THE ROAD TO COLLEGE COLLEGE 101

HIGH SCHOOL COUNTS GPA GRADE POINT AVERAGE- AVERAGE OF YOUR GRADES IN HIGH SCHOOL (EX: ) RANK YOUR GRADES IN COMPARISON TO THE OTHERS IN YOUR CLASS (EX: 28/510) TOP 10% AUTOMATIC ADMISSION INTO TEXAS PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES (EXCEPT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS-TOP 7-8%)

COURSE OFFERINGS PRE-AP CLASSES COURSES THAT WILL PREPARE YOU TO TAKE ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES (1.10 WEIGHT) AP CLASSES ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES THAT WILL PREPARE YOU TO TAKE THE AP EXAM TO POTENTIALLY EARN COLLEGE CREDIT (1.15 WEIGHT)

YOU CAN GO TO COLLEGE! ARE THERE DIFFERENT TYPES OF COLLEGES? YES! THERE ARE 3 DIFFERENT TYPES OF COLLEGES: TECHNICAL OR TRADE SCHOOL COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUR YEAR UNIVERSITY

TECHNICAL OR TRADE SCHOOL MEDICAL FIELDS X-RAY TECHNICIAN DENTAL HYGIENIST NURSING ASSISTANT CULINARY ARTS PASTRY CHEF CULINARY ARTS RESTAURANT & CATERING MANAGEMENT MECHANICAL FIELDS PROCESS TECHNOLOGY AUTO TECHNICIAN COMPUTER INFORMATION SYSTEMS These schools don't require you to take classes in a broad range of subjects; instead, you focus only on your area of interest. Upon completion of your program, you receive a certificate or an associates degree. And these are just a few examples of the many programs offered in a vocational or trade school...

COMMUNITY COLLEGE SHORT-TERM PROGRAMS COURSE(S) MAY LAST FROM SIX WEEKS, SIX MONTHS, OR TO A YEAR SOME OF THE SAME PROGRAMS THAT ARE OFFERED AT VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS EXAMPLE: FIRE FIGHTER, WELDER 2 YEAR PROGRAMS ENTER THE WORKFORCE AFTER DEGREE CONTINUE ON AND GET A 4 YEAR BACHELORS DEGREE SOME OF THE SAME PROGRAMS THAT ARE OFFERED AT VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS EXAMPLE: LVN TAKE CORE CLASSES – ENGLISH, HISTORY, GOVERNMENT, MATH, SCIENCE – WITH THE PLAN TO TRANSFER AND COMPLETE A 4 YEAR DEGREE AT A LARGE UNIVERSITY 2 YEARS AT COMMUNITY COLLEGE + 2 YEARS AT BIG UNIVERSITY = BIG SAVINGS

DEGREE PLANS BACHELOR’S DEGREE WHEN PEOPLE SAY THEY GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE, IT USUALLY MEANS THAT THEY RECEIVED THEIR BACHELOR'S DEGREE. (SOMETIMES CALLED A "BACCALAUREATE" DEGREE.) THE MAIN TYPES OF BACHELOR'S DEGREES IN THE U.S. ARE: BACHELOR OF ARTS (B.A.) BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (B.S.)

FOUR YEAR UNIVERSITY CAN START RIGHT AFTER HIGH SCHOOL CAN TRANSFER IN FROM A COMMUNITY COLLEGE CAN BE A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY (FUNDED BY THE STATE) OR A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY (FUNDED BY THE STUDENTS) IN-STATE UNIVERSITIES ARE MORE AFFORDABLE THAT OUT- OF-STATE UNIVERSITIES

WHAT'S A MAJOR? A MAJOR DEFINES THE ACADEMIC WORK YOU WILL FOCUS ON IN COLLEGE. IT'S A SET OF RELATED COURSES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS, SUCH AS AN INTERNSHIP OR THESIS.

WHAT’S A MINOR? "MINORS" ARE SIMILAR TO MAJORS, BUT FEWER COURSES ARE REQUIRED. PEOPLE PICK MINORS TO SUPPLEMENT A MAJOR OR TO PURSUE ANOTHER AREA OF INTEREST.

IT’S A MAJOR DECISION, SO..... IF YOU WANT TO EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONS BEFORE CHOOSING A MAJOR THE MOST COMMON MAJOR FOR ENTERING FRESHMEN IS "UNDECLARED," IN OTHER WORDS, NO MAJOR AT ALL—YET. YOU WILL HAVE TIME DURING YOUR FRESHMAN YEAR TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT FIELDS AND SELECT YOUR MAJOR AS A SOPHOMORE.

HOW A MAJOR CONNECTS TO HIGH SCHOOL A MAJOR IS SIMILAR TO A HIGH SCHOOL ENDORSEMENT. IN HIGH SCHOOL, YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO CHOOSE AN ENDORSEMENT BASED ON YOUR INTEREST OR SKILL SET. BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY STEM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS) PUBLIC SERVICE ARTS AND HUMANITIES MULTI-DISCIPLINARY STUDIES

CHOOSING AN ENDORSEMENT LIKE CHOOSING “UNDECLARED” FOR YOUR MAJOR, YOU MAY SELECT THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDIES ENDORSEMENT, IF YOU ARE UNSURE WHICH PATH TO CHOOSE. THIS ALLOWS YOU TO TRY DIFFERENT COURSES FROM MANY SUBJECT AREAS.

POST-SECONDARY GUIDANCE IF YOU ARE “UNDECIDED”, WE HAVE A TOOL TO HELP YOU WILL COMPLETE AN INTEREST INVENTORY IN CAREER CRUISING TO HELP YOU DETERMINE CAREERS THAT FIT YOUR INTEREST. THIS WILL ALSO ALLOW YOU GAIN UNDERSTANDING OF THE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES, REQUIRED EDUCATION AND PAY RANGE OF THESE CAREERS.

DUAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES DUAL CREDIT ALLOWS YOU TO TAKE COLLEGE COURSES IN HIGH SCHOOL THAT WILL COUNT FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE CREDIT AT THE SAME TIME. EXAMPLES: AMERICAN MUSIC, U.S. HISTORY, WORLD GEOGRAPHY THESE COURSES RECEIVE AP WEIGHT ON YOUR GPA

WHAT DID YOU LEARN: WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF COLLEGES? WHAT IS YOUR RANK? WHY IS RANK IMPORTANT? WHAT IS A MAJOR? WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF PRE-AP AND AP COURSES? WHAT IS AN ENDORSEMENT? IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO CHOOSE, WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS?

MAKE IT HAPPEN