Seniors and Future Planning
Hello Students!
How To Videos
Click on the following links to view out "How to Videos":
How to Add Colleges and Request Transcripts
How to Request Letters of Recommendation on Naviance
How to Start a Common Application Account and Match Accounts
How to Find Scholarships on Naviance
Scholarships
Where to find scholarships:
Here you will find scholarship opportunities available locally and nationally. You can also find scholarship information on our "EVHS College and Career" Schoology Page and on Naviance. Additional scholarship links are provided below:
- www.unigo.com/scholarships
- www.zinch.com
- www.gocollege.com
- www.fastweb.com
- www.cappex.com
- Check you specific colleges/universities for scholarships specific to that school
Videos:
Dollars for Scholars (local scholarship)
Workforce
Career X - Eagle County Schools Job Shadow and Internship Program
- Exploring customized pathways to a career by engaging in experimental opportunities with business partners in the Vail Valley
- Career X provides students and business partners with three distinct opportunities to work together to explore potential careers and the steps required to achieve them: job shadow, internship, and employment.
If you are interested in learning more about Career X and how it can fit into your schedule, please speak to your school counselor.
Exploring Your Interests
High school is a great time to start thinking about careers. All your life you’ve been asked what you want to do when you grow up and in high school, you start to work towards making that happen. Many high school students don’t yet know what they want to do and that’s perfectly fine. In fact, students are likely to change their minds multiple times, perhaps even after they enter the workforce. And some of tomorrow’s careers might not exist today but looking into the types of careers you might like can help set you up for success. Our feeling is that high school students don’t have to know the exact career they want, but they should know how to explore careers and put time into investigating them and learning about their skills and interests.
Learn About Yourself
Understanding what you enjoy—and what you’re good at—is the first step in exploring careers. If you don’t know what you want to do, the question is, ‘What do you like to learn about?"...If you really like science, what do you enjoy about it—the lab work, the research? Ask yourself these questions to help identify possible careers that require similar tasks and skills.
Identify Possible Careers
Once you’ve thought about the subjects and activities you like best, the next step is to look for careers that put those interests to use. There are hundreds of occupations, and most of them involve more than one skill area. We encourage you to reach out to your school counselor, parents/guardians, family members, friends to discuss the possible careers that fit your needs and abilities best.
Trade Schools
If you want to advance your skills and education but are unsure if a traditional four-year college is for you, you may want to consider a trade school. Attending a vocational school can be an excellent option for those who want to get the necessary training to secure a good job quickly. A trade school, sometimes referred to as a vocational school, technical school, or vocational college, is a post-secondary institution that's designed to give students the technical skills to prepare them for a specific occupation.
Unlike a four-year college, you don't graduate from a trade school with a bachelor's degree. Usually, upon completion of the program, you'll receive a diploma or trade certificate acknowledging you successfully finished. For some programs you can earn an associate degree, which is the degree you get from a two-year college. Please schedule a meeting with your counselor if you are interested in learning more about trade schools.
Career Information Links:
Finding a Job
- Glenwood Springs Workforce Center - https://www.connectingcolorado.com/
- Skillful.com - www.skillful.com
- Interview Skills- online.maryville.edu/online-masters-degrees/top-interview-tips-to-help-you-land-your-dream-job/
Career Selection Information
- America's Career InfoNet - http://www.acinet.org/acinet/
- O*Net Center Online - http://online.onetcenter.org/
- Occupational Outlook Handbook - http://www.bls.gov/oco/
- Job Profiles - http://www.jobprofiles.com/
- Job Star - http://jobsmart.org/tools/career/spec-car.htm
- U.S. Dept. of Labor, Employment & Training Administration - http://www.doleta.gov/
- Job Hunters Bible-What Color Is Your Parachute - http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/
Salary Information
- Career Journal from the Wall Street Journal - http://careers.wsj.com/?contetn=cwc-salaries.htm
- JobStar - http://jobsmart.org/tools/salary/index.htm
- Monster's Salary Negotiation Tips - www.monster.com
Military Information
Thinking of joining the military after high school?
Military service has long been a path for social and economic mobility for thousands of young Americans. Service is both a way to see the world and to learn valuable skills that can be transferred into civilian life. The responsibility, focus, and discipline military service teaches can benefit you for life. However, it’s important to have a thorough understanding of the risks, as well as the benefits, of military service and what the commitment to a career in the U.S. armed forces entails.
If you are interested in learning more about the military and/or reaching out to a recruiter please schedule an appointment with your counselor!
Branches:
Air force - The nations source of air and space power. The primary mission of the USAF is to fly planes, helicopters, and satellites.
Army - The dominant land power. The Army generally moves into an area, secures it, and instills order and values before it leaves. It also guards U.S. installations and properties throughout the world.
Coast Guard - Coast Guard's mission is primarily with domestic waterways. The Coast Guard does rescues, law enforcement, drug prevention, and clears waterways.
Marine Corps - The Marine Corps is known as the U.S.' rapid-reaction force. They are trained to fight by sea and land, and usually are the first "boots on the ground." Marines are known as the world's fiercest warriors.
Navy - The Navy accomplishes its missions primarily by sea, but also by air and land. It secures and protects the oceans around the world to create peace and stability, making the seas safe for travel and trade.
Space Force - The newest branch of the military, the U.S. Space Force was signed into law in December, 2019. The Space Force currently does not have a reserve component. The Space Force is the sixth branch of the military, tasked with missions and operations in the rapidly evolving space domain.
