Part 1: Review + SMART Goal

As you have in the past 3 years, take time to review your results in the "Self-Discovery" tab on your home screen. If needed, retake the assessments listed to update your results. Be sure to favorite any careers, colleges, and/or career clusters that you are interested in.

This is your LAST year of high school!  Is there anything you really want to do or try? Is there something you really want to achieve?  

Take some time to create one final SMART goal for yourself.  In Naviance, click on "Planner" at the top of your home screen.  Select "Goals: and complete a "Goal for Senior Year." 

Part 2: Plan Your Future

During your Senior year, you will be making many decisions about your future!  The work you've completed in Naviance throughout high school should help. Let's organize everything you've completed so far.

• On your Naviance home screen, you should see "Plan Your Future" written in the middle left-hand side. Click on it and select the option you are currently planning on pursuing. 

• If you haven't already, "favorite" colleges you are interested in. You can search for colleges in the "Search for Colleges" search bar located on the home screen.

• Add colleges to the "Colleges I'm Applying To" section.

  • Naviance will prompt you with some questions about that school's application process to make sure you are on track. 

Part 3: Decision Making

Many of you have made decisions for after High School, but others may still be working on making that decision. How will you decide? What college do you choose, which job do you take, should you take a year off? Take a visit, read websites, talk to friends and family? Maybe make a list of pros and cons. If you are trying to make a college choice you have until May 1 to do some more investigating and thinking to help you make the final choice. Here’s what you can do: 

Revisit campuses

It’s likely been a while since you’ve toured various colleges, and your memory might be fuzzy. If you have the means, setting up one last visit can help you confirm that you feel at home (or not) on a particular campus. Call the admissions department and ask if you can get a more personalized tour this time around, including sitting in on a class, shadowing a student who is involved in your academics or sport of interest or even spending a night in the dorms. Most schools will be happy to accommodate admitted students.

Connect with current students

If you haven’t already done so, follow your finalists on social media and ask questions of current students. This could help you get a sense of what the campus culture is like, and you can get intel on everything from the cafeteria food to the dorms. Many institutions actually set up social media groups specifically for admitted students so they have a forum to ask questions, seek advice and connect with each other. If your schools offer this, take advantage of the opportunity to get real insight from actual students.

Get input from people who care about you

Speak with your parents, guidance counselor, teachers and trusted friends for their insights. Your parents have your best interest at heart, and will be helping you through your transition, and possibly, with the funding of your education. Although it’s ultimately your decision, sometimes talking it out with others might reveal considerations you haven’t thought about before. For example, maybe your friend sharing what a hassle it was to travel home on holiday breaks might be what convinces you to choose the campus that is closer to home.

Crunch the numbers

Review your financial aid package again to see what the real cost difference is between your choice schools and how that might impact you. If you’re choosing between a full ride from a solid state school and an acceptance from the elite college you’ve dreamed of attending but it costs more, then that can be a tougher decision to make.

Thinking ahead about the career that you’re planning to pursue and researching what the average income is for that industry can be helpful. Will a degree from a more prestigious school equate to a higher salary or more job prospects? Will your expected earnings be enough to cover expenses after graduation, including any student debt you may take on?

Think about what matters to you

If you still need a tiebreaker, it might come down to creating a pros and cons list of the things that are important to you. What aspects of the college experience do you care about? For instance, which school has the better musical theater program, state-of-the-art athletic center, a walkable campus or better study abroad choices? While none of these “extras” should make or break your decision on their own, collectively, they can help tip the scales.

Part 1: Scholarships 

• • You should have started to review scholarship opportunities last year. It's a great time to revisit these scholarships and start applying. Finding the scholarships that fit you and also filling out the financial aid form are both important steps to take if you are planning to attend a 2 or 4 year college after graduation.  You can use Naviance to help in this process.

  • Log into Naviance. Click on "Colleges" at the top of your home screen.  From there, select "Favorite Scholarships" under the Scholarships and Money section. Also, consider checking out FastWeb for local and national scholarships.

Part 2: FAFSA (Financial Aid)

• • FAFSA:  The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (Financial Aid Form) FAFSA (Available October 1, 2023)

  • This is something that every student and family should fill out as soon after the open date as possible.  The website will give instructions and a list of the information you will need to complete the form.  The Help and Hints on the right of the form are invaluable.

  • The FAFSA is an application for federal money to be applied towards college costs!  You will need your family's tax information to complete the application, so you will most likely need a parent's help.         

Part 1: Review SMART Goal

At the start of the year, you created a SMART goal for yourself. To review it, log into Naviance and select "Planner" at the top of your home screen. Select "Goals" from the options.  

Your SMART goal should be listed under "Goals for Senior Year." Were you able to achieve it? If so, what was needed in order for you to do so? If not, what would you change in order to be able to accomplish it?

Part 2: Letter to a Freshman

Isn’t it hard to believe that you are almost done with your final year of high school?

Being the experienced student you are, write a letter for a future freshman to read. Include any advice you would give an underclassman to help them be successful in high school. This may include tips for earning good grades, ideas for extracurriculars that freshmen could participate in...etc. Feel free to have fun with this! For instance, what food should every freshman try from our cafeteria? What is the best elective to take? What is your favorite spot in the school to hangout? Think about your personal experiences.

Click the link below, and type your letter in the form provided:

Letter to Freshmen

Part 1: Final Senior Survey

Important Reminder:

• Please make sure you complete your Final Senior Survey on Naviance.  Your Senior Survey will open on March 20th, 2024. This is the last required step to finish your state required EDP.

• The survey will be found in the upper left hand corner after going to your ABOUT ME tab, and then click on Surveys From My School. You will see the Final Senior Survey there.

Note about Naviance Student: Naviance is a resource that provides assistance in future planning research.

• This resource will make the future planning process less stressful and more manageable. It is important to take advantage of it.

• One advantage of Naviance is that it allows your counselor to see your research, and as a result, allows us to assist you along the way.  

Please complete any of the Naviance Student activities that you have not yet completed.

Take another look at some of the assigned activities. If you have not completed the Strengths Explorer or the Career Interest Profiler, you should do this after the Senior Survey 2024. These two resources will assist in your future planning even if you have a college picked out or are not going to college.

Remember that you must use Parchment to set up your request to have your final HS transcript to be sent to the college of your final choice.  

Part 2: Finalizing Your EDP

• Under the “About Me” tab in Naviance you will see Portfolio, under "Documents and Notes"

• Click on Portfolio.

  • • Here you will see all of the information tabs that should be finished to have a completed EDP.

    • The headings at the top are Personal Profile, Goal Planning, Career Planning, Academic Planning, and College Planning

    • You will see the Strengths Explorer results (Top 3 Themes), the MI Advantage results, and your resume.

    • Your Senior Survey will open on March 20th, 2024.

    • Status of your Career Interest Survey, and College Super-Match will be visible.

    • Goals you have set should be filled in.

    • Your career and college planning results will also be seen here.  

• If there are areas that are showing as incomplete, you will need to go back to the areas on Naviance Student to complete them.  

• Take time to update your Resume. This can be used for any upcoming job interviews or applications you are completing. 

• SAVE YOUR EDP. Click on "Print" at the top of your Portfolio. Click on "Save as a PDF" under the "Designation" tab. Save your EDP to you computer/Google Drive. It may be wise to email yourself a copy to a personal email address.

CONGRATULATIONS ON SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING HIGH SCHOOL!