PATHWAY TO YOUR FUTURE

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PATHWAY TO YOUR FUTURE
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School Counselors

• Mrs. Schlatter Guidance Director
• Mrs. Byrd D,G,J,X,Z
• Mrs. Carpenter H,I,Q,U,W,Y
• Mrs. Doggett M,N,T
• Mrs. Langley (New) A,B
• Mrs. Fitzsimmons C,E,L
• Mr. Ker R,S
• Mrs. Weakland (New) F,K,O,P,V
• Mrs. Edwards Career Counselor

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Top Five Things to Prepare for the Future

• 1 Know Yourself
• Take a Career Interest Profile
• Take a Skills Survey
• 2 Prepare a resume to review your current
  credentials and get ready for applications!
• 3 Explore Your Chosen Path
• (P.S. Its OK to change your mind)
• 4 Take the SAT or ACT This Spring
• 5 Keep Your Grades Up

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Know Yourself

• Take an Interest and Skills Inventory.
• Take an Aptitude test.
• Match your interests and skills with different
  jobs, training or majors in Choices at
• www.bridges.com
• Log in (You must select the SITE ID Tab.)
• Site ID 0055472
• Password vikings
• Take the ASVAB Dec. 10. Sign up with Mrs. Logan
  or Mrs. Edwards today! This great aptitude test
  is not only for students interested in the
  military. Free!
• Review your PSAT suggestions for improvement and
  scores in December or January.

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Create a Resume

• Education
• Work Experience
• Extra-Curricular Activities
• Community Activities or Internships
• Summer Jobs
• Volunteer Experience
• Interests and other Activities
• Awards, Honors, Recognition

• Use the Resume Wizard in Microsoft Word
• Include as much information as you can and keep
  adding new activities and accomplishments

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Education 2009 Graduate from Woodbridge Senior
High School

• Understand what is recorded on your high school
  transcript
• Name of each High School Course completed
• Final grade for each course
• Amount of Credit Awarded for each course
• Grade Point Average
• Rank in Class

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How to Find
Information

• Learn to do computer searches
• Examples www.vaview.org www.bridges.com
• Look up information in the libraries and
  bookstores to locate schools in your major
• Talk with a military recruiter
• Tour colleges and trade schools
• Be an intern, Volunteer, Job Shadow
• Network! Ask family and friends for help
• Use your Junior Senior Handbook!

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Naviance Family Connection

• http//connection.naviance.com/woodbridge
• Naviance Family Connection can be used for
• Building your resume and post high school goals.
• College searches and comparisons.
• Finding college admission requirements and
  expectations.
• Requesting transcripts.
• Locating and signing up for college visits to
  WSHS.
• Researching available scholarships.
• Emailing your counselor with questions.

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Post High School Choices

• Military
• Academies
• ROTC Scholarships
• Enlistment
• Apprenticeship Programs Earn while you learn
• Full-Time Employment/Part-Time Employment
• Community Colleges / Two-Year Colleges
• Technical Training
• Transfer Program
• Four Year Colleges

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Military Academies or ROTC Path

• Free education with 4/5 year commitment after
  completing college
• Request Pre-Candidate Application for each
  service academy or ROTC this spring
• Recruiters advise to take both SAT and ACT
• Visit the service academy in the summer (some
  have summer programs)
• Get in top physical shape

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Military Enlistment Path

• Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard,
  National Guard
• Qualifications Age 17-35, US citizen or
  permanent resident, high school graduate
• Physical condition Height, weight and vision
  requirements must pass medical exam
• Aptitude 3-hour ASVAB test at high school
• Character Screen out delinquency, arrests, drugs
• www.todaysmilitary.com
• www.militarycareers.com

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Apprenticeship and Training Path

• Requirements 16 years old or older
• Benefits Receive supervised and structured
  on-the-job training combined with related
  technical instruction
• How to Find a Program
• Americas Job Bank
• U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and
  Training
• State Apprenticeship Council Office

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Full-Time Employment Path

• Prepare your resume using the Resume Wizard in
  Microsoft Word
• Search Virginias Electronic WorkForce System
• www.careerconnect.state.va.us
• www.vec.virginia.gov
• Read the classifieds in the newspaper
• Visit Virginia VIEW College and Careers
• www.vaview.org

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Community College Path No SAT or
ACT Required!