ASVAB Test
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a heavily researched and well-respected aptitude test developed by the Department of Defense. It measures a young adult’s strengths and potential for success in military training.
Gap Year
What is a Gap Year?
By definition : "A semester or year of experiential learning, typically taken after high school and prior to career or post-secondary education, in order to deepen one's practical, professional, and personal awareness."
In other words: A gap year is a chance for you, as a person longing for change (before, during, or after post-secondary education), to take a year off school to pursue travel, work experience, and/or personal exploration before pursuing further, higher education or a new job/chapter in life.
Sometimes, being a student involves an anxiety-inducing combo of bad nerves and uncertainty about the future. There’s a heap of pressure to start “adulting” and to make major decisions about your educational and professional goals. Sometimes, the best thing to do is to take a gap year in order to self-reflect and figure out your next goals in life.
Take a look at this amazing resource to help plan the ultimate gap year for you! - Click Here
Financial Aid
Federal Student Aid
What is Federal Student Aid
Federal student aid comes from the federal government-specifically, the U.S. Department of Education. It's money that helps a student pay for higher education expenses (i.e.,college, career school, or graduate school expenses). Federal student aid covers expenses such as tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation. There are three main categories of federal student aid: grants, work-study, and loans.
Watch this video to find out how to create your Federal Student Aid Account - Click Here
FAFSA Tutorial Video - Click Here
Terms
Federal Methodology (FM) - Federal Methodology (FM) is a formula established by Congress to determine EFC (Family Expected Contribution) and federal financial aid eligibility. The formula takes into consideration income, assets, expenses, family size and other factors to help evaluate a family's financial ability to pay for college. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the online form used in reporting the information that determines EFC under the FM. All students applying for federal aid need to complete the FAFSA.
Institutional Methodology (IM) - Institutional Methodology (IM) is a need analysis system that nearly 400 colleges and scholarship programs use to award non-federal aid. These colleges believe that IM provides a more comprehensive view of a family's ability to pay than FM. These colleges use IM to distribute their need-based funds equitably to the most deserving students. IM was developed by financial aid practitioners and is based on up-to-date consumer research and tax policy. In addition to evaluating family assets, it also allows for a more generous treatment of medical/dental expenses and efforts to put money aside for education, emergencies, and other special circumstances. Because many students use IM to award their own money, the results and use of the formula can vary from college to college.
FAFSA - Every student applying for financial aid must complete the FAFSA on the web at FAFSA.org. FAFSA has an easily navigated website FAFSA.gov. A link to create an FSA ID can be found on this website. Students, parents, and borrowers of federal student loans are required to use an FSA ID, made up of a username and password, to access certain U.S. Department of Education websites. The FSA ID is used to confirm the student's identity when accessing financial aid information and electronically signing federal student aid documents.
CSS Profile - The CSS profile is a web-based financial aid application. Some colleges and universities require students to complete the CSS profile to receive their non-federal, institutional financial aid. Each year millions of dollars in private, institutional funds are awarded to thousands of students attending colleges that use the CSS profile. Students can sign in and complete their application at Cssprofile.org. Resources, guides, tutorials, live chat features, and a list of participating colleges are also available on the CSS profile homepage.
Financial Aid Package
What Is In My Financial Aid Package?
Your financial aid package is the amount of federal aid, state aid, and college aid that the colleges and universities who've accepted you are willing to offer you toward your college degree. When you're accepted to a school, you'll receive an acceptance letter as well as a financial aid award letter that lists the amount of aid you're being offered toward the first year of your college education. In your award letter, you will see all the federal grants, college scholarships, college loans and work-study programs that school is willing to offer you. This aid will come from a variety of sources, including federal aid, state aid and college aid.
- Federal Pell Grants are available to undergraduate students. Grants do not have to be repaid.
- Federal Stafford Loans are student loans that must be repaid and are available to both undergraduate and graduate students.
- Stafford loans are provided through the Federal Direct Loan Program, meaning federal government provides the funds for the Stafford loan.
- First-year undergraduates are eligible for loans up to $5,500. Amounts increase for subsequent years of study, with higher amounts of graduate students. The interest rates may vary based on when the loan is borrowed. There are two types of Stafford loans:
- Subsidized Stafford loan: a loan for which the government pays the interest while you are in school, during grace periods, and during any deferment periods.
- Unsubsidized Stafford loan: a loan for which you are responsible for paying all the interest that accrues at any point in time.
- Campus-based programs are financial aid programs administered by participating schools. There are three Campus-based programs:
- Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants - awards range from $100-$4,000.
- Federal Work-Study - provides jobs to undergraduate and graduate students, allowing them to earn money to pay education expenses.
- Perkins Loans - are low interest (5%) loans that must be repaid; the maximum annual loan amount is $4,000 for undergraduate students.
Award Letters
What To Do When You Receive Your Award Letter?
Review each award letter to see how much college money you’ve been offered and what types of money it is. Remember that you may be in a better position if you accept less money but a larger proportion of federal grants and college scholarships than if you accept more money in the form of student loans, since loans need to be paid back with interest. Remember that private loans usually have a higher interest rate and it is important to compare student loans to get the best terms and conditions.
As you evaluate your financial aid packages, keep in mind that you are not required to accept all the aid you’re being offered. You will want to accept all grants and scholarships, since these don’t need to be repaid, but you can reject a college loan or request a college loan for a lesser amount to make that loan easier to pay back.