Post Secondary Planning Students Juniors 2024

Post-Secondary (after high school) Planning for Juniors
School Counseling Google Classroom: lonhcu4

We know planning for life after high school might be a nerve-wracking and exciting time for many of you! We put
together this guide to make sure that you are aware of some steps you need to complete for your post-high school plan.
If you have questions or need more help with any of these items please email your School Counselor, we are here to
help!
Mrs. Miller Mr. Rhoades Mrs. Hunt Mr. Anselmino
Assigned Students A-E Assigned Students F-L Assigned Students M-R Assigned Students S-Z
millermb@shalerarea.org rhoadesc@shalerarea.org hunts@shalerarea.org anselminom@shalerarea.org
CAREER PATH
If you are unsure what career path you want, it is a good idea to do an interest assessment. A good interest assessment
can be found here: https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip. It is put together by the department of labor and
connects to statistics about education needed, job growth, and basic information about each career. There are about six
main steps you must click through to finish, do not stop until you get to specific career names.
• If you have some ideas and would like to explore a little more, there is a lot of great information here:
https://www.mynextmove.org/
It is really important to try and picture your career goals first and then make sure you are going for the proper level of
education NEEDED for that career. There are MANY jobs that offer great salaries that do not need a 4-year degree.
College alone is not the secret to success; planning is the key to success. There is research that many college graduates
are overqualified for the jobs they are working.
• This is a fabulous video talking about this: https://youtu.be/zs6nQpVI164
• A follow up video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bauDp4NdPK8
• More Planning information: http://www.educationplanner.org/
PSAT
The PSAT is a great practice for the SAT. The PSAT/NMSQT gives students the unique opportunity to:
• Assess their verbal, mathematical and writing skills
• Receive estimates of scores they can expect to receive on the SAT Test
• Participate in Student Search Service by having their names sent to colleges and government
sponsored scholarship programs that are looking for students like them
• Qualify for scholarship recognition and for enrichment programs that use PSAT/NMSQT results
(Juniors only)
This year the PSAT will be on October 24th. The test will be held at the high school and registration information will be
made available soon. For more information and practice on the PSAT go to www.collegeboard.org
ACT/SAT
If you choose to go straight to a four-year school immediately after high school, you may need to take an SAT or an ACT.
ALL SCHOOLS WILL TAKE EITHER TEST. You should try to have at least one test completed by October of your senior
year. Both tests offer free online prep resources! Research shows preparation does help! Students in certain financial
situations may qualify for a waiver to cover the cost. If you think you qualify, please check with your counselor. Major
differences between the two tests:
https://www.studypoint.com/ed/act-vs-sat/ and https://www.princetonreview.com/college/sat-act
• ACT Registration and Test dates here, not all dates at Shaler Area High School:
https://www.act.org/content/act/en/register-for-the-act.html
• SAT Registration and Test dates here, not all dates at Shaler Area High School:
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/dates-deadlines
COLLEGE APPLICATIONS/TOURS/SELECTION
Collegeboard.org is a great site to start or continue your college search. There are many ways to filter results; size, cost,
location, major, etc. Virtual tours are a great idea at first to get an idea, but an in-person tour (if available) is the best
way to really see if you can imagine yourself living there for at least four years. Applications are expensive and time
consuming! Try to limit your number of colleges that you are going to apply to, it will save you time and money in the
end. Transferring once there, if unhappy or you change your mind, can often cost money in lost credits or could add
time to your overall degree. Students in certain financial situations may qualify for a waiver to cover the cost of the
application, if you think you qualify please check with your admissions person or counselor BEFORE you pay to apply.
• College Fairs: https://www.pheaa.org/college-planning/college-fairs/
NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association)

Student athletes who are considering playing sports in college should review the information on the NCAA website:
http://www.ncaa.org/.
Criteria that NCAA uses to determine eligibility are: number of core courses, grades, and test scores. A transcript and
official test scores (from the testing agency) will need to be sent to NCAA before a student’s eligibility is determined.
FINANCIAL AID
If you are entering a college or university program, 2 or 4-year, you will most likely need financial aid of some sort.
Starting October 1st of your SENIOR year, you and a parent/guardian will need to fill out the FAFSA application and the
PA state grant application together. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is free and does not take very
long when done online. The application opens OCTOBER 1ST every year, it is important to apply early! Funding for
some programs is first come first served! Many schools need this information to give you any financial aid information,
and some scholarships need the SAR (Student Aid Report) available after the application is complete.
• PHEAA (PA Higher Education Assistance Agency) Student Aid Guide, a one stop shop for financial aid
information: https://www.pheaa.org/college-planning/student-aid-guide/pdf/student-aid-guide.pdf
• Please check out this information for more info: https://studentaid.gov/h/understand-aid/how-aid-works
• Once ready please create a FSA ID: https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm
• Once ID is verified apply here: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
• At the end of the FAFSA, follow the link to the State Grant Application! It is a separate process. If missed, find
the state grant application here: https://www.pheaa.org/grants/state-grant-program/apply-renew.shtml
SCHOLARSHIPS
We post open scholarships in our office and online. The link can be found on our google classroom. Transcript requests
are necessary for many scholarships, please remember to allow about 2 weeks for any transcript request processing.
Recommendation letters are also necessary for many scholarships, please allow your recommenders as much time as
possible to write these letters for you! A last-minute letter will not be as good as one a person had time to write. Not
all, but most scholarships we advertise are posted January through April. There are sites where you can find your own
scholarships, here are a few: www.fastweb.com, www.collegeboard.com, www.scholarships.com.
TRANSCRIPT REQUESTS
Transcript requests are necessary for many schools and scholarships, please remember to allow about 2 weeks for any
transcript request processing. If you need a letter of recommendation attached to a transcript add that to the form.
Transcript request forms can be found in the office, on our webpage, and here: https://shalerarea.org/schools/high-
school/counseling-office/

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Post-Secondary (after high school) Planning for Juniors

School Counseling Google Classroom: lonhcu4

NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association)

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