Virtual College/Skilled Trades Fair
Your online source for making informed choices.
CVS College and Skilled Trades Fair scheduled for April 23rd is cancelled.
Choosing a College
One major factor to consider in choosing a college is the type of training or degree that is needed for your future career. Other factors to consider include distance, cost, size of college, support services, athletics, and activities.
For college admissions, most colleges look at grade point average, ACT/SAT, and the rigor of the type of classes a student is taking. Colleges may also consider grade trend, recommendations, and sports/activities. A great deal of information can be found on a college's web site. Below are web sites that provide general college information.
https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
College Planning Process
Visiting Colleges
Visiting colleges is important to see if you like and feel comfortable on the campus. Right now, most colleges are closed due to COVID-19 but many colleges have virtual tours available on their web sites and their admissions representatives are working remotely so you can still answer questions and may even do virtual appointments. Hopefully once this is over, you can attend an in-person visit. Click here for a list of sample questions you can ask. We will continue to have college representatives outside the cafeteria in the fall so stay tuned for the schedule. Below is a web site you can check out with virtual college tours of colleges across the country.
Career Exploration
70% of future Michigan Jobs will require some type of Post Secondary training which could be a certificate program, apprenticeship program, associates degree, bachelors degree or even the military. Click here for the Hot 50 Jobs in Michigan that are High Demand and High Wage.
https://public.careercruising.com/en/
To login, for the username, students should enter CVS-plus first name initial, followed by last name, plus the last 3 digits of the students ID number. For example Mary Smith whose ID is 123456789 would have a username: cvs-msmith789. Password is the students ID number.
Occupational Outlook Handbook gives information about job description, earnings, job outlook, training needed and much more.
Big Future gives general college, career information and financial aid information.
Skilled Trades/Apprenticeships
Many skilled trades fields are in high demand. The big advantage if you can get into an apprenticeship is you get paid to work and get training at the same time. Many employers will also pay for training so students graduate with little to no debt. Many skilled Trades/apprenticeships have unique process so we recommend checking with that specific trade on the steps to take to apply. Macomb Community College and Oakland Community College also have some really good certificate and associate degrees that are in the skilled trades. Some useful web sites to check out are listed below.
https://www.macomb.edu/future-students/area-interest/applied-technology-skilled-trades.html
Military
The military is a great option with many students and provides some great advantages such as free education, travel opportunities, and good benefits.
The ASVAB test is a military entrance test that measures a person's strengths and potential success in a wide variety of a career. Although this test is important for students who are interested in a military careers, it can also be helpful for students who are undecided on their future plans. Typically we give this test through our counseling office in December.
If you are interested in the military, it is helpful if you talk to a recruiter to see what the specific requirements are for that branch and how to apply. You can also check out the specific branch's web site that you are interested in for more information. Below are some general web sites you can check out for additional information.
https://www.todaysmilitary.com/
First Generation College Students
A first generation college student is one where there parents have not completed college. Many colleges have support and resources available on campus specifically for first generation college students. Make sure you indicate on your application if you are a first generation student so the college can identify you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAvitIDqB3w&feature=youtu.be
Historical Black Colleges (HBCUs)
Historical Black Colleges provide a comfortable supportive environment where students of color can feel supported.
The below article has some really good points regarding the relevance of HBCU’s in today’s climate and gives some interesting statistics.
Top 20 HBCU’s (US News)
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/hbcu
Full list of all 107 HBCU’s in America
http://www.thehundred-seven.org/hbculist.html
Please contact Ebony Carter (Assistant Principal) at Dakota High School. Her email is ecarter@cvs.k12.mi.us or Harry Weaver at hweaver@cvs.k12.mi.us
Financial Aid
Paying for College Night is also scheduled for Monday, September 28, 2020 at 6:30 pm at CVHS so please save the date. We will have a financial aid representative from the University of Michigan presenting on financial aid.
Scholarships
Finding scholarships is very time consuming.There are many different options to find scholarships. Many students find success through the college themselves. Many colleges will award merit scholarships if you have a certain GPA and SAT/ACT Score. The criteria is posted on their web site, for an example, click here.
Both schools have scholarship updates available on their counseling office web sites and through the community scholarship programs. Please see the counseling office web site of either Chippewa or Dakota for more information.
There are many outside web sites, be wary of SCAMS. Any web site that charges to find you scholarships, is typically not a good idea since there are many FREE search engines out there. Below are some sites to get you started.
https://www.salliemae.com/college-planning/college-scholarships/
https://www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid/0,4636,7-372--471235--,00.html
Schedule Planning Advice
If you are going to be a senior and planning to attend a more competitive college, make sure you are taking 4 core classes. (English, math, science, social studies or foreign language)
Students should take two years of foreign language for many 4 year colleges
Try to take classes that relate to your future college/career interests
SAT/ACT
In the mean time, make sure you take advantage of FREE customized practice through Khan Academy. Remember research indicates that 20 hours of practice on Khan Academy can increase your score about 115 points. (Link the Khan Academy account to your College Board Account). This information is constantly changing so we recommend checking with the college themselves by visiting their admission web page or contacting an admissions representative.
For updates through College Board, click here.
College/Career Web Sites that provide Updates during the COVID-19
Many colleges are changing their deadlines and admission requirements regarding grades and test scores to be more flexible to accommodation students. We recommend checking with the college themselves to stay up to date with the latest information. Below are some web sites that you can check out for general college information.
https://www.detroitcan.org/admissions