Monthly Planning Tips
Seniors | Juniors | Sophomores | Freshmen | Adult Learners | Parents | Graduate StudentsCollege Pathways
Each spring, VSAC holds College Pathways events for high school juniors (and sophomores!) and their parents. These day-long events held on college campuses offer workshops on topics including Exploring Majors & Careers, Surviving Standardized Tests, Writing a Great Admissions Essay, Finding Colleges That Fit, Applying to College, Paying for College, Learning About Scholarships, Managing Your Money in College, and much more. Everything is free and lunch is included. Come join us and hundreds of Vermont families planning for college! Registration opens Feb. 4.
This year’s events:
Saturday, March 15th at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester
Saturday, March 29th at Castleton State College
Saturday, April 12th at Lyndon State College
Test Preparation
VT Guidance Central is an interactive program for career exploration, college planning, and test preparation. Features include self-assessments, cccupational info, college search, and testGEAR's free SAT and ACT test prep tools.
LearningExpressAdvantage.com has online tools to prep for college and graduate school entrance exams as well as career related exams, including the GED, TOEFL, ASVAB (military), PRAXIS (teaching), civil service. Use VSAC's Account ID Number for free access: 10254
VSAC’s Test Preparation pathfinder contains information on all the best books and online resources for testing.
Searching for a College
School Finder - VT Guidance Central's free tool lets you choose interesting characteristics to find matching schools.
VT Colleges and Universities - A comprehensive list of Vermont colleges and universities as well as other helpful information for students considering pursuing higher education in Vermont.
Finding the right college or professional program - Advice for students on ways to find the college or professional program that will best suit their needs.
Campus visits - Advice and information for students thinking about making campus visits.
Degree scams - A warning about the various ways in which fraudulent schools claim to offer legitimate degrees that are, in fact, worthless.
Applying to college
Applying to college - Information and resources on finding the right college, applying to college, making campus visits, and seeking financial aid.
College application forms - Information and advice on finding and filling out college application forms.
Career & Education Outreach Programs at a Glance
Outreach programs at a glance - An overview of the outreach program at VSAC, including a description of program goals and a profile of clients served by the program, in addition to links that provide information on the program's services.
Parents
Resources for families with middle school students Education planning resources available for students in middle school.
Resources for families with high school students Education planning resources available for students in high school.
Planning Guide for Grades 7-12
Adult Learners
Thinking about going back to school?
Worried you can't afford education?
Steps to success for nontraditional students
Reaching Out, Fall 2006 (PDF) – a newsletter from VSAC’s Educational Opportunity Center that provides adult learners with resources, info, and encouragement.
Adult Student Handbook (PDF)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES
Check out summer opportunities for Vermont high school and middle school students!
EVENTS & WORKSHOPS
Workshops for Adults – VSAC offers a variety of workshops for adults considering career, education, or life changes.
LIBRARY PICKS
Planning for Higher Education: A Guide for Parents (pdf)
Information parents need to help their child succeed in middle school and high school. The table of contents in this 28-page document provides clickable links to different sections of the guide. (Please call us if you'd like a binder to hold the pages of this guide — 800-642-3177)
Adult Student Handbook (pdf)
An extensive guide for adults thinking of a career change or going back to school for more education.
... in PAY FOR COLLEGE
Scholarship Scams – Beware guarantees and promises.
WEB PICKS
mapping-your-future.org – This site is a joint effort of the loan guaranty agencies around the country — agencies such as VSAC that originate student loans. Information covers career planning, college selection, and financial aid.
FastWeb – Online college and scholarship search service.
www.nebhe.org — Is your major not offered in Vermont? Check out the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) Tuition Break program, also known as the Regional Student Program (RSP) or the Apple Book program.
