ASU Preparatory Academy
Counseling / Learning Success Team
College & Career Pathways
Welcome to the ASU Prep Learning Success site, providing parents and students important information about college and career pathways.
ASU Preparatory Academy students' "Plan A" is to graduate from a 4-year college or university and go on to build a professional career. The College & Career resources on this site will help guide the personal decisions that students and parents will tailor together to achieve their own unique vision of success in a profession of their dreams. To this end, each student will be constructing an individual College & Career Portfolio. Under the guidance of their Academic Advisor as well as their teachers, students will complete this portfolio by the Spring of their senior year (or earlier).
College Planning Resources
College Board - Big Future
This site is designed to provide multiple resources and tools for both parents and college-bound students.
Parent action plans at left are designed as general guidelines for you to prepare your child for college and the career of their dreams. Click on the link provided to get started.
Scholarship & FAFSA Information
SENIORS:
Check out this amazing opportunity for scholarships from College Board!
FAFSA (financial aid) opens annually on October 1. Senior students have been given a hard copy of this FAFSA Student/Parent worksheet and will work with a college counselor in their Senior Seminar class. The college admissions counselors will be returning soon to follow-up on FAFSA. Please advise your students to note any questions about FAFSA they may have so they can answer them.
FAFSA Resource: AskBenji is a reference for parents and students to request information and get help filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
WEBSITE: AskBenji.org (app also available)
TEXT: "Help" to 602.786.8171 to get started
Social media: @BENJIFAFSA
FAFSA Resource for students whose parents have not yet filed tax forms
Please click the link above for an archive of important updates and announcements regarding general college and career information. This month's update is also posted below:
Fall 2023
We are so excited to offer ASU College Courses to our high school students! Here is some information about those courses:
*Universal Learner Courses (ULC College Courses)
ULCs have sessions A (8/15 – 10/10), B (10/10 – 12/5) and C (8/15 – 12/5), as well as some on-demand offerings that will be required to be completed on 12/5. There are no extensions for courses beyond 1 semester, so please plan accordingly to finish then. If you have an A or B session in periods 1-5, you are still required to attend that class period as a study hall in the assigned room, even when it is not active.
Immersion Fall 2023 Universal Learner Course Contract – gives specific terms of taking ULC courses. (Please respond to his survey Fall 2023 Universal Learner Acknowledgement if you have not done so already – it is a requirement).
A full list of the current ULC course offerings are on students’ ULC dashboards, but parents can also view course descriptions, etc. at this website.
RESOURCE: Navigating College Courses as a HS Student - A Practical Guide
If you are a new student this year, please be sure to check your email for login information and then your ULC dashboard to ensure your classes have populated (there’s a slight delay as they process your new enrollment). Please contact me if you have any questions.
ULCs have sessions A (8/15 – 10/10), B (10/10 – 12/5) and C (8/15 – 12/5), as well as some on-demand offerings that will be required to be completed on 12/5. There are no extensions for courses beyond 1 semester, so please plan accordingly to finish then. If you have an A or B session in periods 1-5, you are still required to attend that class period as a study hall in the assigned room, even when it is not active.
ULC 2-credit college courses: Based on Arizona legislation, FSE 100 and other 2-credit college courses will NOT be eligible for high school credit. If a student wishes to take FSE 100 or another 2-credit college course, while they will earn the college credit, but they will not earn high school credit. Students are welcome to take Independent Study alongside their 2-credit course in order to earn HS credit.
ULC Deadlines: There is a 21 day period for students to drop a ULC course before there will be a charge for enrollment. Session A and Session C start 8/15 and enrollment deadline is 8/22. You MUST talk to your counselor about your intention to add or drop a course and have it added to your schedule – you may NOT self-enroll.
ULC students have the option of applying credit to a college transcript (ASU) at the end of the course IF they earn a C or better (Ds will earn unweighted HS credit only). IF students “upgrade” to the transcript, they will earn a full 1.0 HS credit for the course; otherwise, they will earn a weighted 0.5 HS only credit. Please be particularly aware of courses that are being taken to fulfill graduation requirements! I’m here to help if you have any questions.
