PSEO

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PSEO

• Post Secondary Enrollment Option

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• Welcome
• What is PSEO?
• Points of Interest
• Student Eligibility
• PROS and CONS of PSEO
• Other Factors
• Steps to PSEO
• Final Thoughts
• Counselors

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WHAT IS PSEO?

• PSEO stands for Post Secondary Enrollment Option.
• Program created by State Dept. in 1980s.
• For students who may need more challenges than
  what the high school offers, or interested
  vocational type courses that are not available at
  high schools
• Students take classes at a participating post
  secondary institution in State of Minnesota.
• Students get credit at both college and high
  school.

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Points of Interest

• Students must complete required high school
  classes to receive diploma
• Can take required courses at college level with
  prior approval from Blue Sky
• PSEO students can participate in graduation
  ceremonies at Blue Sky
• Tuition and books are paid for by Blue Sky
• Students return books to the college at the end
  of the semester

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Points of Interest Continued

• Full-time PSEO status is 12-18 credits
• Part-time would be 11 credits and under
• P-T you would enroll in courses at Blue Sky and
  college
• College classes on semester schedule
• Credits transfer 4 to 1
• Due to semester (college) vs. quarter schedules
  (Blue Sky), students enrolling in PSEO who face
  this conflict need to work closely with their
  counselor and college professors to cover any
  overlapping periods

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Student Eligibility

• Need to be at least a junior
• Need to give-up classes at the high school
• Pay out of pocket if you keep full-time status at
  the high school
• Eligibility to continue PSEO if a students
  grades fall below a certain level at the college
  is determined by the higher institution/college

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Student Eligibility

• Higher institution determines admission standards
  to participate in the PSEO program
• Many Colleges Require
• Accuplacer Test (taken online by contacting the
  college of your choice they will give you your
  username and password)
• Attend a mandatory Orientation/Registration
  Session
• Will be notified of date and time by college
  usually in an acceptance letter
• Associate of Applied Science Degree, Diploma or
  Certificate at a Vocational or 2-year College
• No minimum GPA required
• NOT eligible for programs requiring high school
  diploma or GED as a pre-requisite
• Associate of Arts or Science Degree
• Seniors need minimum GPA of 2.5 or be in 50th
• Juniors need minimum GPA of 3.0 or be in 66th

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PROS of PSEO

• Flexible schedules (no more 8-300 similar to
  Blue Sky).
• Exposure to classes not offered through high
  school.
• Jump start on college classes.
• State/School pays tuition and books.
• Meet new people.
• In general, PSEO students do well or better than
  college freshman.

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CONS of PSEO

• Transportation Responsible for getting to and
  from campus
• Costs (Car maintenance and gas)
• Harder classes in general - could affect GPA
  class rank, and competing with those who have
  already graduated from high school.
• Difficulty being included in honor roll as
  college and school calendars dont match up to
  allow the processing of this.
• Difficult to maintain social activities dont
  fit in with the college students and you may feel
  you dont fit in with your peers .
• May not get classes you want (last to register)

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Cons continued

• Increase amount of study time
• If classes are not kept up, students could lose
  credit and affect high school graduation.
• No monitoring of students attendance
• Students check in with high school 1-2 times per
  quarter on volunteer basis.
• Colleges will not send Parents grade or
  attendance reports (students considered adults).

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Other Factors

• PSEO students are not identified to the college
  staff as such
• Being successful in college will require
  maturity, self-discipline, good study skills, and
  time management skills
• Controversial and adult subjects may be discussed
  in many courses and your participation is
  expected
• Need good self-advocacy skills
• If you have questions regarding any of your
  courses you must direct them to the individual
  instructor

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Steps to Being PSEO Student

• Take as many required high school classes as
  possible.
• Those not completed in high school need to be
  substituted at the post secondary institution.
• Complete application to post secondary
  institution.
• For participating institutions go to website
• http//education.state.mn.us
• Click on Post Secondary College Prep located on
  the right hand side under Academic Excellence
• Click on the left hand side under Related Links
  PSEO TONS of info provided including the
  application

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Steps continued

• Application form then needs to be completed by
  the student, signed off by the parent, and sent
  to your counselor (via fax, scanned
  document/attachment)
• Form will then be completed by counselor and
  returned to the student
• Students take the form to the postsecondary
  college they are interested in for completion and
  meets with the PSEO coordinator/counselor at the
  college to begin the process on their end

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Steps continued

• Initiate and make phone appointment with Blue Sky
  counselor to give us an update on your
  progress/acceptance and to double check you have
  the correct credits needed for high school
  graduation.
• Helpful to forward to your Blue Sky counselor the
  contact person at the college you are attending
  so we may follow-up with them too
• Once accepted at the college, you will most
  likely get a letter from them detailing the next
  steps to begin classes at the college

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Final Steps

• Parents students should visit the post
  secondary institution take tour
• Upon acceptance into PSEO program, be sure to
  work with the college to register for and take
  the Accuplacer Test. (Placement test for English,
  math, and reading)
• Need to do this as you CANNOT take remedial
  courses in English or math at the college
• Blue Sky/State does not pay for these courses

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Final Thoughts

• Do you have transportation?
• Once you are accepted in the program, it becomes
  your responsibility to keep in contact with Blue
  Sky and college to assure that you are receiving
  all the information from your high school and
  that your high school is receiving all proper
  records.
• Students are expected to notify high school
  counselor immediately if they fail or withdraw
  from a class
• Not all colleges may accept ALL transfer credits
  when you are done with high school

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Deadlines

• Preferred Deadline for PSEO Application March 1
  (Spring before you want to do it)
• Secondary Deadline for PSEO Participation March
  30 (Spring before you want to do it)
• Late Participation possible, but not ideal.

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• More Questions
• Contact your Guidance Counselor at BlueSky!
• Amy Anderson, Misun Bormann 7-9th grade
• Amy Anderson, Misun Bormann A
• Carla Anderson-Diekmann, Paul Moore B - G
• John Mizeur, Suzanne Finbraaten H - M
• Catherine Parker, Melanie Fountaine, Phaedra
  Poppen N-Z
• All Counselors Enrollment