Hudsonville High School

Junior Career and College Planning Handbook

2016-17

If you have any questions, feel free to call us at 669-1500, ext. 2 for the Main Campus and 669-1510 for the Freshmen Campus.

High School Counselors

Becky Dawson (A - E) - rdawson@hpseagles.net - Located at Main Building Carrie Thomas (F - L) - cthomas@hpseagles.net - Located at Main Building

Erica Hoff (M - Si) - ehoff@hpseagles.net - Located at Freshmen Campus Mike Manzer (Sk - Z) - mmanzer@hpseagles.net - Located at Freshmen Campus

Careerline Tech Center Programs

Agriscience Agriculture & Animal Science Natural Resources & Agriscience

Arts and Communication Graphic Design Media Production Printing & Imaging Technology

Business, Management, Marketing & Technology

Business Management Culinary Arts Entrepreneurship & Global Business Pastry Arts & Baking PC & Network Technologies Web & Game Development

Construction Building Tech/Construction Management Electrical/Alternative Energy Plumbing & Water Systems

Engineering/Manufacturing & Industrial

Engineering Design & Machine Technologies

Mechatronics/Robotics Welding

Health Sciences Certified Nurse Aide Dental Careers Emergency Medical Services Healthcare Foundations Healthcare (Advanced)

Human Services Cosmetology Public Safety & Security Services Teacher Academy

Transportation Auto Body Repair Automotive Technology Diesel/Heavy Equipment Mechanics

Visit www.oaisd.org/ctc to learn more about these programs and the college credits you could potentially earn.

Application Information: ● Students must apply to be considered for any Tech Center programs. ● Current Tech students submit an application at the Tech Center to change

programs for next year. ● Tech Center applications for 2017-18 will be due on Feb. 10, 2017.

BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL, WHAT?

Work You can receive information on many careers from the Guidance Office and by looking online through Career Cruising and other sites.

Technical or Two year colleges and vocational schools offer a wide Vocational range of programs requiring one or two years of School post-secondary training (i.e. Cosmetology, Electronics,

Auto Mechanics, etc.).

Junior/ Junior/Community Colleges offer full transfer Community programs to four-year colleges or universities as well College as one and two year degree and certiicate programs

(i.e. Nursing, Computers, Business, etc.).

Military Throughout the next two years of high school, recruiters Service will visit our school to discuss military opportunities

with interested students.

Four-year There are more than 3,000 colleges or universities College or in the United States offering four year degrees in University a wide variety of career areas.

Things to consider as you decide your educational path:

1. In today’s job market, it is in your best interest to obtain some training beyond high school.

2. Map out your own reasons and goals. 3. Know yourself and identify what is best for you!

CAREER CRUISING

Career Cruising is a comprehensive and interactive career guidance resource that provides the information you need to make the right career choice. It includes in-depth profiles of hundreds of different careers, detailed information on colleges and universities, and something no other resource has: multimedia interviews with real people in every career.

FEATURES:

● CAREER MATCHMAKER - Interest assessment tool ● EXPLORE CAREERS - In-depth occupational profiles and searches ● EXPLORE EDUCATION AND TRAINING - Information on colleges and universities ● ABILITY PROFILER - Assessment of your aptitudes and abilities

CAREER CRUISING EDP TOOL

Think of your EDP as your online filing cabinet. In it you can keep all the information you need to plan your education and career path.

With the EDP you can:

● Save your Career Matchmaker results as well as other assessments ● Keep notes on careers that interest you ● Track your career preparation and planning activities ● Record your career and life goals ● List your extracurricular activities and work experiences ● Create a great looking resume

HOW TO LOG ONTO CAREER CRUISING

1. Go to website: www.careercruising.com 2. Username: Hudsonville Password: eagles

HOW TO LOG ON TO SAVE YOUR SEARCHES AND UPDATE YOUR EDP

1. Enter your username - your Powerschool ID 2. Enter your Password - this is your old Powerschool 5-digit password

TYPES OF DEGREES Certificates If you’re looking to develop a certain skill or be trained for a specific job, you can typically earn a certificate in two years or less. Certificates can be earned at community colleges and technical and vocational colleges. Some four-year colleges may offer them as well. Some jobs that may require a certificate are cosmetologists, chefs, welders and plumbers.