ASU Prep graduates have the opportunity to make some progress in their college major while in high school – many graduate high school with 12 or more college credits. Senior students can take up to (3) free college courses per semester (9 credits). If you have more than 3 on your schedule, you can still take the course, but it will be at a cost of approximately $500 / course plus course fees and materials. Please let me know if you have any questions.
ASU - Access ASU Family Resources
Please see this page for information about connecting with ASU through its many community outreach programs and summer opportunities for students and future Sun Devils of all ages!
College Board Big Future Virtual College Fairs on Demand
Sign up here for a free college fair (several dates available for different college locations around the country).
TRI-UNIVERSITY HELPFUL LINKS - Please see this website to view recordings various college information webinars (about college applications, financial aid, and more!). This is NOT just for seniors -- it applies to all grades and parents, too!
Parents of Students Grades 9-11: Please see this slide deck to help your child choose the best classes for their college and career Pathway. Also please look out for an upcoming email with more details.
- Seniors & Senior Parents:
FAFSA Resource (NOTE: FAFSA OPENS in the Fall): AskBenji is a reference for parents and students to request information and get help filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
WEBSITE: AskBenji.org (also available as an app)
TEXT: "Help" to 602.786.8171 to get started
Social media: @BENJIFAFSA
ACT Test Results are accessible to families through ACT.org.
Please speak with your student about our Senior Seminar course - students are working on their CCP - College & Career Portfolio. See more information at the "College" tab above.
See this College Board parent resource site for guidance with your 12th grade student's journey.
Scholarship Resource: Please encourage your senior student to continue applying for scholarships - many of the scholarships will be awarded in the early Spring. See link above.
- Junior Parents:
Junior year is testing year! Juniors will be automatically registered to take the following tests on site this year:
PSAT / NMSQT (Fall)
Sign up for a College Board account so you can see the scores, and also get some great info along the way!
See this College Board recorded webinar to understand how the PSAT can benefit you and your student.
ACT (ASU Prep will sponsor an ACT test in SPRING semester - look for email updates)
ASU Prep DOES NOT sponsor an on-campus SAT - please see the College Board website to self-register:
See our Course Progression sheet for an overview of courses required for graduation.
Also, see our Pathways resource page for helpful information regarding choosing courses that best prepare your student for their college and career choice.
See this College Board parent resource site for guidance with your 11th grade student's journey.
- Sophomore Parents:
See our Course Progression sheet for an overview of courses required for graduation.
Also, see our Pathways resource page for helpful information regarding choosing courses that best prepare your student for their college and career choice.
See this College Board parent resource site for guidance with your 10th grade student's journey.
- Freshman Parents:
See our Course Progression sheet for an overview of courses required for graduation.
Also, see our Pathways resource page for helpful information regarding choosing courses that best prepare your student for their college and career choice.
See this College Board parent resource site for guidance with your 9th grade student's journey.
Special Events at Arizona State University:
Future Sun Devil Family Days - Tour the ASU campus and get to know the exciting ASU Programs! Go to this link for information, and to to RSVP your student and family to tour the campus and participate in events: https://eoss.asu.edu/access/programs/future-sun-devil-family-day
Previously Posted Items of Importance
Seniors should be applying for at least 8-10 scholarships per month; grades 9-11 at least 5 per month. Please see the "College" tab above for resources and information.
Pay close attention to dates for scholarships and college application deadlines. Here is a College Log worksheet given to your student to keep track of college application information. A list of scholarship search engine links is posted under the "College" tab (above) on this site.
FAFSA (financial aid) opens annually on October 1. Senior students have been given a hard copy of this FAFSA Student/Parent worksheet and worked with a college counselor in their Capstone class in the fall semester. The college admissions counselor will be returning soon to follow-up on FAFSA. Please advise your students to note any questions about FAFSA they may have so she can answer them.
Click this link to get more information and complete your FAFSA application. (NOTE: Seniors were strongly encouraged to complete FAFSA applications over Fall Break to prepare for the second College Admissions Counselor visit the week following.)
Now is (always!) the time to accumulate Community Service / Volunteer hours! A printable Volunteer worksheet and Volunteer Log Spreadsheet are available for your convenience to track the hours for college and scholarship applications. (Student is responsible for keeping these records.) See the "Career" tab above for more information.
Contact Us
Ms. Minerva Fernandez
Ms. Shawna Thue
Academic Advisors