• Must take NOVAs English and Math tests (and
  others as required) for placement into college,
  Honors, and specialized courses
• Transfer to 4-year college or prepare for
  specialized/technical certificates (see attached
  pages for programs of study)
• Degrees in Associate in Arts or Sciences (A.A.or
  A.S.), and Applied Arts or Sciences (A.A.S. or
  A.A.S.)
• Low tuition, small classes, no expenses for room
  board, and easy transfer to 4-year colleges
• http//www.nvcc.edu

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Four-Year College Path

• DO YOUR RESEARCH!
• Find out which colleges offer majors in the
  careers that interest you (use Naviance-Family
  Connection)
• Find out the admissions requirements of your
  favorite college
• Academic record GPA strength of program
• Test scores SAT I / II, ACT
• Letters of recommendation, interviews
• Also important your activities, special talents,
  athletic abilities, diversity, legacy

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Know What You Want

• Setting -- urban, rural, suburban
• Academic competitiveness
• NCAA division and sports offered
  www.ncaaclearinghouse.net
• Campus life
• Cost (in-state public vs. private or
  out-of-state)
• Size
• Academic Programs
• Financial Aid

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Look at a Variety of Schools

• Look at 3 types of colleges
• Reach schools academic/economic stretch (If I
  get in how will I pay for it?)
• Match schools likely to accept you and meet
  your needs academically and financially
  
• Backup/safe schools almost certain to accept you
  and within your budget guidelines
• Where do you stand vs. the schools standards?

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Visit Colleges
The campus visit is the single most important
thing a student can do during the college
decision process. Mildred Johnson, Va. Techs
Senior Associate Director of Undergraduate
Admissions.

• Contact schools to sign up for tours (also talk
  with other students at the school)
• Visit Spring Junior year through Fall Senior year
• Visit when classes are in session
• Sat. and Sun. are not the best days

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Your To-Do List for College

• Keep Up Your Grades
• Choose Your Senior Courses Wisely
• Take Either the SAT or ACT This Spring
• www.collegeboard.com for the SAT
• www.act.org for the ACT
• Visit Campuses During Spring Break and Summer
• Attend GMU College Fair in Spring

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Keep Your Grades Up!

• Use School Fusion http//www.woodbridge.hs.groupfu
  sion.net/
• to keep up with class assignments and
  instructions from your teachers
• Use Edulink http//www.woodbridge.hs.groupfusion.
  net/
• to keep up with grades, progress, attendance
• Use After School Tutorials offered every Tuesday
  and Thursday 215-345
• Talk to Your School Counselor for help improving
  study habits, organization skills, time
  management abilities and problem solving ideas.

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Admissions Tests

• Which colleges require admissions tests?
• Which colleges require additional writing test
  scores?
• SAT I and SAT II (subject tests)
• Which colleges and universities require subject
  tests?
• www.collegeboard.com
• ACT
• www.act.org
• TOEFL
• When English is not native language and SAT I
  verbal scores may be affected by language
  difference
• Two nearby test centerscheck information bulletin

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SAT or ACT? Both?

• SAT I
• Purpose Measures academic achievement in
  terms of verbal and numerical reasoning. Essay
  required.
• ACT
• Purpose Measures academic achievement in
  English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science
  Reasoning. Separate essay optional.

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SAT PREP

• Students will be offered the opportunity to
  participate in a school fundraiser by taking a
  mock SAT exam on Saturday Jan. 10, 2009. Students
  will be able to view results, along with a
  detailed score report online. The cost will be
  10.00 100 of which will go to benefit WSHS.
  Look for details to be mailed home in early
  December.
• Woodbridge High School in partnership with
  Revolution Prep will begin offering SAT Prep
  courses this Spring at WSHS.
• Cost and Scheduling information for prep courses
  will be mailed home in early December. Courses
  will be available prior to the March 14, 2009 SAT
  administration.

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Short Term Goals

• Review graduation requirements (including
  research paper)
• Begin to think about what to do after graduation
• Understand that there are different paths to a
  
  career
• Become aware of WSHS resources, computer programs
  and web sites for career and college planning
  (Use Naviance Family Connection)
• Consider how senior year schedule will affect
  college choices and athletic eligibility

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Graduation Requirements
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School Counselors

• Mrs. Schlatter, Guidance Director
• Mrs. Byrd D,G,J,X,Z
• Mrs. Carpenter H,I,Q,U,W,Y
• Mrs. Doggett M,N,T
• Mrs. Langley (New) A,B
• Mrs. Fitzsimmons C,E,L
• Mr. Ker R,S
• Mrs. Weakland (New) F,K,O,P,V
• Mrs. Edwards Career Counselor