College and Career Planning

Wondering how to find the "perfect" college? Here are some tips to help you with the search:

Getting Started:

• Try out the Super Match College Search: This tool can be found under the "Colleges" tab in Naviance. It will allow you to select all the things your dream college would have (activities, location, size, setting, majors, etc.) and it will generate a list of colleges you may like based on those factors.
• Add colleges to your "Colleges I'm Thinking About" list: This tool can be found under the "Colleges" tab in Naviance. It will help you get organized and give you some great information on the colleges you are considering. Click on the graphing tool next to each colleges to see what type of students that college has accepted from Spring-Ford in the past.
• Visit the College: The best way to get to know a college is by visiting campus. We recommend that you do a formal visit by scheduling a tour or registering for an open house with the Admission Office. Many colleges have moved to online scheduling, so check the college website or give the admission office a call! If there is something specific you would like to see or someone specific you would like to meet while you are there, make sure you request that with plenty of notice. The best time to visit is while college classes are in session. 
• Meet with a College Rep: Many colleges will visit Upper Perk for a day visit. You can see when the next fair will be or you can sign up to meet with a college rep during the school day on Naviance under the "College" tab. Meeting with someone from the college in person is a great way to get a feel for what the college is like and to get your questions about the college answered without having to visit.
• Do Online Research: Visit the website of each of your colleges and maybe take a look at their social media pages too. Look around to see what current students are doing, activities are available, majors you can choose from, and don't forget to stop by the admission page while you are there! It is important to stay on top of deadlines and admission requirements for each college because many colleges will require different things. Don't miss out on your dream college or a great scholarship because you missed a deadline!

1. Academic Fit: This is why you are going to college! Make sure that the college offers the academic program you need to set you up for your future career. You can determine if a school is a good academic fit by meeting faculty members for your major, checking out the classrooms/labs/facilities for your major, asking about student research/internship/co-op opportunities for students with your major. Not sure what you'll major in? Find out what the opportunities the college offers to students who are undecided.

2. Social Fit: This is going to be your home for the next 4 years! Do you like the campus? Have you tried the food? Would you want to be friends with the people you see walking around on campus? Does the school offer the clubs, sports, music programs, etc. that you want? The more comfortable you feel on campus, the more likely you are to take academic risks and get involved. You will build up your resume without even realizing it!

3. Financial Fit: For some families this may feel like the biggest factor of the three and for good reason! College is expensive! When searching for a college, we recommend that students apply to both expensive and inexpensive schools because sometimes those expensive schools offer the most free money to our students. Each school will provide students with a financial aid package after the student has been accepted. This will break down the entire cost of the college and what types of scholarships, grants, and student loans that are being offered. Students should review their financial aid package before committing to a college.

Wondering how to find the "perfect" college? Here are some tips to help you with the search:

Getting Started:

• Try out the Super Match College Search: This tool can be found under the "Colleges" tab in Naviance. It will allow you to select all the things your dream college would have (activities, location, size, setting, majors, etc.) and it will generate a list of colleges you may like based on those factors.
• Add colleges to your "Colleges I'm Thinking About" list: This tool can be found under the "Colleges" tab in Naviance. It will help you get organized and give you some great information on the colleges you are considering. Click on the graphing tool next to each colleges to see what type of students that college has accepted from Spring-Ford in the past.
• Visit the College: The best way to get to know a college is by visiting campus. We recommend that you do a formal visit by scheduling a tour or registering for an open house with the Admission Office. Many colleges have moved to online scheduling, so check the college website or give the admission office a call! If there is something specific you would like to see or someone specific you would like to meet while you are there, make sure you request that with plenty of notice. The best time to visit is while college classes are in session. 
• Meet with a College Rep: Many colleges will visit Upper Perk for a day visit. You can see when the next fair will be or you can sign up to meet with a college rep during the school day on Naviance under the "College" tab. Meeting with someone from the college in person is a great way to get a feel for what the college is like and to get your questions about the college answered without having to visit.
• Do Online Research: Visit the website of each of your colleges and maybe take a look at their social media pages too. Look around to see what current students are doing, activities are available, majors you can choose from, and don't forget to stop by the admission page while you are there! It is important to stay on top of deadlines and admission requirements for each college because many colleges will require different things. Don't miss out on your dream college or a great scholarship because you missed a deadline!

1. Academic Fit: This is why you are going to college! Make sure that the college offers the academic program you need to set you up for your future career. You can determine if a school is a good academic fit by meeting faculty members for your major, checking out the classrooms/labs/facilities for your major, asking about student research/internship/co-op opportunities for students with your major. Not sure what you'll major in? Find out what the opportunities the college offers to students who are undecided.

