It's your senior year.
Are you ready for your next ?
College and Career Support from Texas College Bridge, powered by College Forward, will guide you through the college application process and help you enroll in the college or degree program of your choice! We know that this journey can seem overwhelming, but we are here to help.
Here are some quick tips on navigating your college resources.
Take your time to review the resources in each unit.
Unit One and Unit Two explore the value of earning a college degree, how you can show colleges that you are ready for college-level work, and why that’s important.
These are great resources to revisit if you need a reminder of why you are embarking on your college journey.
Look out for the Next Steps.
At the end of each resource, we will give you a preview of what’s coming in the next one.
Keep your Guided Activities handy.
In Unit Three, you will complete activities to explore your personality type and interests. These activities will help you find your unique career and education path. We will refer back to these as we start exploring colleges, so make sure to save your work.
Be on the lookout for additional resources next spring.
Unit Four will help you choose the right schools to apply to, and Unit Five will help you explore the ins and outs of financial aid and paying for college. Unit Six will guide you step-by-step through the application process. But don’t stop there! Come back next spring to learn what to do after submitting your application.
Unit One
Value of a Postsecondary
Why Going to College Is Worth It
Earning a postsecondary degree is an investment in your future. Many students throughout the country are wondering if pursuing a postsecondary degree or going to college is still worth it. Explore these findings to learn more about the value of a postsecondary degree.
Unit Two
Demonstrating
The Importance of Demonstrating College Readiness
College readiness refers to how ready you are to succeed in any first-year college course without needing to take developmental courses. This resource will help you understand why you should demonstrate college readiness and how you can do it.
Unit Three
Career
Personality Type Guided Activity
In this Personality Type Guided Activity, we will use a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to gain insight into your interests and possible career paths that you would find fulfilling.
Texas Reality Check Guided Activity
We’ve all spent time daydreaming about our dream life, and that dream life might look different for many of us. In this resource, we’ll take a look at what it will cost and the salary you’ll need to have your dream lifestyle with the Texas Reality Check.
Career Exploration Guided Activity
Are you interested in going to college, but unsure about your major? Do you know what career you would like to pursue, but don’t know what degree or certification you’ll need to receive first? Or maybe you know earning a degree is a valuable investment, but aren’t quite sure how a degree correlates to career opportunities? Our career exploration activity is a great place to start.
Unit Four
Choosing
Types of Colleges
There are many more types of colleges than just the public four-year universities that are often portrayed in movies and TV shows. This resource will help you explore the different colleges and degree programs available to you.
Beginning the College Research Process
There are many important factors to consider when choosing a college or university. In order to explore all of the college options available to you, use some of these key areas to guide your college search.
College Search Tools: Using the College Matrix
There are several great tools available online to help inform your college search. Explore these college search tools and learn how to use the College Forward six school College Matrix.
Unit Five
Introduction to and Financial Aid
Introduction to Financial Aid and Paying for College
The right time to apply for financial aid is right now! This resource will walk you through the four main types of financial aid—scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study—and how to apply for each of them.
FAFSA 101
Let’s dive deeper into an essential piece of the financial aid equation—the FAFSA. FAFSA 101 covers the who, what, when, where, and why of applying for federal aid.
TASFA 101
Students who do not qualify for Federal Aid, but are residents of Texas may be eligible for state aid through the TASFA, Texas Application for State Financial Aid.
Unit Six
Your College
College Application Checklist
When applying to schools, it’s important to stay organized and keep track of your application to each school. Review these common application steps and materials in order to prepare your complete college application, and then download your college application checklist.
College Application Fee Waivers
There are several different types of fee waivers that come up throughout the college application process. This resource will help you understand the differences and the requirements for each type of fee waiver.
The College Application Essay
Throughout your time at school, you’ve probably written quite a few essays. Let’s look at a few tips and strategies to really help your college essay shine and highlight everything you can contribute to your future college community!
Intro to Entrance Exams
The SAT and ACT can be intimidating, but with study and preparation, they can also be a great opportunity to highlight your academic strengths. This resource will give you an introduction to college entrance exams, basic study tips, and how to register and to request accommodations.
Nail Your Resume in 6 Steps
A resume is a one to two-page summary highlighting your education, work experiences, and other qualifications that make you ready for the college you are applying to or the job you would like to have. Follow these steps to create your resume.
