College & Career Planning
Welcome to the Oakmont College and Career Planning Page! Please feel free to browse the following resources for vital links and information that can help navigate the transition to life after high school. Don't hesitate to contact your student's guidance counselor with questions or concerns surrounding any of the resources listed here.
Career Resources
AmeriCorps - AmeriCorps, a program of national and community service, provides funding for education. Participants can earn an education award of up to $4,725. Individual may work before, during or after their postsecondary education and can use the funds either to pay current or future education expenses or to repay federal student loans.
Career Path - Career Path offers free online career tests and assessments, career advice and resources to assist in your job search and along your career path.
Job-Hunt - Links to jobs opening and other job hunting information
Money Instructor - Job interview tips for teens
My Future - Here is help with your career direction, resume, and money for college
Naviance - A comprehensive college and career readiness solution for middle and high schools that helps align student strengths and interests to post-secondary goals, and improve student outcomes.
Occupational Outlook Handbook - The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives. Revised every two years, the Handbook describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations.
Online Career Center (Otherwise known as Monster.com) - Search tool for locating careers
College Application Sites
Common Application - The Common Application is the recommended form of 391 selective, independent colleges and universities for admission to their undergraduate programs. Many of these institutions use the form exclusively. All give equal consideration to the Common Application and the college's own form. Beginning in the fall 2001, public colleges and universities will also be included.
FastWeb - FastWeb provides free scholarship and college search tools.
College Information Resources
American College Testing (ACT) - ACT, Inc., is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides more than a hundred assessment, research, information, and program management services in the broad areas of educational planning, career planning, and workforce development. There are resources here for both students and parents.
Campus Tours - Hundreds of on-line tours throughout the United States
Colleges That Change Lives, Inc. (CTCL) - A non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and support of a student-centered college search process. We support the goal of each student finding a college that develops a lifelong love of learning and provides the foundation for a successful and fulfilling life beyond college.
The College Board - The college board’s aim is to facilitate the student transition to higher education. The organization is a nationally recognized source of essential programs, services, and information in the areas of assessment, guidance, admission, placement, financial aid, curriculum, and research. Also includes SAT online registration!
The Common Application - The Common Application is accepted by 391 selective colleges and universities. The process allows for students to complete one application, photocopy the form and send the form to participating colleges and universities. You may complete the application online, download and mail a paper copy or apply online.
Gap Year Association - A semester of gap year time, with access to college credit & financial aid, for every high school graduate.
My College Guide - Get information on colleges via the college search page; create a profile of yourself to send to college; ask questions of their admissions expert; get information about paying for college; read a collection of article about college and the admission process.
Naviance - A comprehensive college and career readiness solution for middle and high schools that helps align student strengths and interests to post-secondary goals, and improve student outcomes.
National Association of College Admissions Counseling - A comprehensive list of national college fairs can be found on this site
New England Association of for College Admissions Counseling - A list of upcoming college fairs can be found on this site
The Princeton Review - The Princeton Review offers students a wealth of free and unique resources. Through special student programs and this informative and comprehensive internet site, students can gather information about tests, admissions, internships, and career programs.
SuperCollege.com - Find scholarships, explore colleges, get admissions tips, and explore resources for parents on this web site maintained by Gen and Kelly Tanabe, two recent Harvard graduates.
U.S. News Colleges & Careers Center - Discover hot jobs, find college, compare ratings, prep for admissions tests, financial aid, survive freshman year, study abroad. To get at-a-glance comparisons of up to four schools, use the College Comparison Worksheet.
College Testing Information
Accuplacer Exam - Students anticipating enrolling at Mount Wachusett Community College (or any school that uses the Accuplacer) who want to practice taking the Accuplacer Exam should check out the following Accuplacer Practice Test websites:
- Study Guide Zone - Accuplacer Test Preparation.
- Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA®) - This is the Texas equivalent to the Accuplacer Exam, and this online practice test is a good prep course for the Accuplacer.
College Board - Understanding Scores: Find out how your PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 scores are calculated and what those scores mean.
Education Testing Service (ETS) - Educational Testing Service is the world's largest private educational testing and measurement organization and a leader in educational research. A nonprofit company dedicated to serving the needs of individuals, educational institutions and agencies, and governmental bodies in 181 countries, ETS develops and annually administers more than 11 million tests worldwide.
Fair Test – A list of colleges and universities which are test flexible or test optional or de-emphasize the use of SAT or ACT in the admissions process.
Kaplan Education Centers - Kaptest.com is a one-stop destination on the Web for test prep, admissions, and success in school and career.
Number2.com - Free SAT and ACT preparation and a vocabulary builder
PSAT - Understanding the test results - A Parent Tutorial
Additional Links:
- College Board -- PSAT AND SAT information, registration and preparation.
- ACT -- ACT information, registration and preparation.
- Practice Tests -- Provides free online practice exams for GED, TOEFL, SAT, ACT and NCLEX.
Financial Aid Information
Scholarship Application Tutorial Video
Seniors are encouraged to apply for local scholarships in addition to pursing national and university based scholarships. Local scholarships are posted in Naviance between December and May of the senior year, and students should check Naviance weekly for the updated scholarship list. Like college applications, many local scholarships have a separate application and a process unique to itself. It is the student's responsibility to determine what information and material each application requires and to provide that to the scholarship organization. If a scholarship requires a transcript and/or letters of recommendation, the student should make that request to his or her counselor two weeks prior to the scholarship deadline.
CSS/Financial Aid Profile - Use this online form to file for financial aid at selected competitive colleges, some of which require this in addition to the FAFSA.
FAFSA Online - Use this online form to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
FastWeb (Free Financial Aid and Scholarship Search) - FastWeb is one of the largest and most complete scholarship search on the Internet. It provides access to a searchable database of more than 4000,000 private sector scholarships, fellowships, grants, and student loans available to students.
Federal Student Aid - The U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid (FSA) is designed specifically for students, and provides details about the entire financial aid process, from considering which college to attend, to applying for aid, to repaying loans.
Financial Aid Estimators - FinAid®'s custom calculators can help you figure out how much school will cost, how much you need to save, and how much aid you'll need.
Financial Aid Information - This page provides a free, comprehensive, independent and objective guide to student financial aid.
Justin Smith Morrill Scholarship - This scholarship awards grants and scholarships for post-secondary education to residents of Fitchburg, Westminster, Ashby, and Ashburnham Massachusetts. The selection of recipients of this award is made by a Scholarship Committee. Preference will be given to those students who have shown outstanding aptitude in, or who are furthering their education in the fields of science, mathematics, or engineering.
MEFA (Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority) - MEFA is a resource for families who seek help in accessing credible information and guidance about how to make higher education affordable. The links will help facilitate the process of paying for college. This 'ONE STEP' site will enable families to apply for federal, state, and institutional financial aid; explore eligibility for thousands of private scholarships at no charge; calculate need using the current federal formula; apply for very low cost educational loans; begin monthly savings or tuition payment plans, and much more! Click on the EVENTS page to see upcoming college financing webinars.
SallieMae - Financial services company offering comprehensive site with calculators for estimating costs. (One of the industry's most respected and comprehensive sources of financial aid resources for college.)
Scholarships4School - this free website is to provide students with the tools they need to make informed decisions about obtaining scholarships and other forms of financial aid.
Tuition Exchange - A scholarship program for families of college and university faculty and staff members.
College Planning Resources