The McCaskey College and Career Center is offering students resources and personal support over the summer, particularly students who will be seniors in the fall.
“In today’s economic landscape, all students benefit from additional training beyond high school whether that be short/long term training, military enlistment, or 2 or 4 year college degrees,” wrote Dr. Jeremy Raff in a letter to students in June. Dr. Raff is the district’s coordinator of college and career services. “The benefits of postsecondary education remain significant and this education is critical for future success.”
Below are some virtual college and career readiness events, activities, and exploration opportunities. I’ve also attached a checklist for rising seniors of all the key college and career steps to take over the next year. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
- Text Messaging with the College & Career Center: Rising seniors are able to sign up for text messaging with members of the College and Career Center. These staff work year round and are available to answer any questions as you explore options for life after McCaskey.
- College Board Opportunity Scholarship: Free to enter, you get drawings for completing basic tasks like practicing for the SAT or creating a college list.
- IBM Career Exploration: P-Tech is offering free summer workshops with IBM staff focused on gaining technical and professional skills. This is open to anyone ages 14-20. Sessions are scheduled for July 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, and 30.
- McCaskey College Timeline Workshop Recording: Did you miss the College and Career Center webinar on the college application timeline? Check out this recorded version.
- PACAC Camp College: This program offers live Zoom workshops on topics including: College Admissions Fundamentals, Paying for College, Doing Virtual College Research, Writing A Great College Essay, Finding Success In College, and more. This virtual program is targeted for low-income, first generation, and underrepresented students.
- SAT Practice with Khan Academy: Khan Academy provides official SAT practice that connects to your College Board account. Practice is individually tailored to address areas you need to improve. Research finds that 20 hours of Khan Academy practice is associated with a 115 point increase from your PSAT to SAT!
- Strivescan: Strivescan holds recordings of over 400 different presentations and information sessions. There’s bound to be something that fits your interests.
- The National Association of Black Accountants is hosting a free online summer program from July 27th-July 30th. The program prepares students for higher education and lets them explore the accounting profession. Students must apply by July 6th.
- The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency is offering summer webinars focused on financial aid. The webinars are free but you must register in advance. Webinars topics and times are:
- Reviewing Financial Aid Offers (July 2 at 6pm)
- Financial Aid Presentation 101 (July 9 at 6pm)
- Financial Aid/PA 529 Plans (July 16 at 6pm)
- MySmartBorrowing (July 23 at 6pm)
- Xello: Students can still access their Xello accounts all summer to explore a wide number of colleges and careers.
- YouVisit: YouVisit lets you take virtual tours of college campuses and includes Pennsylvania colleges like West Chester University, Temple, Penn State, and U Penn.
You can even connect directly with a member of the McCaskey College and Career Center over the summer to get advice and answers to any of your questions by completing up for text messaging at www.tinyurl.com/McCaskeytext.