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CHS TRANSITION GUIDE

Table of Contents:
Planning
Work
School
Financial Aid
Time Line

Planning  (What do I want to do after high school?)

It is important to decide what you want to do after graduation. There are many career options, but it is important to decide early.

Requirements for graduation from Clintonville High School:
  • 4 credits English
  • 3 credits social studies (must include 1 credit world studies, 1 credit U.S. history, ½ credit of social studies as a junior and ½ credit as a senior)
  • 2 credits math
  • 2 credits science (must include 1 credit science in grade 9 and 1 credit biology)
  • 1 ½ credits physical education
  • ½ credit living skills
  • ½ credit health (must be earned between grades 7-12, usually earned in middle school)
  • 11 credits of electives

To work or to continue school – that is the question
Basically there are three paths to choose from after high school; you can either continue your education, work, or enter the military. There is no right or wrong choice, but it is a choice you will have to make and it does have an impact on your future.
You should be aware that while there are benefits to continuing with school, these choices need to be made before your senior year. For example, in order to enter the UW system, students must have taken math through advanced algebra. Students must schedule classes to complete geometry by the end of junior year so advanced algebra can be taken during the senior year. Some technical college programs may require pre-requisites, such as chemistry, in order to be admitted into the program. Almost all education beyond high school will require you to take an entrance test. The exception would be in the trade school areas. Students should prepare with practice tests and can take the test more than 1 time.

Career sites:
  • Wiscareers:  Provides high quality career development resources and services in a variety of media and formats accommodating user needs. http://wiscareers.wisc.edu/Default.asp (free to CHS students)
  • O Net: Has detailed descriptions of options for job seekers.  www.onetonline.org/ (free)
  • WI career pathways: Provides a complete picture of the diverse types of education provided by Wisconsin higher education. www.wicareerpathways.org/ (free)

 

WORK

If you choose to work after high school you may want to consider options such as:
  • ______ Youth options (Program is for students 16 and older, students must commit to taking classes through a technical college in the evenings and could be expected to attend school on weekends,  this program must be approved by the Board of Education, deadline is March 1 for the fall semester and October 1 for the spring semester)
  • ______ Wolf River School to Work (Program is open to juniors and seniors. Students attend CHS part of the day and work part of the day, fee required, approximately $1000, student can use what is earned to pay the fee, WRStW will set up a payment plan. A counselor from WRStW will assist in finding a job from 8-9 career areas, students must apply for jobs and interview, there is no guarantee of a job, night and weekend classes may be required.)
  • ______ On the job training, apprentice (CHS does not provide apprenticeship positions)
  • ______ Military
Direct to work sites:

 

SCHOOL

If you choose to go to school you will have 3 options:
  • ______ Trade School/Training program up to 1 year (includes cosmetology, truck driving, etc. Student generally takes only classes that apply to career)
  • ______ 2 year associates degree (technical or community college such as NWTC, FVTC, UW Marathon County)
  • ______ 4 year college (bachelor degree)
Parents should be aware that once a student turns 18; schools (beyond high school) will not release any information about the student including grades without written authorization from the student.

Minimum Requirements for UW system: 2 year* or 4 year college*:

  • 4 years English
  • 3 years social studies
  • 3 years science(including a lab science, usually chemistry)
  • 3 years math (through advanced algebra)
  • 2 years foreign language (suggested, not required at all colleges)
  • Take ACT (fee required, requirements vary, composite score of 20+ required by all 4 year colleges)
  • GPA (should be in 2.5 or above range, ranked in top ½ of class)
*see individual university requirements

2 year technical college:
Student should apply to technical college prior to taking the entrance test. Apply on line, application fee required for each school. Must take ACCUPLACER, TABE, COMPASS, or other entrance test (testing fee required)  Each program in all technical colleges has separate benchmarks for entrance into that specific program. If student does not achieve benchmarks on the entrance test, program preparation classes may be taken to achieve benchmarks (fees are usually charged, student may be required to purchase workbooks, etc.)

