College & Career Chronicles
with Ms. Stevie
May 26, 2023 - Final Installment
School's Out For Summer...Almost
Well, first and foremost, ENJOY YOUR SUMMER VACATION! However, if you have the time and desire to prepare for the next year of high school, here are some things you could do:
Rising Sophomores
Start building up extracurricular activities. Colleges are looking for deep engagement in a few activities that students are passionate about rather than students engaging in many activities just to check boxes.
Prepare for the PSAT/NMSQT. This exam is a great way to evaluate your test taking skills and to experience what the SAT test will be like. In addition, the NMSQT stands for National Merit Scholar Qualifying Test which, depending on your PSAT score, could translate into a substantial scholarship.
Rising Juniors
Continue building your extracurriculars. Dive a little deeper into activities. For example, start a school club that builds up your passion project or begin exploring leadership roles in your recreational activity.
Start thinking about life after high school. What do you envision your life being? What career interests you? Are there multiple things you are interested in? Try to find an internship or summer opportunity that can help you explore those ideas.
Start compiling that college list if you're planning to go to college. There are thousands of colleges in the US! You can lessen the stress your junior and senior year by starting a list now and whittling it down during Junior year to apply to only the colleges you are excited about!
Prepare for the SAT or ACT. While you will have the opportunity to take the SAT at the beginning of your senior year, it might be a more strategic plan to take the SAT during junior year. You can take the SAT multiple times to reach your ideal score. If you get this done during your junior year, it's one less thing to stress about come senior year.
Rising Seniors
Stick with your extracurricular activities. Continue diving deeper into your extracurricular activities and create meaningful experiences.
Go on vacation. Yes, go on vacation but not just any vacation, make it a working vacation by visiting colleges that you are interested in. You can hit many colleges in one trip! For example, if there are colleges along the east coast you want to visit, plan to fly into a central location like Boston or New York and road trip with your family to the colleges that interest you.
Whittle down your college list. Ideally, you will have whittled your list down to 8 colleges that comprises of 2 safety schools, 4 target schools, and 2 reach schools.
Get a calendar. Remember those gigantic calendars that your moms and/or teachers have so they can write every activity/event/menu/etc. item on it? You need one of those. Write in all the deadlines for each school you plan on applying to, scholarship dates, FAFSA priority deadline, SAT date, etc. Those are your hard deadlines. Now, make your own deadlines: when should your first draft of your personal essay be done, when should you ask for recommendations (sooner rather than later!), when will you be visiting each college you want to attend, etc.
Make a brag sheet. Not only will this aid in your recommendations (most people you ask for recommendations will ask for something like this), it will help you to compile a glowing essay for possible scholarships.
Brainstorm. Use the summer time to brainstorm ideas for your personal essay. Check out the College Essay Guy's tips below for writing a phenomenal personal statement.
Our Laker Graduates
Enjoy you last summer with minimal responsibilities! Eat home cooked meals, hug your parents, go out with friends, hang out with your annoying little sibling. Though it is an exciting time in your life, you will miss some of these things when you set off on your next adventure. Take advantage of your last summer as a "kid."
LO Parents of Graduates
Whether your graduate is your only, first, or last, this time of transition is bittersweet. The best part of being a parent is watching your child grow up and the worst part about being a parent is...well...watching them grow up. I found this lovely article from The Washington Post that describes the pride and sorrow of watching your child enter the next phase of their life.
Life After High School
Let Ms. Stevie and the Counseling Department know what your plans are after high school. Stop by so Ms. Stevie can snap a picture with your future school pennant (she has A LOT if you don't) or trade pennant (yes, they have pennants, too!) She would love to decorate the College & Career Center with all your excited faces! You can also send her a picture of you in uniform or on your gap year experience.
There are many paths after high school and we want to acknowledge them all!
Summer Opportunities
Lewis & Clark Circular Innovation Challenge
A 5 day Entrepreneurship Camp hosted by the Bates Center for Entrepreneurship & Leadership at Lewis and Clark from July 23-28, 2023. This program is designed for students in grades 9-12 who are interested in entrepreneurship, sustainability, and innovation. Throughout the week, students will learn about the circular economy, hear from experienced mentors and leaders in the Portland area, and participate in day-trips to circular companies. Students will also have the opportunity to explore Portland's beautiful summer scenery and experience the campus/dorm life at Lewis and Clark. Additionally, a $20,000/year merit-based scholarship to Lewis & Clark for all students who successfully complete this entrepreneurship program. For more details and to apply click here
Clackamas Community College Summer Camps
Explore dental careers and earn scholarship money or earn college credit in hands-on, in-person summer camps!
Summer 2024 opportunity
Public vs. Private
This article from US News breaks down the differences quite nicely.
Events
From the Comfort of Your Own Home
College Secrets Revealed for Rising Seniors
Reed College presents College Secrets Revealed, a virtual event that covers important aspects of the college application process. Admission counselors will lead interactive workshops on the essay, the application, and the interview. There will be offerings of College Secrets Revealed in June and July, with the first event on June 2.
Application Basics
Reed College presents APPLICATION BASICS – Tuesday, June 20, at 2 p.m.The college application process has a lot of moving parts, especially when it comes to the different rounds and required materials. This session is designed to walk your students through the basics and make it clear what to complete and when.
In the Community
Career Days through Portland Workforce Alliance
Students are responsible for their own transportation. Follow the links to register.
Portland Fire & Rescue Career Day
May 26, 2023 9:00 am - 11:30 am
Come join the action-packed Career Day at Portland Fire & Rescue! Learn what it takes to work at Oregon’s largest fire and emergency services provider. Get a chance to suit up and try Portland Fire & Rescue's fun physical agility tests. Learn about their extensive public safety services, including emergency medical training.
Trade Highlight of the Month - Hair Stylist
Hair Stylists are beauty service professionals who specialize in the fashioning and treatment of hair. As a Hairstylist, it is important to be an attentive listener and have excellent customer service skills. It is also vital that you are creative as you will be keeping up on hairstyle trends and that you can exhibit good time management skills as Hairstylists often set their own schedules.
The average salary for a hair stylist in the state of Oregon is $20.81 plus tips. However, depending on the experience and the salon, a hair stylist can make upwards of $82.77 per hour plus tips.
Watch the pros and cons of becoming a hair stylist below:
Becoming a Hair Stylist
The following schools offer training to become a Hairstylist:
- Aveda Institute
- Beau Monde Academy
- College of Hair Design Careers
- Northwest College of Beauty
- Phagans School of Hair Design
You can find more information on becoming a licensed Hairstylist here
Some Nuts & Bolts
Paying for College
FAFSA
