For those of you interested in exploring military options, your CCIC can help. Many of the same trades and career programs you are studying here at Seneca Valley are also available as career options in the military. Come to the College & Career Center to start exploring.
U.S. Military Academy Appointments - Contact your senator or congressperson during your junior year for application procedures to obtain a nomination. Required: letters of recommendation, a high school transcript through the 11th grade, and SAT I scores, preferably from the spring of your junior year. Click below to learn more about U.S. Military Academies.
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/.../militarycareers - MCPS website with information about the military.
This site provides general information about serving in the military in general and each of the specific branches of the Armed Services. Explore & learn more about military careers. Useful information about eligibility requirements, the ASVAB test, enlisting in the military, and questions to ask a recruiter can be found at TODAYSMILITARY.COM under the JOINING & ELIGIBILITY tab.
Choosing GUIDED EXPLORATION, will provide students the opportunity to explore the types of military careers that match their career interest profile (RAISEC). Choosing ADVANCED SEARCH allows students to search military careers that match their aptitude strength (Math, Verbal, Science/Technology).
Juniors (students in the Class of 2023) who have an interest in learning about opportunities to attend a U.S. Service Academy for college are encouraged to apply to participate in a summer program. Each Academy’s summer program provides a week-long immersion into the academic, military, and social life of that Academy. The Academies are ranked among the top undergraduate public universities in the country. The U.S. Naval Academy also offers a Summer STEM Program for rising 9th-11th graders. (Click here for more information)
Your decision to enter college, technical school, vocational school, military service or the work world is a very important one. To help you make this decision, the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) Career Exploration Program provides you with more than just a simple test.
The ASVAB is a multi-aptitude test battery. It helps you identify your different skills and competencies. ASVAB scores allow you to compare your test performance to that of other students at your grade level. It consists of eight short individual tests covering General Science, Math Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Math Knowledge, Electronics Information, Auto and Shop Information and Mechanical Comprehension. Not only do you receive scores on each of these individual tests, you also receive career exploration scores. These scores are the results of individual tests combined to yield three career exploration scores: Verbal Skills, Math Skills, and Science and Technical Skills.
How well you score matters as it provides a picture of your current knowledge and skills. A comparison will be made from your scores and the educational or job requirements for occupations of interest to you. Your scores can qualify you for certain jobs and training in the Armed Forces. No one “passes” or “fails” the ASVAB. You receive results that allow you to compare your scores to other students at your grade level. This is helpful information when exploring careers. Your scores will determine whether you qualify for different training opportunities within the military service also.
In measuring aptitude, this means a capability that you have developed through experience or education indicating your current readiness to become proficient in a particular type of activity, given the opportunity to do so. It could mean in reference to your capacity to learn a particular type of work, or your potential for general training. The ASVAB measures aptitudes that are related to success in different kinds of jobs.
Any student who takes the ASVAB will use their test results when completing the exercises in Exploring Careers: The ASVAB Career Exploration Guide. All students who test will receive a copy of the Guide, which has a series of activities that will enable them to match interests and skills with over 400 civilian and military occupations. Students also use The Occupational Outlook Handbook and Military Careers for job descriptions.
College bound students, either 2 or 4 year, technical school students and those planning on becoming commissioned officers or entering the Reserves or National Guard all benefit from taking the ASVAB. The ASVAB Career Exploration Program provides Math, Verbal and Science and Technical career exploration scores which can help gauge readiness for college. These scores can help better identify academic strengths and weaknesses. This helps the college bound student improve before starting on a college search. The Interest-Finder results reveal career-related interests, which help in choosing possible course study and major course selections.
Juniors and seniors can use their ASVAB scores for military enlistment for up to 2 years after taking the test.
Scores will be provided on a report called ASVAB Summary Results approximately 2-3 weeks following administration of the test. There will be an official interpreter assigned to go over the results with the students who have taken the ASVAB at Sherwood HS. This is generally done in the College and Career Center, depending on the number of students. If too large, it will be held in another location. The interpretation and evaluation/career exploration portion takes generally about 45 minutes; about a class period and the students are excused from class for this. Together with the “Guide” the interpreter will guide students on how to do the career exploration portion.
The ASVAB is administered in school by specially trained test administrators from the Federal Government. Schools determine when and where the test will be given. The ASVAB can be given to sophomores, juniors and seniors, in high school and to postsecondary students. Some military personnel proctor the exam as do counselors from Seneca Valley on occasion. The test takes three (3) hours and students are excused from class for this time with the approval of the administration, as long as they have signed up in advance and arrive on time. Once the test procedures have begun, no student is allowed to come into the test center. No exceptions.
Be well rested and dress comfortably for the test day. As with other tests, how hard you have studied and what you have learned throughout your school years will make the most difference in your results. Study the test questions in the practice booklet so you know the types of questions that will be asked on the test.
www.officialasvab.com - official site with more information
www.march2success.com - Free ASVAB test prep; pre-test allows for personalized study plan; great resource!