you graduate.  Almost all financial aid awards require that you complete the FAFSA “free application for federal student aid” in order to be considered, so that’s the place to start.

WATCH these videos with a parent or guardian:

FAFSA Overview !
Create your FAFSA ID’s
How to Fill Out the FAFSA

Apply For Scholarships:

Scholarships.com
fastweb scholarship site
African-American Scholarships
Hispanic-American Scholarships
Community Foundation Scholarships

ADVICE FROM YOUR PEERS

“Fit is the most important thing.  A lot of high school students get hung up on status, but it’s worth taking a hit in the “prestige” and “reputation” departments to find a better fit.  Do some research and look into the professors at a college to see who might be an interesting instructor.”

CHARLIE, Medical Student

“Pick a couple interests that you are really passionate about, like an instrument and a sport, or a club and a community service project, and stick with those for four years. If you try a club and don’t like it, it’s not worth it to force it just for your resume”

ANNIE, Grad Assistant, Mathematics

“Take as many AP classes as you can in high school. Even if you don’t pass the AP test and don’t get credit for that class in college, you still have already taken the class. It’s much easier to do well in a class that you’ve already taken.”

RYAN, Chemical Engineering Major