Associate’s degree If you plan on entering a technical or vocational field, you may be interested in working toward an associate’s degree. Associate’s degrees can usually be earned in two years or less, and can be attained at all community colleges and some technical, vocational, and four-year colleges. You may also have the option to use the credits from your associate’s degree toward a bachelor’s degree.

Bachelor's degree If you attend a four-year college, you will probably be working toward a bachelor’s degree. Bachelor’s degrees are also referred to as undergraduate degrees. They require that you take a core of general education courses, including English, math, science and social sciences. In addition, you will focus on one main subject area as your “major.” A bachelor’s degree not only prepares you for a good career but is also necessary if you plan to work toward an advanced degree, such as a master’s, doctorate or professional degree.

Master’s degree Upon completion of your bachelor’s degree, you may choose to attend graduate school and pursue a master’s degree. A master’s degree can help advance your career, and may be required for certain professionals, such as physical therapists, engineers and social workers.

Doctoral degree The doctoral degree typically follows the master’s degree. Attaining a doctoral degree generally takes anywhere from three to five years, or possibly longer to complete. Most students in the humanities are awarded the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and students in education are awarded the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.).

Professional degree Graduate degrees in the fields of law, business and medicine are often referred to as professional degrees. Advanced degrees in other areas, such as journalism and architecture, may also be referred to as professional degrees.

COLLEGE DECISION MAKING PROCESS

1. Think about your reasons for going to college.

2. Identify important factors in choosing a college: ● In-state or out of state ● Public or private ● Two-year or four-year ● Location - near or far from home ● Size - small or large ● Do the offer the program you want to study? ● Costs and financial aid ● How selective are the schools (GPA and ACT scores) ● Gender ratio ● Types of housing ● Campus activities

3. Make a list of prospective colleges. Are the choices realistic?

4. Collect information about selected colleges: ● College Websites/College admissions office ● Career Cruising ● Graduates ● HHS Guidance Department ● Meetings with College Representatives ● College Nights ● Parent/Student Information Meetings.

5. Check college entrance requirements. ● High school courses required ● Foreign language requirements ● ACT scores/SAT II Subject tests ● Class rank/GPA

6. Visit potential colleges (see college visit information)

7. Compare colleges on your list.

8. Apply to the college(s) of your choice in the early fall of Senior year.

THE CAMPUS VISIT

There is no better way to learn about a college or university, the faculty, facilities, spirit, atmosphere, and student values than to visit the campus when classes are in session. It is better to see through “your own eyes” rather than rely on the word of a friend or the school’s material. You can observe where you will eat, sleep, study and attend classes. You are more likely to have a more successful experience if you are in an environment comparable to your values and needs.

PREPARING FOR A CAMPUS VISIT:

● Arrange for a visit in advance. Do not just “drop in.”

● To plan your visit you can call the college’s admissions office or check the college website to see if visits can be set up online.

● Familiarize yourself with the college by utilizing the college catalogue or the website before you arrive on campus.

● Inform the college about your areas of interest, major, activities, etc. so that your tour is personalized.

● The day of your campus visit, a parent must call in to the Attendance Office (669-1500 ext.1). Juniors and Seniors will be allowed one day excused (school related) per year for a campus visit. Additional visits will be recorded as an excused absence.

● Remember you are representing Hudsonville High School, future applicants as well as yourself.

All campus visits must be completed by May 1st.

SAT

All Juniors will be taking the SAT in April as part of the Michigan Merit Exam. The SAT is a college entrance exam that colleges will use for both admissions and scholarship criteria. Students can take the SAT multiple times beyond the required April testing at Hudsonville High School. In order to sign up for test dates other than our HHS April test date, students will need to do so through a College Board account. Most juniors have made a College Board account in Advisory. Otherwise, directions on how to create an account are below. We also want to make you aware that College Board has provided an online SAT preparation website called KHAN Academy. This website will be catered to each individual student based on their PSAT results. Therefore, all students are encouraged to set up a College Board student account and a Khan Academy account at www.khanacademy.org.

