Post Secondary Planning Guide 

Including post-secondary planning resources, information on creating resumes, and access to Naviance.

Post-Secondary College Planning Calendar

Post-Secondary Planning Guide 2023

Post-Secondary Planning Class of 2021 Presentation

Post-Secondary Planning Video Resources

11th Grade College Planning Overview

11th Grade College Planning Night Power Point

2023 OCHS Student Request for a Letter of Recommendation

OCHS Transcript Request Form

Creating a Resumé:

BRAINSTORMING A.K.A.
"How do I get started?"
ACADEMIC HONORS & AWARDS (title, type, year)
COMMUNITY SERVICE (organization, hours, positions held, year)
SCHOOL ORGANIZATIONS (name, position, year)
DRAMA (drama group, production, role, year)
MUSIC (instrument, years of study, performances)
ATHLETICS (sport, level of play, position, awards)
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS (youth groups, volunteer work)
BOY SCOUT/GIRL SCOUT (level of achievements, recognitions)
SUMMER PROGRAMS (what, when, where, why)
ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES (what, when, where, why)
SIGNIFICANT TRAVEL (group/family, where, when)
OTHER HOBBIES/INTERESTS (list with specific significance)
EMPLOYMENT (position, job description, year)

Sample Resumes & Advice - Click Here 

College Essay Information and Tips:
Taken from the College Planning Manual

How important is the personal essay in college admission? How is it used? Who reads it?

First of all, the essay is important to you and the college. According to one admission director, "It makes the facts in the student's folder come alive for us. Because it is the student's personal statement, no single piece of admission evidence gets as much attention and provokes as much discussion."

The essay is your opportunity to take charge of the information the college receives about you and to provide information that does not appear in grades, test scores, and other materials. It allows you to reveal your intelligence, talent, sense of humor, enthusiasm, maturity, creativity, expressiveness, sincerity, and writing ability - traits that count in the admission evaluation.

What do Colleges look for?

Generally speaking, the admission staff will evaluate your application on three levels:

Level 1 Your ability to use standard written English that is correctly written (preferably typed), punctuated, with correct grammar, usage and syntax.

Level 2 Content, substance, and depth of insight, reflecting your ability to think about yourself and to convey your true feelings or opinions about a topic.

Level 3 Creativity and originality. "It is at this level," according to a dean of admission, "that students can position themselves as unique individuals who would bring a freshness of vision and viewpoint to the college that will enhance the quality of its academic and social life."

In essay directions, a college may ask you to do one or more of the following:

- Describe your uniqueness as a person, or tell something about yourself that can't be learned from the information in your application.
- Discuss something that contributed significantly to your growth.
- Comment on your goals and aspirations and tell how you expect the college to help meet them.
- Whatever the topic, the care and attention you give it express the level of your motivation and how much you care about college.

Creating a Resume

Request for Teacher Recommendation

Naviance

Naviance will allow you to:

• Keep track of the process - Build a resume, complete online surveys, and manage timelines and deadlines for making decisions about colleges and careers
• Research colleges - Compare GPA, SAT scores, and other statistics to actual historical data from our school for students who have applied and been admitted in the past
• Sign up for college visits - Find out which colleges are visiting our school and sign up to attend those sessions.

 *Contact the Guidance Office if you have any questions regarding using this resource.

Other Helpful Sites

College Board Online
On this site you can register for the SAT, do a college search, find a college profile and find out about all the services and products that College Board offers.

Princeton Review
An online pioneer "The Princeton Review" is a premier source of online information for ambitious teens and young adults seeking college, graduate school and career information. The website offers students information about standardized tests, admissions, internships, and career programs. Try the counselor-o-matic college search.

U.S. News.edu
This comprehensive site offers users a chance to do a college search, find detailed information about schools including the magazines annual rankings and a wealth of information about college admission issues.

Common Application
The Common Application is the recommended form of 230 selective colleges and universities for admission to their undergraduate programs. Many of these institutions use the form exclusively. All give equal consideration to the Common Application and the college's own form.

College Guide
This is a site directed at the high school student looking for information about the college admission process. It includes information on how to make yourself a more attractive candidate and an admissions guru who answers the tough question about college admission.

Colleges, College Scholarships, Financial Aid
This Colleges, College Scholarships, and Financial Aid page is designed to offer college-bound students, parents, and counselors easy access to information on:
* Colleges and universities throughout the United States
* Free college scholarship and financial aid searches
* SAT and ACT test preparation tips, and more

CampusTours.com
CampusTours is the definitive online source for virtual college tours, interactive maps, college webcams, QuickTime VR tours, campus movies and pictures. Every day thousands of prospective students visit CampusTours to take virtual excursions of colleges across the United States.

ecampustours.com
Ready to begin your college planning? eCampusTours.com is a revolutionary college planning web site featuring 360° x 360° virtual campus tours of over 1200 college campuses. Each campus tour allows you to see what college life is really like through unique panoramic photographs.