College and Career Exploration


I have worked in schools since the wild wild west days of the 1990's! Lots has changed. My passion is still helping learners graduate and take that great leap into adulthood. Use this page to explore some awesome resources as you plan for success.

Career Exploration

Virtual Job Shadow provides opportunities for students to explore potential career fields by completing interest inventories. After logging onto the site HERE, enter your personal login information. If you do not have an account see your advisor for help.

Occupational Outlook Handbook Click here to search for information on job duties, what kind of education and training you will need, pay and job outlook for hundreds of occupations through the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Career Key Click here to unlock your future with career assessment tools.

College Board Whether your are career planning or college planning, you can click here to get more information on your next steps.

iseek/CAREERwise This is a tool designed by Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to help you explore colleges and career paths. To take an assessment or begin searching, click here.

Accounting Career Resource https://discoveraccounting.org/careers/ Educational information and resources on accounting careers.

Emergency Management North Dakota State University has a unique undergraduate program in Emergency Management and we attract many students from Minnesota as there are no programs in the state. https://www.ndsu.edu/emgt/ This page provides information about the degree programs in Emergency Management. The Department offers undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees in Emergency Management. The Department's website provides resources and information for current and prospective students as well as those interested in gathering more info.


Apprenticeships in Minnesota

There are more than 11,000 active apprentices pursuing great careers today in nearly 300 trades and occupations in Minnesota. While the building trades account for more than 90 percent of the apprenticeships, new sectors like advanced manufacturing, agriculture, information technology, health care and transportation are eager to hire and develop highly-trained, skilled and motivated employees.



Articles

Interesting articles on post-secondary options, college, and careers.


Choosing a College

Click here for the Midwest Student Exchange Program, where select Midwest public institutions agree to charge students no more than 150% of the instate resident tuition rate for specific programs; private institutions offer a 10% reduction on their tuition rates.


Seniors may be receiving acceptance letters from colleges and will soon need to make a choice about which to attend. Families can help students make good decisions and could likely use some helpful information about how students can find a college that is fit for them. The University of Dayton has published a video series that you might want to share with parents. Videos within the series include the following:

· Finding Your Fit: What to Think About (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y1B1byOmwE&list=PLZejqDKgWYcEfk-UEUaDwxN5kxce0rBDq)

· Finding Your Fit: Home Away From Home (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJPMHTgp3MA&list=PLZejqDKgWYcEfk-UEUaDwxN5kxce0rBDq&index=2)

· Finding Your Fit: Community (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQgWKwKaLYU&list=PLZejqDKgWYcEfk-UEUaDwxN5kxce0rBDq&index=3)

· Finding Your Fit: Study Abroad (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTofy_1QHx8&index=5&list=PLZejqDKgWYcEfk-UEUaDwxN5kxce0rBDq)

· Finding Your Fit: Academics (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QDO7X0C1uk&list=PLZejqDKgWYcEfk-UEUaDwxN5kxce0rBDq&index=4)

· Finding Your Fit: Experiential Learning (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cah6bnDkUtU&index=6&list=PLZejqDKgWYcEfk-UEUaDwxN5kxce0rBDq)


College Decision Day is quickly approaching as acceptance and award letters roll in. "College Covered" (by Discover Student Loans) has some new tools to make it easier for your students to make an informed choice on where they go to college.


  • Compare Award Letters: The Award Letter is an important factor for many families as they try to figure out which schools they can afford to send their student to. However, they’re not always written in the clearest language. Their Award Letter Comparison Tool, can help students and parents interpret their financial aid packages from up to 5 different schools to help determine which one is best for them.


  • College Decision Day: Some of your students may know which school they want to attend without a doubt, but others may be a bit unsure. Either way, now that they’ve been accepted, making that final choice can be intimidating. That’s why they have they have created this handy quiz to help students decide what's the best fit.



Requests for Recommendation Letters

Requests may include both college admission and scholarships. Typically these take 2-3 weeks for recommenders to complete so please be mindful of this when making your requests. When making your request you will need:

  • To approach your teacher/counselor in person and ask if they will be willing to help you by writing a recommendation letter.

  • Clarify if they will be electronically submitting the letter or mailing it in.

For colleges not using the Common Application, you must research each college’s requirements for submitting letters of recommendation. These schools may require teachers and counselors to submit their recommendations online through the college’s website, to mail school-specific recommendation forms, or to mail traditional letters of recommendation on high school letterhead.

For colleges using the Common Application, students must first ask their teachers which method they are using to submit their recommendations, either (1) submitting electronic letters using Common Application online procedures, or (2) using Common Application paper recommendation forms. For counselor recommendations/reports, students should invite their counselor, and then schedule an appointment with their counselor to follow up on the process.

For teachers to be able to use the Common Application online procedures, students MUST first "invite" teachers and counselors through the Common Application website. After teachers and counselors are “invited,” they will be notified via e-mail on how and when to submit student recommendations. Before starting the process of “inviting” teachers and counselors, be sure you (the student) have the following information: Your high school's CEEB number (240-023) and street address (1355 Pierce Butler Rt, St. Paul, Mn 55104). Each teacher's first and last name and e-mail address can be found here: Cpathmn.org/staff-directory/

  • *When requesting letters of recommendation for scholarship applications, use the same procedures as requesting a recommendation for college admission, but make sure adult recommenders understand the details of each scholarship application. Be sure to stress what each scholarship is specifically looking for in winning applicants and how you meet or exceed those requirements. Students will be able to pick up letters from the teacher in a sealed envelope to include with all other necessary paper work for the scholarship. Always be aware of deadline dates and allow 2-3 weeks for request.


Prepscholar Article on "How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation": https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-request-a-letter-of-recommendation

Submit your resume and Recommendation Letter Request Form (found https://drive.google.com/file/d/15dclJNZ7gTwkpisUXCokq0E4SNtn2-zF/view?usp=sharing) to your teacher or counselor with a thank you letter. Also, the optional but highly recommended Parent Feedback Form is sometimes requested by teachers. You can find that https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fSb1s29gBSKeE6xMCtIqpY1P1v9EQ6Mg/view?usp=sharing