2. Social Fit: This is going to be your home for the next 4 years! Do you like the campus? Have you tried the food? Would you want to be friends with the people you see walking around on campus? Does the school offer the clubs, sports, music programs, etc. that you want? The more comfortable you feel on campus, the more likely you are to take academic risks and get involved. You will build up your resume without even realizing it!

3. Financial Fit: For some families this may feel like the biggest factor of the three and for good reason! College is expensive! When searching for a college, we recommend that students apply to both expensive and inexpensive schools because sometimes those expensive schools offer the most free money to our students. Each school will provide students with a financial aid package after the student has been accepted. This will break down the entire cost of the college and what types of scholarships, grants, and student loans that are being offered. Students should review their financial aid package before committing to a college.

• Career Interest Profiler: Take this easy 180 question quiz found under the "Career" tab in Naviance. This quiz will give you a list of careers that you may like based on your interest. Remember when you get the list, it is in order of the amount of preparation for each career- NOT by which career fits you best. If you are considering college, you will want to scroll down to the "considerable preparation" and "extensive preparation" sections of the list.
• MyMajors.com: Know you want to go to college? Take a quiz to see which major fits your interests the best?
• O*Net Online: Already have a career in mind? O*Net Online is a database occupations and has detailed descriptions of almost every job out there. In addition to job descriptions, it even tells you what level of education you need for each job and the average salary.
• Pennsylvania Career Guide: Published by the Department of Labor & Industry, this guide is packed with great information on a variety of different careers and resources to help with your career search

• Talk to the adults in your life! Ask you neighbor, aunt, uncle, parent's friend, etc. if they like their jobs, what they majored in, where they went to college, and if they like what they do.
• Volunteer! A great way to explore career options is by getting hands on experience volunteering for a closely related organization or business.
• Get a part-time job! Depending on what career you are thinking about, you may be able to get a part-time job as an assistant for that line of work. For instance, if you think you may want to work in a salon, you could probably make some extra cash while you explore your career options by working as a salon assistant.
• Take a class that relates to your career interests! Spring-Ford offers a variety of career focused classes like accounting, management, education, criminal justice, international studies, athletic training, biomedical sciences, engineering, etc. This can be a great way to test if this is an area you would want to spend your college years studying. 

Wondering how to find the "perfect" college? Here are some tips to help you with the search:

Getting Started:

• Try out the Super Match College Search: This tool can be found under the "Colleges" tab in Naviance. It will allow you to select all the things your dream college would have (activities, location, size, setting, majors, etc.) and it will generate a list of colleges you may like based on those factors.
• Add colleges to your "Colleges I'm Thinking About" list: This tool can be found under the "Colleges" tab in Naviance. It will help you get organized and give you some great information on the colleges you are considering. Click on the graphing tool next to each colleges to see what type of students that college has accepted from Spring-Ford in the past.
• Visit the College: The best way to get to know a college is by visiting campus. We recommend that you do a formal visit by scheduling a tour or registering for an open house with the Admission Office. Many colleges have moved to online scheduling, so check the college website or give the admission office a call! If there is something specific you would like to see or someone specific you would like to meet while you are there, make sure you request that with plenty of notice. The best time to visit is while college classes are in session. 
• Meet with a College Rep: Many colleges will visit Upper Perk for a day visit. You can see when the next fair will be or you can sign up to meet with a college rep during the school day on Naviance under the "College" tab. Meeting with someone from the college in person is a great way to get a feel for what the college is like and to get your questions about the college answered without having to visit.
• Do Online Research: Visit the website of each of your colleges and maybe take a look at their social media pages too. Look around to see what current students are doing, activities are available, majors you can choose from, and don't forget to stop by the admission page while you are there! It is important to stay on top of deadlines and admission requirements for each college because many colleges will require different things. Don't miss out on your dream college or a great scholarship because you missed a deadline!

1. Academic Fit: This is why you are going to college! Make sure that the college offers the academic program you need to set you up for your future career. You can determine if a school is a good academic fit by meeting faculty members for your major, checking out the classrooms/labs/facilities for your major, asking about student research/internship/co-op opportunities for students with your major. Not sure what you'll major in? Find out what the opportunities the college offers to students who are undecided.

2. Social Fit: This is going to be your home for the next 4 years! Do you like the campus? Have you tried the food? Would you want to be friends with the people you see walking around on campus? Does the school offer the clubs, sports, music programs, etc. that you want? The more comfortable you feel on campus, the more likely you are to take academic risks and get involved. You will build up your resume without even realizing it!

