As high school counselors, we spend a large portion of our counseling curriculum and individual planning sessions helping students navigate options and plan for their futures. Below you will find information and resources to guide you through the college and career planning process.
Narrow down your career options and decide if your future career requires post-secondary schooling or training. Your school counselors will help you choose the appropriate high school courses to help you prepare and can assist you in the process of choosing a career path that best fits your strengths, interests, and values.
If you will need post-secondary schooling, find schools with a degree or training program for that career. Schools have information about their programs on their websites, or you can contact the admissions department at each school for specific information. Missouri Connections allows students to see schools in Missouri with a specific degree program - students can see a school counselor for help navigating this tool.
Take the ACT (or SAT if you're interested in East- or West-coast schools) or Accuplacer for some 2-year schools. See below for Testing Information. When you register, be sure to select colleges to which you'd like ACT/Accuplacer/SAT to send your scores.
Apply to several schools to allow you to have options and to consider factors such as class size, location/transportation, housing, scholarships and grants, tuition and fees, and more. Applications can be found on each school's website. Many schools have their own deadlines, requirements, and fees, so check with a school counselor if you need help! Seniors can participate in Apps and Snacks Day each October for dedicated time completing applications with the school counselors' help. Use a personal email address so you can receive all communications from each college. Page 12 of the Missouri Source resource helps you compare schools.
Request to have your transcripts sent to the schools you've applied to - see the Transcript Request page of this website for the appropriate form. If you're planning on playing collegiate sports, be sure to request to have your transcripts sent to NAIA or NCAA, also.
Retake the ACT or Accuplacer if needed for admission or increased scholarship opportunities.
Complete the FAFSA. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid opens in November 2024 and the following years it MAY be available October 1st. Students and parents must each make an FSA ID before beginning the FAFSA application. Each school has its own deadlines for FAFSA completion for students to receive priority funding from the school. Be sure to select schools for which you'd like FAFSA to send your results to so you can get financial aid offers from those schools. If you need help completing the FAFSA, the school counselors host a FAFSA Frenzy event each fall to provide parents and students dedicated time to complete the application with help. Pages 14-35 of the Missouri Source help explain Financial Aid with great detail!
Compare financial aid packages - page 38 of the Missouri Source is a great tool to lay out your offers side-by-side to see what is best for your financial needs.
Decide on a school - tell your admissions officer that you've decided to attend their school and they will help you with the enrollment process - choosing courses, housing, and more.
Apply for local scholarships. Beginning January each year, Seniors can apply for local scholarships to earn money toward tuition, books, and other college costs. Early graduates are ineligible for these scholarships. Seniors are given a link to a frequently-updated spreadsheet with all possible scholarships, applications, deadlines, and requirements. Seniors can also participate in Apps and Snacks day 2nd semester for dedicated scholarship application time with help from the counselors. There is a Scholarship Awards Ceremony each Spring to announce winners and to recognize students who have earned the A+ Scholarship, and early graduates may attend the ceremony.
Click here for instructions on completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Scholarships released to Seniors are shared on a spreadsheet linked in the Important Links for Seniors document on their graduating class Google Classroom
According to the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, "The A+ Scholarship Program provides scholarship funds to eligible graduates of A+ designated high schools who attend a participating public community college or vocational/technical school, or certain private two-year vocational/technical schools."
The requirements are as follows:
Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Enter into a written agreement with your high school prior to graduation.
Attend a designated A+ high school for 2 years prior to graduation.
Graduate from an A+ designated high school with an overall unweighted grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
Have at least a 95% attendance record overall for grades 9-12.
Perform at least 50 hours of unpaid tutoring or mentoring, of which up to 25% may include job shadowing prior to graduation.
Maintain a record of good citizenship and avoid the unlawful use of drugs and/or alcohol while in grades 9-12.
Have achieved a score of proficient or advanced on the Algebra I end of course exam or a higher level DESE approved end-of-course exam in the field of mathematics. If you meet all of the eligibility requirements except the end of course exam requirement, you may establish eligibility by achieving a combined ACT or PreACT math subscore and high school GPA in accordance with the following scale. You may achieve the qualifying score as a high school or postsecondary student. If you achieve the score as a post-secondary student you may be eligible for an award in the same term that you take the test.
ACT/PreACT Math Score 17 or Greater and High School GPA 2.5-2.79
ACT/PreACT Math Score 16 and High School GPA 2.8-2.99
ACT/PreACT Math Score 15 and High School GPA 3.0 or greater
Juniors and Seniors are able to enroll in A+ Tutoring for up to 2 semesters to earn the required 50 tutoring hours. See https://dhewd.mo.gov/ppc/grants/aplusscholarship.php for more information on the A+ Scholarship Program.
Recent legislation, section 167.902 RSMo, requires that the department of economic development shall annually identify occupations in which a critical need or shortage of trained personnel exists in the labor markets in this state and provide such information to the state board of education. Upon receipt of such data, the state board of education shall, in collaboration with the department of economic development, compile the following data and information (listed below).
The educational materials and data derived from the state board of education's collaboration with the department of economic development under subsection 1 of this section shall be distributed by the board to each high school in this state for the purpose of emphasizing areas of critical workforce needs and shortages in the labor markets in this state to high school students to support such students' career pathway decisions. Each high school shall provide its students with the information provided to the school by the state board of education before November first of every school year.
High Demand Occupations List - https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/high-demand-occupations-fy-2024-enhancement-grant
1. Information on how to obtain industry-recognized certificates and credentials
Career centers across the state provide training on a variety of occupations, including those occupations in which a critical need or shortage of trained personnel exists in the labor market of Missouri. Training in most of these occupations results in industry-recognized credentials and certificates that are valued by employers. The map found at this link has connections to each career center. Individuals and schools are encouraged to contact their local career center to determine what occupational training is available and to get information on licensing requirements.
Missouri Public School Career Centers Map
2. Information on how to obtain a license and the requirements for a license when licensure is required for an occupation
Information on how to obtain industry-recognized certificates and credentials
3. Access to assessments and interest inventories that provide insight into the types of careers that would be suitable for students
4. Resources that describe the types of skills and occupations most in demand in the current job market and those skills and occupations likely to be in high demand in future years
5. Resources that describe the typical salaries for occupations and salary trends
6. Information on how to obtain financial assistance for postsecondary education
7. Information on how to choose a college, school, or apprenticeship that aligns with the student's career goals and values
8. Information on self-employment
9. Resources related to creating a resume, interviewing, networking, and finding job opportunities
10. Information on the skills and traits necessary to succeed in various careers
**Information on the above (3-10) can be found at Missouri Connections**
See the Apprenticeship Missouri Website for more information.
ROTC - Students can earn college credit while training to become a military officer. Below are links to lists of schools with ROTC programs and more information about the specific branch's ROTC program.
**Please let a counselor know if you would like the contact information for a recruiter in one or more of the US military branches listed.**
Missouri Connections - explore career options, take inventories and assessments, and build your ICAP (see counselors for login information)
ASVAB Career Exploration - when students receive their ASVAB scores in 11th grade, our local recruiters help students log into the ASVAB Career Exploration Program to explore personalized career resources.
Career One Stop - information on a wide variety of careers and training programs and assessments to help students determine potential careers
O*Net and My Next Move - explore careers based on inventory results