Going to College: Step-by-StepPart 1--Career Exploration and College Search

Going to College: Step-by-Step 19/24/2010

9/24/2010 Going to College: Step-by-Step 2

You can go to college--and graduate!

Dr. Joe Rottenborn

Executive Director

Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

Offices:

KSU Salem: 330-337-4214 jrottenb@kent.edu

YSU: 330-941-7477 jfrottenborn@ysu.edu

KSU Trum: 330-675-7602 jrottenb@kent.edu

Blogspot: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/

Facebook: Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP) http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Mahoning-Valley-College-Access-

Program-MVCAP/284002915922?ref=ts

Twitter: http://twitter.com/rottenbornj

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/THEMVCAP

Issuu: http://issuu.com/mvcap

MVCAPMahoning Valley College Access Program

MVCAP Last-Dollar Scholarship

Awardees

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MVCAPMahoning Valley College Access Program

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3 Mahoning Valley Locations:• Columbiana County: KSU Salem Campus

• Mahoning County: Youngstown State University

• Trumbull County: KSU Trumbull Campus

MVCAPMahoning Valley College Access Program

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The MVCAP is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3),

charitable organization, started-up in

2002.

MVCAPMahoning Valley College Access Program

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We are one of 35 programs

in our state affiliated with the

Ohio College Access Network (OCAN).

MVCAPMahoning Valley College Access Program

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All of our services are

free.

MVCAPMahoning Valley College Access Program

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Since 2002, the MVCAP has assisted over

9,000 students and parents in the

Mahoning Valley and awarded over 160

Last-Dollar Scholarships—most, for

$1,000.

MVCAPMahoning Valley College Access Program

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Our Mission

• The Mahoning Valley College Access Program believes an

educated population creates a more prosperous and socially-

responsible community.

MVCAP advises, encourages, and assists students and families to prepare for and finance a post

secondary education.

MVCAPMahoning Valley College Access Program

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How we assist students: • Career exploration

• College search

• ACT preparation

• Admissions information

• Financial-aid advising

• Last-Dollar Scholarships

MVCAPMahoning Valley College Access Program

Now, what’s up?

• It's time for seniors in the Class of

2011 to think about college! Here to

assist you is a step-by-step approach,

developed over almost 10 years, by the

Mahoning Valley College Access

Program (MVCAP). Just do and/or

consider items that follow during this

year and you’ll be off to college after

you graduate from high school!

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So, let’s get started!

Dr. Joe Rottenborn

Executive Director

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Career Exploration

• I. Undertake a career exploration to

identify matches between a student's

strengths/interests and various

fields/occupations, emphasizing

preparation required and job-

opportunities.

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Career Exploration

• 1. For a student to begin a career

exploration, identify your many

strengths and interests--then seek

careers that would make use of those.

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Career Exploration

• 2. When a student does a career exploration, he or she should determine what preparation a certain field requires--and what job opportunities exist! To read a blog-post entitled “10 Hottest Careers in America,” just click this link: http://moneywatch.bnet.com/saving-money/blog/college-solution/10-hottest-careers-in-america/2154/

• For a pdf file of the actual report by the University of California, San Diego, click here: http://extension.ucsd.edu/about/images/careerReport.pdf

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Career Exploration

• 3. Perhaps the best question to ask

yourself about careers is this: what

job would you still love to do on a

cold, dark, rainy Monday morning?

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College Search

• II. Begin a college search by

determining which schools may best

suit desired areas of study and

academic programs as well as family

finances.

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College Search

• 4. Once you've determined your career

interest(s), seek schools that offer

your desired area(s) of study.

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College Search

• 5. For information on colleges in

Northeast Ohio, click this link:

http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2010/03/4

1-colleges-in-northeast-ohio.html

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College Search

• 6. You may be interested in reading

the Huffington Post article by Steve

Leveen, "College: It's not where you get

in, but how you come out," at

http://bit.ly/aP1M0x

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College Search

• 7. To read the article "When Choosing

A College, What Really Matters? click:

http://www.unigo.com/articles/when_c

hoosing_a_college,_what_really_matter

s%5E63/?taxonomyId=760028

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College Search

• 8. To access the article "Price of

education is likely debt," click on this

link:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/edu

cation/2008-07-23-comcol-

debt_N.htm?csp=usat.me

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College Search

• 9. To see some hazards of taking on

too much loan-debt for college, click:

http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2010/03/4

3-student-loan-debt-part-ii.html

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College Search

• 10. To see all Ohio colleges and

universities, use that link under

"OBR" in the left margin of our

MVCAP blog:

http://mvcap.blogspot.com/

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College Search

• 11. To see "Best Colleges 2010," use

that link under "U.S. News & World

Report" in the left margin of our

MVCAP blog:

http://mvcap.blogspot.com/

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College Search

• 12. For "Historically Black Colleges &

Universities," look under "U.S. News"

in the left margin of our MVCAP blog:

http://mvcap.blogspot.com/

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College Search

• 13. For Part 2: "Answers on

Historically Black Colleges and

Universities," click this link:

http://nyti.ms/bIpeWz

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College Search

• 14. To see "National University

Rankings," look under "U.S. News &

World Report" in the left margin of our

MVCAP blog:

http://mvcap.blogspot.com/

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College Search

• 15. To see "Liberal Arts Rankings,"

look under "U.S.News & World Report"

in the left margin of our MVCAP blog:

http://mvcap.blogspot.com/

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College Search

• 16. To explore "Colleges That Change

Lives," hit the link "CTCL Members" in

the left margin of our MVCAP blog:

http://mvcap.blogspot.com/

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College Search

• 17. To see "Christian Colleges &

Universities," try the link "Member

Schools" in the left margin of our

MVCAP blog:

http://mvcap.blogspot.com/

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College Search

• 18. For "National Catholic College

Admission Assoc.,"use "Search for a

school" in the left margin of our

MVCAP blog:

http://mvcap.blogspot.com/

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College Search

• 19. To continue your college search,

think how close to home you want to

stay; how large a school you'd like; &

do you prefer public or private?

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College Search

• 20. An important consideration in any

college search is whether you can

afford--with need-based & merit

financial aid--a particular college.

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College Search

• 21. One of the hazards in doing a

college search today is neglecting to

consider the "mountain of debt" you

may be accumulating at some

schools.

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College Search

• 22. Maybe the key question to ask

yourself about a college search is this

one: in which school(s) can I not just

survive--but really thrive!

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College Search

• 23. Learn about your schools of

interest at a free Virtual College Fair;

register at

http://www.collegeweeklive.com

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College Search

• 24. GoodSearch or Google the

Common Data Set for schools you're

interested in; pay attention to Part C

and H. To find out more, click this

link:

http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2010/03

/42-common-data-set-cds.html

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College Search

• 25. If you are considering Ohio State, you can

access its Common Data Set (CDS):

http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2010/03/42-common-

data-set-cds.html

• 26. If you are considering Miami (OH), you can

access its Common Data Set (CDS):

http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2010/03/42-common-

data-set-cds.html

• 27. If you are considering Ohio U., you can print

out its Common Data Set (CDS):

http://mvcap.blogspot.com/2010/03/42-common-

data-set-cds.html

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MVCAPMahoning Valley College Access Program