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Pro Tips from the

SEHS College &

Career Center

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Lori Sauter

sauter_l@4j.lane.edu

541-790-8052

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Leann Hollenbeak

hollenbeak_l@4j.lane.edu

541-790-8012

Welcome to the SEHS College and Career Center!

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Back when I was a newbie here at South�and I didn’t know what I wanted to say for this presentation,��I asked my College and Career Center parent volunteers what they wished they’d known about the career center early on.��Here’s (more or less) what they said:

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  1. That reps from colleges and career programs visit South all fall (and sometimes later in the year, too).

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We’ve been posting this year’s visit information:

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  • On South’s website (https://sehs.4j.lane.edu/23154_3)
  • In students’ Naviance accounts (https://student.naviance.com/southeugene)
  • In South’s e-newsletter (sent to all South families once a week)
  • In emails (to all juniors, seniors, and their parents)
  • On the dry-erase board at the College/Career Center doorway

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d

Tell folks:

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Other visit options include:

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2. The PSAT, SAT, and ACT in a nutshell

  • My thoughts about testing are here:

https://sehs.4j.lane.edu/23153_3

Testing has waned in popularity but is still valued by many schools.

  • Sophomores take the Pre-ACT in October at South most years.
  • Juniors may choose to take the PSAT at the same time.
  • Seniors may choose to take the SAT at the same time.
  • Juniors may choose to take the SAT in March (tentatively scheduled for 2025).
  • I suggest that juniors who need to take an SAT/ACT do so by spring break.
  • Likely diminishing returns from taking a test more than three times.
  • 20-30 hours of test preparation recommended if planning to apply to selective schools
  • MOST IMPORTANT: It’s just a test. There are many other ways to access college for students who struggle with testing..

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�3. CIS and Naviance:�Excellent college and career planning apps�����

  • Naviance Student: https://student.naviance.com/southeugene
  • Oregon CIS: https://oregoncis.uoregon.edu/dashboard.aspx
  • Parents can observe Naviance Student and CIS accounts.
  • Parents can access CIS guest account.
  • Students create accounts in CIS by the end of their sophomore year and in Naviance by the end of their junior year.
  • Excellent sources of career and college research
  • Used in South’s required college/career planning projects

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4. Career Prep Resources

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5. Financial Aid and Scholarships

  • The best financial aid often comes from government grants and the college/university itself. For example: https://financialaid.uoregon.edu/scholarships_freshmen
  • 4 Some Oregon public universities automatically cover tuition and fees for admitted students with high financial need and (sometimes) a minimum GPA: U of O, OSU, PSU, and WOU.
  • Students who attend an Oregon Community College and have at least a 2.0 GPA can apply (and are likely to be accepted) for the Oregon Promise Grant, covering most tuition costs.
  • SEHS maintains a list of many local and regional scholarships that we believe our students have a chance of winning, including some for non-seniors. (https://sehs.4j.lane.edu/7691_4)

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6. Sophomore�Conferences

    • Check-in for every sophomore at South to discuss high-school progress, plans for future, and resources that might be helpful to student.
    • Usually offered in career center beginning in March. Unknown this year.
    • If no conferences this year, links to resources will be available as part of students’ Sophomore Project.
    • Clarify for sophomores that some colleges have additional expectations beyond those required to graduate from high school.
    • Clarify for sophomores that if they choose to complete a CTE (Career and Technical Education) project as their Senior Project, they’ll want to take CTE courses during their junior year.

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6. It’s not too early to begin pondering life after high school.

  • Colleges, universities, apprenticeship programs, and some employers care about freshman- and sophomore-year grades.
  • Colleges, scholarship donors, and employers love to see that you have volunteered, held a job, and/or held leadership positions throughout high school.
  • No one wants to see you doing activities just to look good to other people. The activities you’ll be best at are those you like. Plus, those are the ones that can help you see what you might want in a career.
  • Freshmen and sophomores have more time to be involved than they might during junior and senior years. It’s a great time to explore extracurriculars.
  • It’s also not too late to start down a college or career pathway, even if you’ve struggled up until now.

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7. One of our jobs as parents is to help our children pay attention to who they are.

  • Mental health is more important than academics and college/career planning.

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  • Try to listen carefully to your student; instead of just telling them how it is.
  • Help them explore their interests; don’t just assign them your interests.
  • Help them consider careers aligned with their interests.
  • College is not the only path to a living-wage career.
  • Straight from high school is not the only way to college.
  • Planning for life after high school can be extremely stressful for all concerned. Try to help keep things calm.

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8. Become a College and Career Center volunteer .

Like what you learned here?

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  • The College and Career Center is staffed by parent and community volunteers.
  • Volunteering is a great way to learn the inside scoop.
  • Volunteering is a great way to access resources.
  • And, most important, it’s a great way to help South students navigate this part of their lives.

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9. How do I find

the College & Career Center’s resources?

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