College Board Student Accounts

Why create an account? Students can access their SAT, PSAT, and AP scores online and send them to colleges. Having an account also lets them manage their personal college lists, save scholarship searches, and compare costs at colleges that interest them. Setting up an account is simple, takes only a few minutes, and just involves a few steps:

● Go to collegeboard.org ● Click on “Sign Up” in the upper left-hand corner ● Select “I am a Student” ● Provide contact information ● Create a username and password ● Read and agree to the Terms & Conditions

Students should be prepared to answer basic questions, including name, sex, date of birth, email address, high school name, expected high school graduation date, and zip code. They can also provide a parent’s name and email address and opt-in to receive important reminders about deadlines, test preparation strategies, score availability, and more.

ACT

Please know that all colleges take either the SAT or the ACT. It is not necessary to do both. However, some students may want to sign up to take the ACT because they feel more comfortable with the format or content of the ACT. The following page provides information about test dates for the ACT.

ACT TESTING 2016-2017

You can register online at www.actstudent.org. As part of the registration process, you must now upload a photo.

TEST DATES REGISTRATION

Oct. 22, 2016 Dec. 10, 2016 Feb. 11, 2017 April 8, 2017 June 10, 2017

REGULAR REGISTRATION LATE

Sept. 16, 2016 Sept. 30, 2016 Nov. 4, 2016 Nov. 18, 2016 Jan. 13, 2017 Jan. 20, 2017 March 3, 2017 March 17, 2017 May 5, 2017 May 19, 2017

High School Code: 232-050

INFORMATION ABOUT COLLEGES

ADMISSION POLICY AND TYPICAL ACT

TYPICAL CLASS RANK SCORE OF EXAMPLES OF OF ADMITTED STUDENTS ADMITTED STUDENTS MICHIGAN COLLEGES

Highly selective; majority in top 10% of class 27 - 31

University of Michigan, Kalamazoo College

Selective; majority in top 25% of class 22 - 27

Alma College, Hope College Hillsdale College, Michigan

State, Calvin College, Grand Valley State University

Traditional; majority in top 50% of class 20 - 23

Aquinas College, Western Michigan, Central Michigan

Eastern Michigan

Liberal; some of accepted students in lower half of class

18 - 21 Lake Superior State, Northern Michigan, Ferris State, Saginaw Valley

Open; all high school graduates accepted

17 - 20 G.R.C.C., Baker College, Davenport University

ACT/SAT CONVERSION CHART

This is a conversion chart to help you compare your SAT and ACT scores. This could be a helpful tool for you as you decided whether you want to retake the ACT or SAT, and to help you decide

which one to retake.

Financial Aid and Scholarship Information

1. Financial Aid

● The term “Financial aid “ indicates funds received by students in the form of grants, work-study and certain federal loan programs who demonstrate “need”.

● To determine whether or not you demonstrate need, families need to file a document called the Free Application For Federal Student Aid or FAFSA.

● The FAFSA should be filed online. The website to file a FAFSA online is www.fafsa.ed.gov. ● To submit the FAFSA online, you must first obtain a FSA ID. The FAFSA should be filed as early as

possible after October 1 the year before you plan to attend school, for full consideration for financial aid programs.

● Every college has what is called a Net Price Calculator. If you go to a college’s website and search for Net Price Calculator, you will find it. Use this tool to estimate how much aid, in the form of Financial Aid and Scholarships, you will receive from that school. Additionally, you can go to fafsa.ed.gov, search for their FAFSA4caster, and get an estimate on how much aid you might receive from the FAFSA.

2. Scholarships

What are scholarships?

Scholarships are gifts that are usually given for special talents, academic abilities, writing essays, etc. These are sponsored by colleges or universities, organizations, businesses, churches, etc.

Where can I find scholarships?

There is no one source to find scholarships. However, the following 3 sources are a good starting point:

1. College or University website: Look for the Financial Aid page on a college’s website to find the scholarships that their institution offers to incoming freshmen. This is often the biggest source of scholarship money for students.

