In my experience (that is, 25 years worth of career counseling), I have found that many folks don’t give much consideration to their industry preferences.  Not sure what exactly I mean by an ‘industry’? Well, I’m referring here to the clustering of services or goods into categories.  A few examples include the textile, education, and information technology industries.

I dreamed up the Industry Preference Exercise back when I worked as the Career Center Director at Rivier College. I used it then, and still do, as one piece of the career assessment process. When combined with interest, personality and other assessments, we tend to see themes that come up over and over again. These themes are powerful in that they help folks to see that there are consistent patterns in their interests. These patterns can guide them as they explore their new career possibilities and as they search for work. 

My colleagues at Rivier took this activity one step further by providing links to websites that let you explore industries of interest online. I consider this to be an excellent resource to support you in identifying and exploring industries of interest…although I am admittedly biased! So, if you’re in career transition and wanting to determine one or more industries of interest, or if you just want to know more about trends in an industry of interest, this is the resource for you. www.rivier.edu/departments/cardev/IndustryPreferenceExercise.htm 

Until next time…
Sue Posluszny
www.careeroptions4me.com

For more information about me and my qualifications, please click here.

        

(written by Rising STAR, Krystal)

Hi Readers!

During my high school career I have taken many classes that have helped prepare me for my future career in social work. During my junior year of high school, I took both sociology and psychology for college credit. Both of these classes gave me a great understanding of society, human personalities, and social ethics. These classes helped confirm both my interest and my passion for social work.

I have also taken a child development class which has given me great insight into understanding children in terms of how they develop from infancy into teens and later into adults. I am confident that all of these classes will help build me a great foundation for what I will study in college. I am also sure I will use all the skills I am learning as I begin working in my career.

So when it’s time to start choosing your classes for next year, think about what you may want to study in college or do as a career. See if any classes your school offers will give you an opportunity to begin to get exposed to your field of interest or career interest. And of course, even if you can’t take a class in your field of interest, you can always be looking for a cool job shadow, internship, or community service opportunities!

Best of luck,
Krystal

        

(written by Val, College Outreach Specialist)

Bloggers:

• Are you currently a senior in high school?
• Do you enjoying writing and public speaking?
• Do you have a lot to say about the college admissions process and would love the opportunity to voice your advice and thoughts to an auditorium full of eager listeners?
• Does inspiring current high school juniors and their families appeal to you?
• Do you want to win a $1000. scholarship to help pay for college?

Then we have a scholarship speech contest that would be perfect for you!

Every year, the Center for College Planning organizes Destination College, a college planning day geared towards high school Juniors and their families.  The speech winner helps start the morning activities with their original speech.  The event will take place on March 27, 2010 (with a back-up snow date of March 28) at Southern New Hampshire University, located in Manchester, New Hampshire.  The winner must be able to deliver their speech at that time.

The deadline for all entries is this Friday, February 5, 2010.

For more information about the speech contest rules, where to submit your speech and a link showcasing last year’s Destination College speech contest winner, please visit http://www.nhheaf.org/index.asp?page=stu_dc

Happy Writing,
Val

        

(written by Rich, college outreach counselor)

In an effort to increase the number of applicants, some schools are resorting to "credit card" type marketing. In this interesting New York Times article, colleges discuss the tactic of mailing out "exclusive" applications.

You'll find it very interesting how admissions offices market to a student telling them they are part of a select group in order to entice the student to apply. After a little digging the reporters discover that these "exclusive" applications are sent to tens of thousands of students.

I'll let the story tell you the rest.

If you ever have questions about the validity of a school that sends you a pre-filled application, give the Center for College Planning a call at 1-888-7-GRADUATE x119.

Rich

        

(written by Rising STAR, Meryssa)

Hey readers! Today I am writing a blog about the tests we all dread during our high school years. Yes, I am talking about midterms! At my school midterms are this week so I have been studying twenty-four seven.

Do you find it is hard to fit all of the studying into your schedule?  Let me help you today by offering some tips to help fit it all in. I have been very busy with a ton of meetings and appointments, so I made flash cards to take with me when I have to go out of the house. Some of you might be saying “Well, I don’t have flash cards” or “I don’t have the time to make flash cards”.  If you don’t have flash cards, you can make your own by folding a piece of paper a few times until you get boxes on the paper the size you want your flash cards. Next, cut on the creases and you now have flash cards. Try writing a question or a word that you need to remember on one side and writing the answer or definition on the other. All you need is your notes or book for the subject that you are making flash cards for, a pen or pencil and a pair of scissors. Also, if you are going out with your friends to just hang out; ask if they need to study for midterms too. If they say yes, say “Cool, I do too!” and then you have someone to study with to make it less boring.

I also noticed that if I study in front of a TV or a computer I tend to get distracted. I find myself saying to myself “I’ll only watch TV or go on the computer for a few minutes” then an hour later I’m like “wow, I need to get back to studying”! So my advice to you is while studying find a quiet place that allows you to focus.  Don’t surround yourself with technology (yes, even your cell phone!) as it’s an easy distraction.

