College, Career, and Military Readiness

College/Career Preparation Timeline

9th and 10th Grades

Analyze your interests and abilities - make the connection with possible careers. Talk to your counselor about the ASVAB program to discover your interest areas and possible careers.
Join extra-curricular activities, which help develop teamwork, leadership and responsibility.
Talk to your parents about future plans and concerns.
Struggling with a subject? Ask for additional help from your teacher, counselor, or a tutor.
Take challenging courses - make the most of your high school classes. Explore Pre-AP, AP, College courses or Tech Prep courses.
Investigate several types of post-secondary education possibilities.
Research financial aid opportunities and resources – scholarships, grants, loans, work study
Graduation plan/Endorsement Agreement
Texas Success Initiative Assessment for Dual Credit

11th and 12th Grades

Register for college entrance exams required by the schools you are interested in attending (usually junior year and fall of senior year.
Attend a job fair and/or college fair.
Take the ASVAB Interest Inventory.
Focus on several choices of schools.
Engage in community service or volunteerism.
Visit/read about post-secondary options that interest you.
Apply for the colleges or universities that interest you and see your counselor or college advisor.
Attend a financial aid night and/or college night with your parents.
Send college admissions applications on time to three-four schools.
Complete the Free Application for Federal Aid [FAFSA] online at www.fafsa.gov.
Visit your campus Scholarship Representative for scholarship information.

Five Pillars Of College & Career Readiness

PERSONAL READINESS:

- Make an action plan for your future goals.
- Use Bridges.com to plan the courses that match your goals.
- Work hard and develop habits to succeed now and in the future.
- Develop daily routines for homework and stay organized.
- Get involved in UIL and other extra-curricular activities to build social and leadership skills.
- Find supportive adults at school to help you achieve your goals.
- Never give up! There is nothing more important than character and never giving up.

ACADEMIC READINESS:

- Take the most challenging courses for you.
- Challenge yourself with Pre-AP/AP in your best subjects.
- Earn college credit in high school with DUAL CREDIT courses.
- Take advantage of intervention and tutorial opportunities.

CAREER READINESS:

- Choose your major or CTE pathway of study and take the courses that will best prepare you for your future.
- Take a practicum course at the end of your pathway and even earn a professional certificate.
- Participate in job shadow opportunities.
- Use middle school and high school to learn about as many careers as possible.

ADMISSION READINESS:

Get and keep your grade point average and class ranking as high as possible.
Take the PSAT seriously and use My College QuickStart https://quickstart.collegeboard.org/posweb/login.jsp to help prepare for the SAT and ACT.
See your counselor for free SAT/ACT prep opportunities.

FINANCIAL READINESS:

- Don’t let money keep you from pursuing your dreams.
- Learn and apply for scholarships. See your campus Scholarship Representative for more information.
- Fill out and complete your Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) by March of your senior year.

5 Pillars of Career and College readiness

I. Personal Readiness

- Make an action plan for your future goals.
- Use Bridges.com to plan the courses that match your goals.
- Work hard and develop habits to succeed now and in the future.
- Develop daily routines for homework and stay organized.
- Get involved in UIL and other extra-curricular activities to build social and leadership skills.
- Find supportive adults at school to help you achieve your goals.
- Never give up! There is nothing more important than character and never giving up.

II. Academic Readiness

- Take the most challenging courses for you.
- Challenge yourself with Pre-AP/AP in your best subjects.
- Earn college credit in high school with DUAL CREDIT courses.
- Take advantage of intervention and tutorial opportunities.

III. Career Readiness

- Choose your major or CTE pathway of study and take the courses that will best prepare you for your future.
- Take a practicum course at the end of your pathway and even earn a professional certificate.
- Participate in job shadow opportunities.
- Use middle school and high school to learn about as many careers as possible.

IV. Admissions Readiness

Get and keep your grade point average and class ranking as high as possible.
Take the PSAT seriously and use My College QuickStart https://quickstart.collegeboard.org/posweb/login.jsp to help prepare for the SAT and ACT.
See your counselor for free SAT/ACT prep opportunities.

V. Financial Readiness

- Don’t let money keep you from pursuing your dreams.
- Learn and apply for scholarships. See your campus Scholarship Representative for more information.
- Fill out and complete your Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) by March of your senior year.

Helpful Resources for College Readiness and Success

College is affordable, and planning is essential.

For more information about careers after high school as well as college planning (admissions and financial aid), check out these important websites.

Zero In on College and your Career Goals:

Attend College Night and Financial Aid Planning Night
Begin visiting college campuses and become aware of admission requirements
Assess your interests by investigating college majors and careers associated with them

These websites will help you on your path to college readiness and success:

High School Course Help

• High School Ace – a free online interactive learning center for high school students.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

FAFSA® Application | Federal Student Aid – What to do before, during, and after filling out the form. The most important federal financial aid application. Many state grants and scholarships require the FAFSA to be submitted.
Educational Opportunities & Investments – Information including The Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation Compendium of Texas Colleges and Financial Aid Calendar.
Adventures in Education (AIE) – A website for college and career planning with monthly calendars.
Fastweb – A scholarship and grant search site
College Express has everything you need to find the right college and how to pay for it.

Career Exploration Information

CareerOneStop – your source for career exploration, training & jobs

KnowItAll – This site contains resources to help you with career decision-making, career readiness, and post-secondary choices.

Texas Workforce Commission – search for jobs in Texas

College Readiness, Preparation, Planning, Financial Information, and College Searches

College for All Texans – Everything a Texan needs to know about preparing for, applying for, and paying for college or technical school.
TEXAS GEAR UP – Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEARUP) has information for students and parents by grade level.
CollegeStats – Explore careers, colleges, and financial aid
National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) – College search website containing very detailed information.
Educational Opportunities & Investments – Information including The Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation Compendium of Texas Colleges and Financial Aid Calendar.
BigFuture – The CollegeBoard search engine that helps find colleges and universities just right for you.
Cappex – College Search made simple! Search for colleges, get detailed info on college admissions and apply for scholarships.
College Insight – College Insight puts higher education data at your fingertips. Browse and compare information about affordability, diversity, and student success.
UNIGO – is a free online college resource guide and student platform claiming to cover more than 1,600 colleges and universities in the United States.
Adventures in Education (AIE) – AIE has college planning resources, financial aid information, career guidance, and money management tips to help families and students achieve their goals.
Texas Success Initiative (TSI) – For questions on the TSI visit this website.

THE EAGLE PASS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES WHICH DO NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF AGE, NATIONAL ORIGIN, RACE, GENDER, COLOR, RELIGION, DISABILITY OR AGAINST ANY OTHER LEGALLY PROTECTED GROUP. COMPLAINTS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE DISTRICT’S DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES AT (830) 773-5181 EXT. 1092.

EL DISTRITO ESCOLAR DE EAGLE PASS DA IGUALDAD DE OPORTUNIDAD Y PROVEE PROGRAMAS EDUCACIONALES Y SERVICIOS QUE NO DESCRIMINAN EN BASE A EDAD, ORIGEN, NACIONAL, RAZA, GENERO, COLOR, RELIGION, DESCAPACIDAD, O CONTRA NINGUN GRUPO PROTEGIDO POR LEY. EN CASO DE QUEJAS, DIRIJASE AL DEPARTAMENTO DE RECURSOS HUMANOS AL TELEFONO (830) 773-5181, EXT. 1092.

Revised: March 1, 2022

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