2. The Hudsonville High School Scholarship File: The Hudsonville High School Guidance Office website has a link titled “THE HUDSONVILLE SCHOLARSHIP FILE” under the tab “Scholarships/Fin Aid.” You can also access a hard copy by stopping by the Guidance Office. This file gives information about local, state, and national scholarships. There are also tabs for “Search Engines” and “College Scholarship Website Links” at the top of the page.

3. Scholarship Search Engine Websites: If you check out “THE HUDSONVILLE SCHOLARSHIP FILE” on our Guidance Office website, we have listed a number of search engines that we trust. Below are a couple of the most popular ones. These websites are free. You would create a profile, and the website will match up scholarships that fit your profile.

● www.fastweb.com ● www.scholarships.com

ADVANCED PLACEMENT PROGRAM (AP) WHAT IS IT?: Advanced Placement is a program of college-level courses and exams for high school students. Students who successfully participate in the program may earn college credit at more than 3000 colleges and universities.

HOW DO I PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM?: You can participate in two ways:1) take an AP course offered at HHS and take the AP exam or 2) indicate to your counselor that you are interested in taking an AP exam by the middle of March.

WHEN AND WHERE ARE THE EXAMS GIVEN?: The exams are given at HHS in the first and second full weeks of May.

WHAT ARE THE SUBJECT AREAS TESTED BY AP?: AP exams are given in many subject areas including Art, Sciences, Languages, History and Government, Mathematics, and English. Check with your counselor for specific exams.

COLLEGE-LEVEL EXAMINATION PROGRAM (CLEP) WHAT IS IT?: CLEP examinations cover material taught in courses that most students take as requirements in their first two years of college. A college usually grants the same amount of credit to students earning satisfactory scores on the CLEP examination as it grants to students successfully completing the course.

WHAT SUBJECT AREAS ARE TESTED?: Subjects cover topics in English and Literature, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Social Science and History, Languages and Business.

HOW CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CLEP?: For comprehensive descriptions of the CLEP examinations, a list of where students can be tested, and a list of colleges granting credit for satisfactory scores on CLEP exams, check www.collegeboard.com/clep or call 1 (800) 257-9558.

WHEN SHOULD A STUDENT TAKE AP OR CLEP?: If students take an AP course they should take an AP examination. If the student is taking a high level course that is not a specific AP course, they should consider CLEP as an option.

ARTICULATION

WHAT IS IT?: Articulation is a process of earning college credit for skills and/or knowledge mastered at the high school level. Students can articulate credit from many of Hudsonville High School Business courses and Careerline Tech Center programs.

WHERE CAN I GET CREDIT?: Currently HHS has articulation agreements with Davenport and Baker College. Careerline Tech Center has agreements with Davenport, Baker, Ferris and Grand Rapids Community College.

HOW CAN I GET THE CREDIT?: In most cases you have to notify your teacher and fill out the appropriate forms to submit to the college.

JUNIOR/PRE-SENIOR CHECKLIST

Throughout the school year, consult with your counselor to determine which datelines are applicable to your post secondary bound program.

● Discuss post secondary plans with parents.

● Attend college nights and talk with college representatives that visit our school (limit 3 per year).

● Put together a list of up to 10 post secondary institutions you would like to investigate.

● Consult college reference books, websites and computer programs in the counseling office and library.

● Request catalogues, descriptive material, and/or financial aid information from colleges.

● Be attentive to and aware of announcements made to seniors regarding deadlines, scholarship opportunities, etc. This will be for you next year, and you will need to be familiar with your upcoming responsibilities.

● All Juniors will take the ACT as part of the MME in March. You may also wish to register for and take the Feb, April or June ACT.

● Enroll in appropriate college preparatory classes for your senior year; a minimum of four academic classes is recommended.

● Attend college campus visitation programs especially designed for juniors.

● Begin scholarship search. Consider utilizing FAST WEB Scholarship Search Services on the internet (www.fastweb.com) or Scholarships.com

● Start narrowing your list of schools by fall.

● Write, call or check school's website for applications for admission for fall. Most schools now have online applications. Begin filling them out before the busy senior year begins.

○ Pay particular attention to: ■ Entrance requirements ■ Deadline dates for filing applications, housing, scholarships, etc.

● During the summer, visit some prospective colleges after contacting admission offices to set up appointments or registering online.