1. Career Center at DHSHS…. Where you can find information about scholarships, career ideas, colleges, and other activities (such as guest speakers) to help you prepare for life after high school.

2. DHSHS Scholarship Application  Due in mid- December of your senior year.  Prepares you to have components you need to submit other scholarship applications.

3. Scholarship Application components:  Personal information  Personal Statement (essay)  Two letters of recommendation  Identify clearly your college and career goals

4. Investigate what you want to do:  Visit Career Cruising online at www.careercruising.com www.careercruising.com  Our user name is dhshs; password is careers  Explore your career interests  Research statistics about job availability, colleges and costs

5. When do you apply for college?  For most 4-year colleges, apply in the fall of your senior year  For vocational schools, apply anytime senior year  For College of the Desert/C.O.D. community college, apply in the spring

6. College Placement Exams  C.O.D. uses the “Assessment Test”  Career colleges have their own placement tests  Your scores from the SAT or ACT must be made available to 4-year colleges where you apply for admission

7. SAT or ACT ???  SAT has three sections— Reading, Math, and Essay.  ACT has five sections-- English, Math, Reading, Science, and optional Writing test.  Either choice, plan to spend about 5 hours on a Saturday morning to take the tests.

8. Take the SAT if you plan to attend a 4-year college:  SAT Reasoning Test  SAT Subject Tests  Register at www.collegeboard.com

9. When to take SAT Tests  SAT Reasoning - end of your junior year and/or fall of your senior year  SAT Subject – take, if you plan to attend a University of California. You can’t take SAT Subject Tests on the same day that you take the SAT Reasoning.

10. ACT  ACT  ACT Plus Writing  Take this test at the end of junior year and/or beginning of senior year.

11. ACT  Register for the ACT at www.actstudent.org www.actstudent.org  Fee waivers are available for ACT and for SAT if you are on Free & Reduced Lunch Program at DHSHS.

12. Financial Aid & FAFSA  Apply for FAFSA January 1 – March 2  Colleges where you are accepted for admission will give you a financial aid offer to review