Trade school/Training school:
No/minimal entrance tests required. It should be noted that some trade schools/trade school programs are eligible for financial assistance and some are not.

How do I apply for school?
Student must meet minimum high school course requirements to be accepted into UW system. Private 2 and 4 year college requirements will vary. Fill out the UW system application on line, fee required for each application. All UW schools will require students to take the ACT. There is a fee for taking the ACT and students must register online and pay the fee prior to taking the test. On the day of the test students must show up on time with identification, a printed entrance ticket, pencils and approved calculator. It is recommended that students bring a watch because tests are timed and cell phones are not allowed. ACT preparation is recommended since scores are a major factor in college acceptance. Students can take the ACT more than once; however, they must register and pay another fee.

Technical colleges will require students to take whatever entrance test is listed on the school’s web site. For example FVTC requires the ACCUPLACER and NWTC requires the TABE. Students may also use ACT test scores, but those scores must meet program requirements for entry. UW schools and technical colleges differ in that; UW schools require a minimum ACT score to enter the school (additional requirements may exist to be accepted into a particular field of study).  However, in technical colleges, individual departments set testing benchmarks for entry.  For example, the requirements to enter the nursing program at FVTC may be different than the scores needed for the graphic arts program. All schools do require students to obtain a minimum level of proficiency to begin general education classes.

UW schools require students to obtain minimum scores on the ACT, but also require all students to complete UW placement testing prior to beginning classes. The placement tests allow students to take advanced, regular, or remedial classes if the student does not meet minimum levels of proficiency. While remedial classes are offered, their credits will usually not count towards degree credit requirements.

What if I don’t do well on the testing?
Students can retake tests in order to improve scores. If a student does not meet minimum ACT scores for UW, the student can attend a junior college or technical college and utilize the guaranteed transfer program. If a student does not meet minimum test scores for a program at a technical college, the student can complete Program Preparation classes (fee required) to prepare student for the program.
College/school sites

Financial Aid
One of the biggest differences between high school and post high school education is the cost. And the most common question at this point is - how am I going to pay for school. There is no question that education beyond high school can be expensive; private schools in the area can cost $30 – 40,000 per year. 4 year UW schools cost an average of $15,000 per year including food and housing. Technical colleges are less expensive, approximately $2-3,000 per year, but few offer housing options so you may have to work in order to pay rent or travel 2 or more hours to get to and from school as well as actually go to school. There are sources of financial aid available, but you must apply for them. If you have good credit or not so good credit – fill out the FAFSA, you will not know what you qualify for unless you do.

The first step is filling out the FAFSA – must be filled out for all other types of financial aid. The FAFSA is free. Be careful not to go to any site other than the government site or they will ask for money to transfer your information to the free government site!

FAFSA: www.fafsa.gov

Great Lakes: http://www.studentaidanswer.com/

Even if you think your money situation is unusual there may be money available for school – ask. Parents with seniors in high school can fill out the FAFSA  beginning  January 1st of each year. The FAFSA is a free government website, but it does need to be filled out each year for each student. Once you are in the system and have a FAFSA pin number, much of the information can be transferred to other students within your family. Your FAFSA information can be sent to schools that your student is interested in attending. As soon as the student has an acceptance letter from their chosen school and has informed the school of their intention to attend, the school will prepare a financial aid award letter for the student. Students may accept all or part of the financial aid awarded, but the student must let the school know in writing.
Financial aid: financial aid can come in the form of parent/grandparent savings (college funds). If parents do not have the resources there are parent loans, student loans, scholarships, and grants.

Money that MUST be paid back*:
All forms of financial aid can be accessed through the FAFSA website including loans such as the Parents Plus Loan, Perkins Loan, and Stafford Loan. It is important to note that education loans are loans that must be paid back. Loans are currently around 8.5% and are for an average of 10 years. Loans must be applied for each year and can be combined so parents pay 1 payment. Some parent loans require that payments be made while the student is in college; some will begin repayment after the student graduates. All student loans begin repayment approximately 4-6 months after the student graduates. Student loans can be subsidized (the government pays interest on the loan while the student attends school full time) and unsubsidized (interest accrues on the loan while the student is in college full time, even though payments are not required until after graduation).

