Resource Library |
Xello & Post - Sec Planning
Helpful Tips
Think of the applications that you complete for your post-secondary opportunities as a first impression. Each item in your application, from your name to your personal statement could be the first time a college, job, or organization has the opportunity to meet you. So, making sure your application is submitted properly is the first step to ensuring you're considered. Here are some tips to ensure you're making a strong first impression:
Make sure your name, address, school, etc. are capitalized
Ensure all personal information is correct and up-to-date
Spell-check any written responses like short answers, essays, and personal statements.
Read your writing out loud and have a trusted adult or friend review your writing. This a great way to check for correct grammar usage.
Bye-bye, Naviance! Hello Xello
Students might remember Naviance as a platform that assisted them with college and career research and planning. It was a one-stop platform students could use to complete My Life Plan graduation requirements and tasks that guided them through different parts of their application processes.
This year, MPS is transitioning from Naviance to a new platform, Xello! Keep an eye on this space for updates and tutorials meant to support students and families with navigating Xello!
In the meantime, students considering College after high school can explore the pages linked below, or check out so tips about writing essays and personal statements further down the page
Check Out Resources for beginning your 2- or 4- Year College Research Process
Speed up your application process with info about the Common App: 1 app to help you apply to hundreds of schools
Learn about institutions that specialize in supporting and educating BIPOC students
Writing Essays for your App
Many of the applications you write--whether they're for colleges, scholarships, or even jobs--will require you to write a personal statement. Talking about yourself can be challenging, and writing about yourself is a skill that many of us have to learn!
Check out the tips in this section for how you can begin crafting a personal statement! A personal statement might
Tell a story
Demonstrate something you've learned
Share an experience that makes you unique or shows have you've grown.
but it's best to make sure you've done a close reading of the prompt and taken some time to think before you begin writing.
Claiming Your Identity
How your Social Identity and Personal Life-Journey can help your write college essays
This year, we stopped by 12th Grade English teacher's virtual classrooms to deliver a presentation on the importance of students' social identities. Your social identities are the multifaceted lenses through which you see the world, and through which the world sees you. Your identities can be thought of as the wheels of the car moving you down the road of your personal life-journey
(a cheesy simile, but true!)Reflecting on your identity can be invaluably revealing and empowering in your personal growth. It can:
Give you space to better understand how you see yourself
Lend you the stamina to better connect, relate, and love both those who share your identities and those who don’t
Allow you the foundations for the principles, values, and interests that you share with others.
Help you understand the intersection(s) that allow you to move in and between groups
Reflecting on your identity also allows you to:
Talk about yourself and your experiences with confidence and authority
Give yourself a deeper understanding of your college and career aspirations
Lend context to the goals you’ve set, obstacles you’ve encountered, and privileges you can leverage
Our hope with this lesson was to shine a light on how your personal growth can be used practically to connect you to your goals and aspirations. If you missed Ms. Amanda and Mr. Eric in your class, check out the recording in this section. You can also walk yourself through the presentation by finding it below!
Plans OTHER Than College
Many of the tools featured on this page have been geared towards the college application process but that doesn't mean they can't be useful for other plans!
With that said, we have some subpages in our Resource Library that can provide students interested in pathways OTHER than college some supports and information. Check them out by clicking the plan you're interested in below.