3. Financial Fit: For some families this may feel like the biggest factor of the three and for good reason! College is expensive! When searching for a college, we recommend that students apply to both expensive and inexpensive schools because sometimes those expensive schools offer the most free money to our students. Each school will provide students with a financial aid package after the student has been accepted. This will break down the entire cost of the college and what types of scholarships, grants, and student loans that are being offered. Students should review their financial aid package before committing to a college.

• Career Interest Profiler: Take this easy 180 question quiz found under the "Career" tab in Naviance. This quiz will give you a list of careers that you may like based on your interest. Remember when you get the list, it is in order of the amount of preparation for each career- NOT by which career fits you best. If you are considering college, you will want to scroll down to the "considerable preparation" and "extensive preparation" sections of the list.
• MyMajors.com: Know you want to go to college? Take a quiz to see which major fits your interests the best?
• O*Net Online: Already have a career in mind? O*Net Online is a database occupations and has detailed descriptions of almost every job out there. In addition to job descriptions, it even tells you what level of education you need for each job and the average salary.
• Pennsylvania Career Guide: Published by the Department of Labor & Industry, this guide is packed with great information on a variety of different careers and resources to help with your career search

• Talk to the adults in your life! Ask you neighbor, aunt, uncle, parent's friend, etc. if they like their jobs, what they majored in, where they went to college, and if they like what they do.
• Volunteer! A great way to explore career options is by getting hands on experience volunteering for a closely related organization or business.
• Get a part-time job! Depending on what career you are thinking about, you may be able to get a part-time job as an assistant for that line of work. For instance, if you think you may want to work in a salon, you could probably make some extra cash while you explore your career options by working as a salon assistant.
• Take a class that relates to your career interests! Spring-Ford offers a variety of career focused classes like accounting, management, education, criminal justice, international studies, athletic training, biomedical sciences, engineering, etc. This can be a great way to test if this is an area you would want to spend your college years studying. 

Wondering how to find the "perfect" college? Here are some tips to help you with the search:

Getting Started:

• Try out the Super Match College Search: This tool can be found under the "Colleges" tab in Naviance. It will allow you to select all the things your dream college would have (activities, location, size, setting, majors, etc.) and it will generate a list of colleges you may like based on those factors.
• Add colleges to your "Colleges I'm Thinking About" list: This tool can be found under the "Colleges" tab in Naviance. It will help you get organized and give you some great information on the colleges you are considering. Click on the graphing tool next to each colleges to see what type of students that college has accepted from Spring-Ford in the past.
• Visit the College: The best way to get to know a college is by visiting campus. We recommend that you do a formal visit by scheduling a tour or registering for an open house with the Admission Office. Many colleges have moved to online scheduling, so check the college website or give the admission office a call! If there is something specific you would like to see or someone specific you would like to meet while you are there, make sure you request that with plenty of notice. The best time to visit is while college classes are in session. 
• Meet with a College Rep: Many colleges will visit Upper Perk for a day visit. You can see when the next fair will be or you can sign up to meet with a college rep during the school day on Naviance under the "College" tab. Meeting with someone from the college in person is a great way to get a feel for what the college is like and to get your questions about the college answered without having to visit.
• Do Online Research: Visit the website of each of your colleges and maybe take a look at their social media pages too. Look around to see what current students are doing, activities are available, majors you can choose from, and don't forget to stop by the admission page while you are there! It is important to stay on top of deadlines and admission requirements for each college because many colleges will require different things. Don't miss out on your dream college or a great scholarship because you missed a deadline!

1. Academic Fit: This is why you are going to college! Make sure that the college offers the academic program you need to set you up for your future career. You can determine if a school is a good academic fit by meeting faculty members for your major, checking out the classrooms/labs/facilities for your major, asking about student research/internship/co-op opportunities for students with your major. Not sure what you'll major in? Find out what the opportunities the college offers to students who are undecided.

2. Social Fit: This is going to be your home for the next 4 years! Do you like the campus? Have you tried the food? Would you want to be friends with the people you see walking around on campus? Does the school offer the clubs, sports, music programs, etc. that you want? The more comfortable you feel on campus, the more likely you are to take academic risks and get involved. You will build up your resume without even realizing it!

3. Financial Fit: For some families this may feel like the biggest factor of the three and for good reason! College is expensive! When searching for a college, we recommend that students apply to both expensive and inexpensive schools because sometimes those expensive schools offer the most free money to our students. Each school will provide students with a financial aid package after the student has been accepted. This will break down the entire cost of the college and what types of scholarships, grants, and student loans that are being offered. Students should review their financial aid package before committing to a college.