* There is an exception to every rule. School loans may be forgiven in certain areas of high need, for example a teacher who works for a certain number of years in a school district with a high poverty level, or a student who enters the Peace Corps or the military.

Money that does not need to be paid back:
Scholarships are also available; students should begin searching for scholarships at the beginning of their senior year.

Grants are offered by the government and are based on financial need. Although helpful, grants may not be enough to pay for school.
If you have any questions, every school has a financial aid department, feel free to contact them. These departments are very helpful and can answer any questions you may have. They will work with you to find a way to finance your education.

Timeline:

Grade 8 – Students must schedule appropriately, they must take classes that will meet entrance requirements for a four year college or technical college. Students should try to explore interests; this is the time to find out what you like and as importantly, what you don’t like.

Grade 9 – High school can be quite a shock for some students. It is important to do well in required classes while exploring electives to help guide you in choosing a career. Remember that while most students do not think specifically beyond high school, it is important to plan. If a student enjoys cooking, that student may want to pursue a career in culinary arts.

Grade 10 – Students should be thinking about their individual progress in school and adjusting their individual goals accordingly. At one point students must look at effort and grades and be honest. If a student has not done well in the area of science, perhaps a science related field is not an appropriate choice. Remember after high school, students must test into a program and maintain a certain grade point average to remain in that program. By the end of grade 10 students should have decided whether to continue their education or pursue the direct to work route. Again, there is no right or wrong decision. If a student would like to become a zoologist but struggled in grade 10 biology, zoology may not be a good option, but there are related fields. Students can choose the school to work option during their junior or senior year if they decide on the work route. Students planning to attend a four year college should take the PLAN test (fee required).

Grade 11 – Students should have an idea of what area they would like to pursue as a career. It does seem early, but the days of studying liberal arts until a student has decided on a major field of study are over. Students can and do change their choice of major in college, but students should be aware that every time a new major is chosen, that student’s graduation date is pushed further back. One change of major may mean another semester, two changes, another year. Students planning to attend a four year college should take the PSAT if they have not already done so. Students should also begin touring potential schools.

Grade 12 – The question of whether to work or continue with school after graduation should be answered. Again, there is no right or wrong answer, it is a personal choice. You should be aware that if you want to attend school beyond high school, your chance of going and succeeding is much higher if you go directly after high school. If you want to work, you should be scheduling classes to suit that field. For example, you should not apply for a welding position unless you have welded. Students should have a resume and be actively applying for work by late May. It should be noted that many times options are limited until the age of 18.

It is important to schedule campus visits during your junior and/or senior year. There are many factors to consider when choosing a college or university and it is very difficult to make sure your choice is ‘a good fit’ unless you see the school in person.  Students planning to attend a 4 year college should take the ACT during the summer preceding their senior year or the first semester of their senior year. Students should have narrowed the list of potential schools to 3 and had their ACT scores sent to those schools. Depending on financial resources, students should apply for the college of their choice in the fall of their senior year. Each application costs between $35-45 and can easily be completed online. Technical Colleges require entrance tests that are specific to that school, so you may be required to apply to the school first, and then take the entrance test. A search for scholarships should begin early in the senior year on fastweb and locally by November. FAFSA information should be completed by March 15th. By the end of April, seniors should know which school they are going to, they should have taken and met minimum entrance test requirements for the school of their choice, applied for admission, received an acceptance letter, accepted the admission offer and sent a deposit to the school. Students should apply for housing – a packet of information will be sent separately and is time sensitive. Roommate choices and dorm assignments are made early in the summer and can rarely be changed after that date. Schools will also send information for orientation day(s). Orientation day(s) are important because this is generally when students schedule classes-so the earlier you schedule the greater chance to get the classes you want.

 

Clintonville High School  ♦  64 West Green Tree Road  ♦  Clintonville, WI 54929  ♦  715.823.7215 Ext. 2200