College Counseling and Development Education College & Career Preparation
Choosing a College and/or Career We are your Certified College & Post-Secondary Counselors! Our Comprehensive Guidance & Counseling Program follows a Counselor led plan of exploration, planning and preparation for all students, at all grade levels.
Each year our Individualized Academic & College Planning program is delivered through a variety of on-going methods that build on one another.
Curriculum Night
PTSO Grade Level information Night(s)
Grade Level Class Meetings
Small Group/Classroom Meetings
Individual Appointments/Interviews
Open Office Visits
Middle School - Getting to know what's out there & how to keep these options available to me.
Middle School is NOT too early to start planning for college!
Think about the type of learner you are, study skills, & interest areas. What fits you?
Think about building a portfolio of work you are proud of that you could share with a college/career.
9th Grade - Getting to know myself and my school's options.
Learn about & take advantage of the opportunities available through your school and community.
Identify interests areas & life goals, careers & pathways that relate, education programs/majors that lead to specific careers of interest, education program/major needed to achieve goals.
10th Grade - Learning who "they" are, what "they" want and preparing for that next level.
Learn and make decisions about post-secondary goals (college, career, gov service, etc) . . . who "they" are.
Identify the requirements to achieve goal (ie: college admission requirements) . . . what "they" want.
11th Grade - Defining myself, what "I" want and my future options. JUNIOR INTERVIEW!
Defining realistic goals, interests and abilities for life after high school/post secondary plans
Check in with College Financial Aid Office! Understand how to Pay for the College that Fits. FAFSA as early as October Senior year.
12th Grade - Making "it" happen.
Complete College Applications - Be aware of college specific deadlines! Most students work on over the summer. Early Action usually submitted before November 1. Most students finished with College applications before Thanksgiving break.
Apply for Financial Aid and Scholarships. . . Paying for the College that Fits. FAFSA as early as October Senior year.
Career & College Search Tools/Websites START HERE! Naviance - Your student's Educational Development Plan (EDP)! Counselors work with students on their EDP starting in Middle School and continue to work with students every year until High School graduation. A 100% complete EDP is a graduation requirement and is one of the early tools we use to identify interest areas as they relate to possible careers, college majors, and colleges that host that majors.
Naviance is an industry-leading online career guidance and planning system that Ann Arbor students use to develop an EDP. . People of all ages use our tools to find the right career, explore education and training options, and build their own portfolio. Naviance also makes it easier for schools to manage the course selection process, communities to meet their workforce development needs, and students to prepare for the SAT/ACT.
We LOVE Naviance as a first step in the Career/College selection process! Students can look of areas of interest, watch videos for professionals in a career path, and find out jobs that they may be able to do within their interest area. Students can then look up the Education required to get that job, Majors/Minors in College that will help prepare them and Colleges that offer that Major.
Counselors also use Naviance/EDPs to send messages to students about opportunities/programs that are related to their career interests, test prep and scholarships. Students should make sure their e-mail address in updated in their profile and can share their EDP with a parent/guardian.
Consider ALL Options! Many students believe that they HAVE to go to college. However, it is important especially today's economy that they are aware of all options and are making an informed decision.
Career (CTE) Options When I think about "skilled trades" I think about plumbing, automotive, and construction, but have you thought about healthcare, a career in agriculture or information technology as skilled trade careers?
Additional Research - Websites, College Fairs, & Personalize the Process with your School Counselor!
Regularly Visiting College Fairs
Colleges that Change Lives - August 18, 2018 in Dearborn, Michigan
Building Bridges for students who learn differently - November, Huron High School
Gap Year Fair - January, Skyline High School
AAPS Fair - March/April, Pioneer High School
More. . .
Meet with your High School Counselor. We are Ann Arbor's Premier College Counselors!
Your counselor works with students and families to understand the motives and reasons for different choices after high school (College, Career, Military, Gap Year, etc. . .).
If college is in your future, we will discuss college options and what "they" are looking for, build your list of "colleges that fit" what you are looking for, review the application process and help in building a comprehensive application packet for a holistic review.
"Private College Consultants" are also available! Some of our School Counselors also work in private practice as "Certified College Counselors" . . . but, we can't tell you who they are due to conflict of interest. . . and you get our services for free!
The Michigan College Access Portal (MichiganCAP) is a statewide initiative which provides free support for all students and families in Michigan to simplify the process of transitioning from middle school to high school to college and career. MichiganCAP will offer students, parents, counselors and adult learners easy-to-use web-based, personalized tools to insure that each step in the process of choosing and applying for college is completed successfully.
College Scorecards is the U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center make it easier for you to search for a college that is a good fit for you. You can use the College Scorecard to find out more about a college’s affordability and value so you can make more informed decisions about which college to attend. Website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/higher-education/college-score-card
The smoke is still clearing after the last college notifications were sent to the Class of 2014, but it isn't too early to use this year's results to offer advice to next year's seniors. Here are the major trends that emerged or grew this year that are likely to impact the application process next year:
Widen your view When the average admit rate of the Ivy League colleges is less than 9%, one thing becomes clear--highly selective colleges are running out of room long before they run out of great applicants. Along with this increase comes news from long-time college counselors and admissions officers that most models used to predict admission patterns are no longer viable. The increased applicant pool has too many new, changing, and random factors to create any admissions model recognizable to the human eye, the seasoned counselor, or IBM's Watson computer.
This growing trend means juniors have to apply to at least two colleges that admit 20% or more of their applicants. Finding these colleges isn't hard, if you look for schools that have the same qualities, majors, or campus feel as the highly selective colleges you love--and why wouldn't you fall in love with a school that meets your needs and offers you admission?
Visit way more campuses. Way more.Many seniors were surprised when they were waitlisted at their "back-up colleges". As the year when on, a pattern emerged; students with high grades and test scores were waitlisted at a "sure thing" college because they never visited campus, didn't attend the information program offered at a local hotel, or never talked to the admissions representative who visited the student's high school. Demonstrated interest is a bigger factor that ever before at many colleges, especially schools with more reasonable admit rates in the 20-25% range. Many of these colleges are likely to have lower admit rates next year, so if you really want to keep a college open as a place you'd love to attend, it's time to show them that. If campus is within a five hour drive, go visit; if the rep comes to your high school, go to the presentation and introduce yourself; if they'll be at the local college fair, stop by and say hello. This will make you a more memorable applicant--more important, it will give you a closer look at the school, so you can make a more confident choice come spring.
Go beyond grades.Colleges and high school counselors have always said that straight As alone won't get you into a highly selective college, even if they're paired with amazing test scores. 95 percent of all Ivy applicants have those credentials; for most, the difference in being admitted lies in what else you've done with your life, how you've challenged your assumptions, and how you've interacted with the larger world. Studying is still the most important thing, but it has never--ever--- been the only thing. That's even more true now.
Consider applying early. More colleges are taking more students through early application programs. Since fewer students apply early, that means a strong applicant's chances of admission are better if their application and test scores are ready to go in October, not January. Early decision deadlines make students promise to come if they're admitted, so think about ED programs carefully. Most other early programs just want your completed application sooner, and advanced planning can get you there. Take your tests this spring, ask teachers in June to write letters for the fall, and work on your essays in August. The rest will fall together naturally.