Helping Your Teen

With College &

Career Planning

Laura Bowling, Counselor Intern Rhonda Fryer, College & Career Readiness Technician
 Ice Breaker: Can You Relate?
Is this what
happens when you
begin conversations
with your teen?

https://www.positionu4college.com
Tell us why you’re here and what your
expectations are for this presentation.
 Goals For Today
1. Gain insight into brain development during the teen years
2. Understand various stages of vocational and personal identity
3. Make connections with human development and the tasks of choosing a
college and career path.
4. Discover one type of pathway to use when choosing colleges and careers
5. Understand ways to be a supportive parent through the process
6. Learn practical strategies to use with teens
 ● Center brain=pleasure/reward
What’s happening in ●
●
Develops from back to front
Underdeveloped pre-frontal cortex
that teen brain? ●
●
Poor judgment; don’t see consequences
Impulse/emotion vs
logic/practicality/reasoning
● Attention span/concept of time
Image of brain ● Misinterpret facial expressions, social cues,
interactions
 Identity Status: Search for personal and vocational identity

Diffusion Foreclosure Moratorium Achievement

Avoids commitment, Premature identity Actively thinking about life Resolved any crises, formed
indecision about major life formation. Accepting decisions and options, but own opinions, and made a
issues, constantly values of others, no firm commitment. Can final commitment to ideals
searching, escape to avoid over-compliant, makes a be uncomfortable during and vocational choice
anxiety. Doesn’t know or commitment before evaluation. College could
care exploring their own values be part of this stage.
 How Can Parents Help?
BE SUPPORTIVE + COMMUNICATION STAY INVOLVED
Listen to verbal and
Offer advice and support Teens still need
nonverbal messages
without judgement. supervision
Guide them in
Be patient---this can feel Balance protection with
understanding that all
scary standing back
actions have
consequences Take advantage of
opportunities to bring up
the future...in small doses
Career Planning-There’s more than Teacher, Doctor, Lawyer
Explore Options Reach your Goal
Create a list of career options Decide on a pathway to your
and learn about them.. Many career choice. This will involve
assessments automatically some form of education.
provide this. Watch video
stories.

Know Yourself
Learn about interests, values,
beliefs, personality, skills,
Choose a Path
abilities, lifestyle by taking a Hone in on a general career
career assessment together. field. Discuss how it fits with
Do these throughout HS what they know about
because interests change. themself. Take classes that
allow them to explore the
career path.

http://www.youblisher.com/p/59166-Career-Planning-With-Your-Teens/
 Reach your Goal
College Planning Keep up grades,, take
challenging courses, take part
in activities that interest you
and commit to them,
Explore Options volunteer, get to know
Virtual tours, web searches, teachers/counselors. Prepare
college fairs, visits with reps, for the SAT/ACT. Write essays
campus tour, in-depth over summer and complete
preview. Keep a spreadsheet applications. Apply early fall.
with notes on each school and FAFSA (October) and
unique aspects. scholarships

Know Yourself
Using an online college tool,
input your preferences for
Choose a Path
your preferred post-secondary Declare a major. Link the
path, or take a quiz to career field & major to the
generate a list of colleges, school you want to attend. Fit
universities, or trade school. is the key. Narrow down the
list-reach, match, and safety
schools based on student’s
profile
http://www.youblisher.com/p/59166-Career-Planning-With-Your-Teens/
 ● Start early
● Guide but don’t
micromanage.
● Set aside regular
times to go over
college and career
planning
● Create a task list to
Time Management reach each semester
9th Grade Tasks
● Take rigorous courses
● Keep up grades every single semester!
● Learn to use a planner
● Take advantage of tutoring
● Document extra curricular activities, community
service, awards/honors, leadership.
10th Grade Tasks
● Take the PSAT and use the scores to prep for
next year!!! Very important for NMS program
● Continue to take rigorous courses, keep up
grades, use a planner, tutoring, document
activities
● Consider a part-time job for career
exploration
● Take advantage of job shadowing
● Summer camps and programs geared to your
field of interest
● Online College search
● College Fairs and Campus Visits
 11th Grade Tasks
● Keep up grades
● Continue to add to resume
● Part-time job, shadowing
● Finish up with PSAT/NMSQT preparation for
October
● Take SAT and ACT---test prep is important
● Begin college visits throughout the year. Take
advantage of your allowed days. Use breaks and
holidays for College Previews and visits.
● Determine if the college has your major, cost,
and entrance requirements, particularly essays
and subject tests
● Summer---prep your applications and write
your essay before the school year starts up
12th Grade Tasks
● Keep up grades
● Continue to add to resume
● Finalize your list of Reach, Match & Safety
schools
● Take a final look at schools
● Politely asks for L.O.R. with at least 2 weeks
notice, but not over break.
● Submit your applications earlier in the year to
be considered for more funding
● Complete FAFSA
● Search for scholarships
Tools to help you plan
● College Board Big Future---search for schools based on your preferences and
compare them, explore careers, major related to your career, and tools to pay for college.
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/explore-careers
● Texas OnCourse---resource for students, families, and schools to explore and map out
college and career planning that began with HB 18 efforts by UT Austin, TEA, TX Workforce
Commission & TX Higher Ed. Coordinating Board. Provides guidance by student’s grade level.
https://texasoncourse.org
● Texas Workforce Commission---Your Bright Future initiative allows families to
explore careers, skills needed, costs involved, job market prospects, and salary. Exposes kids
to new career options, saves money in the long run. Great tools to help guide parents with
starting the college and career conversation with students. Links HS endorsements to jobs.
https://lmci.state.tx.us/parents/parents.asp
Career Assessment---Let’s try CHOICES 360
Assists with high school, college, career, and financial planning across all grade levels!

1. Login to Choices 360

2. Create a username and password---one for you and one for student
3. Click on Career Planning---can do 1 or all assessments
4. Choose Interest Profiler---this assessments matches your interests to
possible careers
5. To access your student’s profile, you’ll need an invitation.
6. View your results and discuss your findings. Did they line up with what
you know or were you surprised?
Don’t forget to complete a survey!
 References
https://www.positionu4college.com

https://www.teensafe.com/blog/judgement-call-an-infographic-on-the-teen-brain/

https://www.generationnext.com.au/2012/03/seven-strategies-to-properly-engage-the-teenage-brain

www.shutterstock.com

https://ed4career.com/blog/6-common-career-myths

http://www.youblisher.com/p/59166-Career-Planning-With-Your-Teens/

Beckett, C. and Taylor, H. (2016). Human Growth and Development. (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.