Course title
N/APre-requisite
N/ACourse description
Course Description:
The course focus is on post-secondary education and students exploring and thoroughly planning life after high school. Planning and applying to colleges and post-secondary schools will be the primary goal of the first semester. Student will participate in every phase of college preparation and planning—researching and matching with colleges; writing personal statements; submitting applications and financial aid forms; applying for scholarships and exploring careers. During the second semester; students will strengthen and develop post-secondary life skills with units and activities regarding campus life; college issues; and financial education. Each student will conduct a senior research project that will be due during the second semester.
Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this course; students will:
• Meet a variety of application deadlines on a regular basis
• Research and present two colleges to a group of peers
• Apply to six colleges and/or post-secondary schools—2 safety schools; 2 target schools and 2 reach schools
• Complete both college and scholarship application trackers/checklist
• Write and craft a personal statement to fit the needs of the prompt
• Write 1 general personal statement
• Submit completed FAFSA
• Research and apply for at least four scholarships that require an essay
• Write one general scholarship essay
• Complete several career inventories
• Design a usable resume
• Compile a list of four candidates to write letters of recommendation
• Compile a personal fact sheet to accompany recommendation requests
• Write thank you letters to recommenders
• Compose appropriate emails
• Set attainable short and long term goals
• Compare financial aid packages
Grading:
Senior Seminar is a task-oriented course. Students will submit assignments on a regular basis and must adhere to deadlines. Students must have a valid excuse for missing class; and late work will only be accepted in accordance with PCA school wide policy which states that no late will be accepted except in the case of an excused absence. It is the responsibility of the student to check in with the teacher regarding any missing assignments when they are late and/or absent from class.
Assignments will typically be worth between ten and fifty points. The grades in Senior Seminar will be broken into categories and weighted as follows:
Completed college applications; scholarships; FAFSA; and checklists
50%
Personal statements; essays; and writing assignments
30%
Short-term or in-class assignments
20%