2. GET SET FOR LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL Junior Guidance Lesson- Fall 2014

3.  College/University (4 year or 2 year) Approx. 82% of RBHS Students go on to a 4 year college/university or 2 year community college College Admissions Difficulty- ranges from Open (anyone w/a HS diploma can attend) to Highly Selective. EVERYONE has a chance to go onto college after graduation!  Technical School  Military  Employment  You should ALL have a plan for what you will do after you leave RBHS!

4. So, what do you need to do this year?

5.  Use MO Connections to complete self-assessments and college/career research Self-Assessments are a great place to start if you have no idea what you want to do You can also use MO Connections to find out more about careers and schools/programs of interest  You should all have a MO Connections account: Your MO Connections username should be the same username you use to login to school computers (ex. 16rcr01) Your MO Connections password should be “cps” followed by your student number (ex. Cps12345) See your counselor if you need help logging in!  View this Presentation for info on How to Access and Navigate MO Connections

6.  Check out these other great online resources for more college, career, and scholarship research www.fastweb.com www.cappex.com  Cool feature on Cappex.com- graph showing your odds of getting in based on test scores and GPA Exploring My Options http://dhe.mo.gov/ppc/exploring myoptions.php http://dhe.mo.gov/ppc/exploring myoptions.php www.collegeboard.com http://youcango.collegeboard.or g/?navid=bf-ycg (You Can Go!) http://youcango.collegeboard.or g/?navid=bf-ycg College brochures & info available in Guidance (take them with you!)

7.  You can find information about ACT/SAT/PSAT, Post- Secondary Planning and MORE on the Guidance website (accessible from the RBHS homepage)!

8.  Size (of campus, of student population, of classes)  Admissions requirements  Majors/Programs of Study Offered  Type (public/private)  Location (urban, suburban, rural)  Athletics and Activities  Cost (Sticker Price vs. Net Price) Use the Net Price Calculator on a college’s Financial Aid website to get a more accurate estimate of how much you will have to pay to attend that school.  Financial Aid availability/ Scholarships Available  Research, Study abroad, Internship opportunities  College Comparison Worksheets can help when researching schools/programs (available on the Post-Secondary Planning Page of the Guidance Website)  **We have college reps coming to RB throughout the year. Come visit them to get lots of up-to-date, “insider” info on schools of interest! See the College Visit Calendar on the Guidance Homepage!

9.  ACT/SAT (for most 4 year schools),  COMPASS (for some 2-year schools, typically taken Senior year or when you register with the college you will attend) ASVAB (military) (more info about these tests on the Guidance Website)  MOST RBHS Students will take the ACT.  You should take the ACT or SAT at least once before the end of your junior year! In fact, you will all get to take it on April 28, 2015! Get excited and thank the State of MO for picking up the tab

10.  Because the exam is designed to measure general academic development, your best preparation is a solid high school curriculum.  ACT Prep offered through Guidance and the Career Center Before/After School Prep:  December 1-4 and 8-11, 2014  January 26-30 and February 2-5, 2015 Super Saturdays: Oct. 11, 2014 and April 11, 2015 Info on Guidance Website  You can also find practice tests in Guidance or on the ACT website www.actstudent.org www.actstudent.org

11.  Most financial aid opportunities aren’t available until your senior year; however, you should begin exploring what scholarships are out there NOW! Research : individual school websites, guidance webpage, websites such as: www.fastweb.com, www.cappex.com, www.scholarships.comwww.fastweb.comwww.cappex.com www.scholarships.com FAFSA4Caster - you can use this to get an estimate of how much financial aid you can expect to receive https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/f4cForm?execution=e1s1 https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/f4cForm?execution=e1s1 Net Price Calculator- You can use the Net Price Calculator available on a college’s financial aid website to get a more accurate estimate of how much it will cost for you to attend that school.  *Have your parent/guardian’s most recent tax info available as you complete the FAFSA4Caster or Net Price calculator for the most accurate results.

12.  Looks great on your resume even if you’re not planning on going to a 2 year school or Tech School  Several 4 year colleges offer A+ incentive scholarships Example: SEMO offers $1,000, Columbia College offers $2,500/year renewable, Park Univ. offers $3,000, MO Valley offers ½ off tuition…and those are just a few of MANY schools who offer incentive scholarships! Application on A+ Program Webpage!  Training sessions in December if you want to do your tutoring next semester! Check the InfoBruin and RB Website for dates/times

13. Anything else you should do?

14.  WORK HARD IN YOUR CLASSES- take challenging courses, look at taking career related courses next semester or next year if possible, and work hard to earn your best grades Junior year is SO important- it’s the last year that you have to improve your GPA before sending off transcripts next year (most college deadlines are before the end of 1 st sem. Senior year).  Job Shadow, Informational Interview, or Intern in a career area  Research schools and do campus visits during breaks  Be careful of your online reputation- colleges and employers check facebook, twitter, etc. Make sure you’re not posting things that you don’t want them to see.  GET INVOLVED! If you’re not involved in school or community activities, get involved! School and employers look at your activities and leadership experience

15. Guidance is now on Twitter!!  FOLLOW US @RBHSGuidance for lots of fabulous information!  Scholarship info and deadlines  College visits  ACT/SAT reminders  Job Opportunities  Fun Stuff (like FREE Andy’s!)  And more!  FOLLOW US @RBHSGuidance for lots of fabulous information!  Scholarship info and deadlines  College visits  ACT/SAT reminders  Job Opportunities  Fun Stuff (like FREE Andy’s!)  And more!