Post-Secondary Pathways
This type of school focuses on hands-on training for a specific job like welding or cosmetology.
What is a trade school?
Skills you are naturally good at are called this.
What are aptitudes?
When researching colleges, this factor refers to whether a school is urban, suburban, or rural and how that environment fits a student.
What is setting (or location/environment)?
This federal form must be completed to receive need-based financial aid.
What is FAFSA?
These are technical abilities like welding or speaking a foreign language.
What are hard skills?
This degree is typically earned after two years and can transfer toward a bachelor’s degree.
What is an associate’s degree?
This planning method uses the acronym Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound.
What are SMART goals?
This type of admission considers the whole applicant, including activities and essays.
What is holistic admission?
This tool estimates what a family will actually pay after financial aid.
What is the Net Price Calculator?
These are interpersonal abilities like teamwork and communication.
What are soft skills?
These agreements allow students to transfer from a community college to a university with guaranteed admission if requirements are met.
What are articulation agreements?
This process involves examining your values, strengths, and interests before planning your future.
What is self-reflection?
This application type is non-binding but allows students to receive early admission decisions.
What is Early Action?
This type of aid does not need to be repaid.
What are grants?
This acronym includes Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.
What is STEAM?
Students attend these institutions for free but must serve in the military after graduation.
What are U.S. Service Academies?
According to the text, goals differ from objectives because goals are broad outcomes, while these are specific steps.
What are objectives?
If accepted under this plan, a student must attend that college.
What is Early Decision?
This type of aid is awarded based on achievement like grades or talent.
What is merit aid?
This group of skills includes critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration.
What are 21st-century skills (or the Seven C’s)?
This program allows high school students to earn college credit while still enrolled in high school.
What is dual enrollment?
This person is identified in the text as your best resource for planning course selection in high school.
Who is your school counselor?
When an application is moved to the regular decision pool after early review, it is called this.
What is deferred?
This concept measures the value of education by comparing earnings to the total cost.
What is Return on Investment (ROI)?
This specific “C” from the Seven C’s refers to analyzing problems and making logical decisions.
What is critical thinking?