Why is studying important?  For those of you that are juniors and seniors, college admission offices look at your junior and senior grades very heavily. Don’t get me wrong, they look at all of your grades, but they want to see how much you have matured and improved throughout high school and since midterms are a big part of your grade I would study, study, study.

Lastly, I learned to eat something healthy to get my brain going. It helps me stay on track and helps my stomach from growling all morning!

So let’s review... 1. Make studying interesting so you don’t get bored. 2. STAY AWAY FROM TECHNOLOGY!!!  (Because we all know that we can get distracted by a text message.) 3. Eat something healthy to give you more energy.   What study tips do you have that you can share with our blog readers?

Good Luck!

Smiles and happy studying-

Meryssa

        

Hey everyone, so I’m back! It was a long holiday break, and a lot has been accomplished in my college planning pursuit since I last wrote. 

Over the break, I took a visit to one of my top schools (where I hope to play lacrosse). I met with the coach, who took both my parents and I for a tour around the school. I absolutely loved what the school had to offer me. The campus wasn’t the nicest looking school I have seen, but what the campus offered, and the college environment itself, made me feel like I would be really comfortable going there.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have heard back from two out of the four schools I applied to. I got accepted to my top out–of-state school (the one that I visited over break!) as well as my one and only in-state school. This in-state school offered me a great academic scholarship!

So as you can imagine, it’s tough to make my decision. I absolutely loved the out-of state school, no doubt; and I would play lacrosse there. However, my in-state school gave me a great scholarship and one of the classes I am taking now in high school (college accounting) would actually count for college credit (saving me money and time). I have a lot to consider before May 1, which is the National Candidate Reply Date.

So, I’ve also taken into consideration that after only hearing back from two schools and still waiting on two others, I have decided to apply to another in-state school, possibly two. This way I have more options, and I’ll be able to see which school offers me the best financial aid package. In the end, I know it’s not only about the best financial aid package, but where I will feel comfortable and know that that school is the best fit for me.

Decisions, decisions, decisions,

Lauryn

        

The Center for College Planning has taken on a new endevour for 2010. In addition to podcasting the CCP's webinars, we have also started to publish podcasts that are simply an "all things college" conversation amongst the college counselors. In January's podcast the counselors focus on starting a new decade, security concerns with the FAFSA, and the verification process. Enjoy!

Download | Duration: 00:27:53

        

(written by Rising STAR, Krystal)

When you are ready to apply to college, you need to know there are a few different ways to fill out college applications. It's your choice which way you want to do it. One choice you have is to submit your application online through the college’s own Admissions Office website. Another choice is to fill out a paper application. But there is one more choice that some 300 colleges nationwide let you use and that is something called the Common Application. The Common Application, also called “Common App,” can be found on the website www.commonapp.org. You can go to this site and fill out one online application and send it to multiple colleges at one time.

I chose to use the Common Application. It made my application process so much easier. I applied to six colleges and only one of the six didn't use the Common Application. You just fill out the online application and choose the colleges you want it to be sent to, and send it. This also meant that I only had to write one essay rather than 5 separate essays!

First check to see if any of your schools accept the Common Application, then also check to see if they require any extra “supplemental forms”. You can find all of this out by simply going to the common app website.

So basically, filing online is much easier then dealing with all the papers you have to deal with when filing a paper application. By applying to college online, you don’t have to worry about paying to mail anything out and don’t have to worry about making sure things didn't get lost in the mail. These are just good things to consider when making your choice.

Until next time,

Krystal

        

(written by Rich, college outreach counselor)

If you’re a fan of the Boston Red Sox, you’ve probably noticed ticket prices are one of the highest in the league, Fenway franks are priced as if they are prime rib, and making it to a game can be very difficult. Despite these things, New Hampshire has stayed faithful to its local team. Now, the Red Sox are giving back.

The Red Sox Foundation has announced that it will award a $1,000 scholarship to one student at ten different public high schools in New Hampshire. Eligibility criteria includes demonstrated academic excellence and a commitment to community service, as well as having financial need.

The eligible high schools are:
Concord High School
Dover High School
Keene High School
Londonderry High School
Manchester Central High School
Merrimack Valley
Pinkerton Academy
Portsmouth High School
Salem High School
Spaulding High School

For additional information on applying please visit: http://redsoxfoundation.org/nhscholarships/.  The deadline to apply is March 19th.

Remember, scholarship information for NH students can also be found at:
www.nh93.com
www.nhcf.org
www.nhheaf.org

Good luck,

Rich

        

(written by Rich, CCP outreach specialist)

In January, many families rush to file the FAFSA and possibly the CSS Profile. Many find these forms confusing for multiple reasons. Some are confused by the wording of the questions, and some are worried about how the information is used. This video presentation helps answer many of those questions and concerns. The Center for College Planning is also available to assist in filing the FAFSA form, if you would like some help. To schedule an appointment simply call 1-888-7-GRADUATE x119. To watch the video presentation simply click the link below and go to the final link listed as "File a FAFSA 2010-2011."

Filing the FAFSA and CSS Profile video presentation.